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Shloka 31

षोडशः सर्गः (Sarga 16): Hanumān’s Recognition of Sītā and Renewed Lament

अस्या हि पुष्पावनताग्रशाखाः शोकं दृढं वै जनयन्त्यशोकाः।हिमव्यपायेन च शीतरश्मि रभ्युत्थितो नैकसहस्ररश्मि:।।5.16.31।।

asyā hi puṣpāvanatāgraśākhāḥ śokaṃ dṛḍhaṃ vai janayanty aśokāḥ |

himavyapāyena ca śītaraśmir abhyutthito naikasahasraraśmiḥ ||5.16.31||

അവൾക്കായി പുഷ്പഭാരത്തിൽ അഗ്രശാഖകൾ കുനിഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്ന അശോകവൃക്ഷങ്ങളും ആശ്വാസമല്ല, ദൃഢമായ ശോകം തന്നെയാണ് ജനിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്; ശീതകാലം മാറിയപ്പോൾ ശീതകിരണനായ ചന്ദ്രനും സഹസ്രകിരണനായ സൂര്യനും ഉദിച്ചാലും ആ ദുഃഖം കൂടുതൽ കഠിനമാകുന്നു.

asyāḥof her
asyāḥ:
Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (एकवचन)
hiindeed/for
hi:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormParticle (निपात), causal/emphatic (हि)
puṣpa-avanata-agra-śākhāḥbranches with tips bent by blossoms
puṣpa-avanata-agra-śākhāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootpuṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + avanata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक) + śākhā (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुव्रीहि: 'puṣpaiḥ avanatāni agrāṇi yāsāṃ tāḥ śākhāḥ' (branches whose tips are bent by flowers)
śokamsorrow
śokam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootśoka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन)
dṛḍhamfirm/intense
dṛḍham:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdṛḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular (एकवचन); adjective to śokam
vaiindeed
vai:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
FormEmphatic particle (वै-निपात)
janayantiproduce/cause
janayanti:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjan (धातु)
FormPresent tense (लट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
aśokāḥAśoka trees
aśokāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootaśoka (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)
hima-vyapāyenaby the passing of winter/cold
hima-vyapāyena:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Roothima (प्रातिपदिक) + vyapāya (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular (एकवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'himasya vyapāyaḥ' (disappearance of cold/snow)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
FormConjunction (समुच्चय-अव्यय)
śīta-raśmiḥthe cool-rayed one (Moon)
śīta-raśmiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśīta (प्रातिपदिक) + raśmi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); कर्मधारय: 'śītāḥ raśmayaḥ yasya saḥ' (cool-rayed = Moon)
abhyutthitaḥhas risen
abhyutthitaḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया/participial predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootabhi + ut + sthā (धातु)
FormPast active participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)
na-eka-sahasra-raśmiḥthe many-thousand-rayed one (Sun)
na-eka-sahasra-raśmiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootna (अव्यय) + eka (प्रातिपदिक) + sahasra (प्रातिपदिक) + raśmi (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); बहुव्रीहि: 'na eka-sahasraṃ raśmīnām yasya saḥ' = having not just one thousand rays (i.e., many-thousand-rayed Sun)

"Just as river Ganga is not agitated by the rain-bearing clouds, this Sita is not perturbed as she is aware of the prowess of Rama and might of Lakshmana.

S
Sita
M
Moon
S
Sun

FAQs

It teaches sensitivity toward suffering: even pleasant surroundings can deepen grief for the afflicted; dharma requires attentive care, not superficial consolation.

Hanuman observes the blossoming Aśoka grove and the seasonal beauty, noting that these ordinarily joyful signs only sharpen Sītā’s sorrow in separation.

Sītā’s unwavering emotional truth (satya of feeling) in love and separation; she does not feign ease amid pain.