Valmiki Ramayana 2.29.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 29, Shloka 21

सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः · Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest

Spoken by Sita to RamaSetting: Ayodhya (implied, pre-departure)Places named: vana (forest)Decision-point before forest-exile

Devanagari script

ययदि मां दुःखितामेवं वनं नेतुं न चेच्छसि ।

विषमग्निं जलं वाऽहमास्थास्ये मृत्युकारणात् ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.29.21

Transliteration

yadi māṃ duḥkhitām evaṃ vanaṃ netuṃ na cecchasi |

viṣam agniṃ jalaṃ vā 'ham āsthāsye mṛtyu-kāraṇāt ||21||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ ദുഃഖിതയായ എന്നെ വനത്തിലേക്കു കൊണ്ടുപോകാൻ നീ ആഗ്രഹിക്കാത്തുവെങ്കിൽ, മരണകാരണം തേടി ഞാൻ വിഷമോ അഗ്നിയോ ജലമോ ആശ്രയിക്കും.

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Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• माम्: me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• दुःखिताम्: distressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःखित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (माम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: thus/in this way)
• Role: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)

• वनम्: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थे कर्म
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• नेतुम्: to take/lead
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive)
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)
• Role: Nishedha (निषेध)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• इच्छसि: you wish
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्/इच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• विषम्: poison
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• अग्निम्: fire
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• जलम्: water
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive: or)
• Role: Vikalpa (विकल्प)

• अहम्: I
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• आस्थास्ये: I shall resort to / undertake
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + स्था (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• मृत्युकारणात्: for the sake of death / from a death-causing motive
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृत्यु (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मृत्योः कारणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे अपादान (from the motive/cause)
• Role: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• दुःखितामेवं = दुःखिताम् + एवम्
• नेतुं न = नेतुम् + न
• चेच्छसि = च + इच्छसि
• विषमग्निं = विषम् + अग्निम्
• वाऽहम् = वा + अहम्

Context

If you do not wish to take your wife in this time of distress to the forest I shall die by consuming poison or throwing myself into fire or drowning in water.

The teaching

When love hardens into ultimatum, dharma becomes strained; the verse dramatizes how attachment can weaponize suffering.

Duties in tension

• Sītā’s duty to accompany husband vs. duty to preserve life and avoid adharma of self-destruction
• Rāma’s duty to protect Sītā vs. duty to follow exile constraints and minimize harm

Ethical theme

Dharma-saṅkaṭa / gṛhastha-ethics

Devotion and practice

Reflection on transforming intense attachment into steadier bhakti; cultivating non-harming responses even under grief.

Deity praised

Rāma (implicit addressee)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Desperate, threatening, heartbroken

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Pativratā-dharma
• Vow
• Itihasa
• Ethics

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• poison (viṣa)
• fire (agni)
• water (jala)

FAQs

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

It dramatizes the perceived inseparability of marital duty; however, ethically it also shows the tension between dharma and extreme emotional resolve, highlighting how dharmic ideals can be invoked under distress.

What is the narrative situation?

After repeated refusals, Sītā makes a drastic declaration to compel Rāma to accept her as a companion in exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Unyielding commitment (dṛḍha-niścaya), though expressed through a severe ultimatum born of grief and fear of separation.