Valmiki Ramayana 2.30.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 30, Shloka 23

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

Setting: Ayodhyā palace—inner chamberPlaces named: Ayodhyā

Devanagari script

सा विद्धा बहुभिर्वाक्यैर्दिग्धैरिव गजाङ्गना ।

चिरसन्नियतं बाष्पं मुमोचाग्निमिवारणिः ॥२३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.30.23

Transliteration

sā viddhā bahubhir vākyair digdhair iva gajāṅganā |

cira-sanniyataṃ bāṣpaṃ mumoca agnim ivāraṇiḥ ||23||

Translation

അനേകം വാക്കുകളാൽ കുത്തേറ്റതുപോലെ, വിഷബാണങ്ങളാൽ വേദനിച്ച ഗജാംഗനയെപ്പോലെ, ദീർഘകാലം അടക്കിവെച്ച കണ്ണുനീർ അവൾ ഒഴുക്കി—അരണിയിൽ നിന്ന് അഗ്നി പൊട്ടിപ്പുറപ്പെടുന്നതുപോലെ.

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Word by Word

• sā: she
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/subject)

• viddhā: pierced/wounded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyadh (धातु) > viddha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता; qualifier of सा)

• bahubhiḥ: by many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Karana (करण/instrument)

• vākyaiḥ: with words
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करण/instrument)

• digdhaiḥ: smeared/poisoned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: digdha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP of √dih 'to smear'), तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying vākyaiḥ)
• Role: Karana (करण/instrument qualifier)

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (simile marker)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/simile)

• gaja-aṅganā: a female elephant
• Type: Noun
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषसमास (गजस्य अङ्गना); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता; apposition/simile base)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• cira-sanniyatam: long-suppressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cira (प्रातिपदिक) + sanniyata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (दीर्घकालं सन्नियतं); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying bāṣpam)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/object qualifier)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• bāṣpam: tears
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/object)

• mumoca: released/let flow
• Type: Verb
• Root: muc (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)

• agnim: fire
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Upamana (उपमान/standard of comparison)

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/simile)

• araṇiḥ: arani (fire-stick)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Upameya (उपमेय/thing compared)

Sandhi Notes

• बहुभिर्वाक्यैः = बहुभिः + वाक्यैः
• वाक्यैर्दिग्धैः = वाक्यैः + दिग्धैः
• मुमोचाग्निमिवारणिः = मुमोच + अग्निम् + इव + आरणिः

Context

Pierced by so many words (of objection from Rama), Sita felt like a cow-elephant penetrated by poison-smeared arrrows. And shed her long-suppressed tears like arani (a fire-kindling stick) kindling fire.

The teaching

Words can wound like poisoned arrows; restraint may hold tears, but accumulated heat eventually breaks forth—choose speech that heals.

Duties in tension

• Truthful/harsh speech vs compassionate speech within marriage
• Emotional restraint vs honest expression under crisis

Ethical theme

Vāk-dharma (ethics of speech); ahiṃsā in communication

How it resolves

Emotional release (catharsis)

For your practice

Practice mauna/mitabhāṣa and compassionate truth (satya with priya) as a discipline; observe how inner ‘fire’ is triggered by speech.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Pierced, eruptive, uncontained

Themes

• Dharma
• Maryada
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Poetics (alamkāra)
• Suffering

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as sensitivity in speech and action: harsh words can wound deeply; the epic warns that righteousness must include compassionate communication.

What is the narrative situation?

After being met with repeated objections, Sītā’s composure breaks and her suppressed tears finally flow.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Endurance up to a limit—she restrains herself long, then naturally releases grief when overwhelmed.