Shloka 28

सीताया धर्मोपदेशः—शस्त्रसंयोगदोषकथा

Sita’s Counsel on Dharma and the Peril of Weapon-Association

Devanagari script

क्वच शस्त्रं क्व च वनं क्व च क्षात्रं तपः क्वच।।3.9.28।।व्याविद्धमिदमस्माभिर्द्देशधर्मस्तु पूज्यताम्।

Transliteration

kvaca śastraṃ kva ca vanaṃ kva ca kṣātraṃ tapaḥ kvaca |

vyāviddham idam asmābhir deśadharmas tu pūjyatām ||

Translation

എവിടെ ആയുധധാരണം, എവിടെ വനവാസം? എവിടെ ക്ഷാത്രധർമ്മം, എവിടെ തപസ്സ്? ഞങ്ങൾ ഇവിടെ നിലകൊള്ളുന്നത് പരധർമ്മത്തിലേക്കുള്ള അതിക്രമംപോലെയാണ്; അതിനാൽ ഈ ദേശത്തിന്റെ ദേശധർമ്മം ആദരപൂർവ്വം പൂജിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• तद्: then
• तद्: काल (Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः; तदा इत्यर्थे (then/thereupon)

• आर्य: O noble one
• आर्य: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन, एकवचनम्

• कलुषा: impure
• कलुषा: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘बुद्धिः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• बुद्धिः: mind/intellect
• बुद्धिः: कर्ता
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• जायते: arises/is born
• जायते: कर्ता-क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः, प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्

• शस्त्र-सेवनात्: from the practice/use of weapons
• शस्त्र-सेवनात्: हेतु/अपादान (Cause/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक) + सेवन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ‘शस्त्रस्य सेवनम्’ + पञ्चमी (from); हेत्वर्थे

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्ययम्; पुनरावृत्तिवाचक (again)

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (Gerund), पूर्वकालः; ‘having gone’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: कर्ता (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचनम्

• अयोध्यायाम्: in Ayodhya
• अयोध्यायाम्: अधिकरण
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, सप्तमी, एकवचनम्

• क्षत्र-धर्मम्: kshatriya duty
• क्षत्र-धर्मम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः ‘क्षत्रियस्य धर्मः’

• चरिष्यसि: you will practice
• चरिष्यसि: कर्ता-क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकारः (Simple future), मध्यम-पुरुषः (2nd), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

Context

You would have been on unlimited source of joy to my father-in-law and mother-in-law had you permanently renounced the kingdom for the life of an ascetic.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• vana (forest)
• kṣātra-dharma
• tapas

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Appropriateness of dharma to place and role: in an ascetic forest, restraint and local norms (deśa-dharma) should guide conduct, rather than the warrior’s impulse to use force.

What is the narrative situation?

During forest life, Sītā urges Rāma to reflect on the tension between living as an exile among ascetics and acting in a manner driven by kṣatriya weapon-use.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka) about context-sensitive duty—knowing when power should yield to restraint.