Valmiki Ramayana 2.118.50 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 118, Shloka 50

अनसूयोपदेशः तथा सीताया स्वयंवरकथा

Anasuya’s Counsel and Sita’s Swayamvara Narrative

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं तत्र रामाय पित्रा सत्याभिसन्धिना।निश्चिता दातुमुद्यम्य जलभाजनमुत्तमम्।।2.118.50।।

Transliteration

tato 'haṁ tatra rāmāya pitrā satyābhisandhinā | niścitā dātum udyamya jala-bhājanam uttamam || 2.118.50 ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് അവിടെ, സത്യത്തിൽ ദൃഢനിശ്ചയമുള്ള എന്റെ പിതാവ്, എന്നെ രാമനു നൽകാൻ തീരുമാനിച്ച്, ഉത്തമമായ ജലപാത്രം ഉയർത്തി.

Word by Word

• tena: by him (Rama)
• tena: Karta (कर्ता) (agent in instrumental with participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular

• pūrayatā: while he was stringing/drawing
• pūrayatā: Karta (कर्ता) (simultaneous action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pṝ/√pūr (पूर्) (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular; ‘while filling/while stringing’

• vegāt: from/with force
• vegāt: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vega (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (पञ्चमी), Singular

• madhye: in the middle
• madhye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: madhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी), Singular

• bhagnam: broken
• bhagnam: Kriya (क्रिया) (result-state predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (भज्) (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle (क्त-कृदन्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular; agreeing with dhanuḥ

• dvidhā: into two
• dvidhā: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dvidhā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय)

• dhanuḥ: the bow
• dhanuḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of intransitive ‘was broken’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhanus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• tasya: of it
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Neuter/Masculine, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular

• śabdaḥ: sound
• śabdaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular

• bhavat: becoming/was
• bhavat: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू) (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; used predicatively with śabdaḥ: ‘became/was’

• bhīmaḥ: terrible
• bhīmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhīma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (प्रथमा), Singular; qualifying śabdaḥ

• patitasya: of the fallen
• patitasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pat (पत्) (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle used adjectivally, Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular; qualifying aśaneḥ

• aśaneḥ: of a thunderbolt
• aśaneḥ: Upamāna (उपमान) (in simile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśani (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle (उपमावाचक-अव्यय)

Context

In this way my father bestowed me on Rama in that swayamvara and I remain devoted to my husband who is the foremost among the valiant in treading the path of righteousness.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē aṣṭādaśōttaraśatatamassargaḥ.Thus ends the one hundredeighteenth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Janaka (implied by 'my father')

FAQs

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

Satya as dharma: Janaka’s truth-bound resolve governs a sacred act—giving his daughter in marriage through proper ritual intention.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā recounts the moment in the svayaṁvara context when her father prepared to offer her to Rāma, symbolized by lifting the water-vessel.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness and ritual integrity—Janaka’s steadfastness in satya while performing a consequential dharmic duty.