Shloka 18

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament amid Rākṣasī Threats

Devanagari script

कीदृशं तु महापापं मया जन्मान्तरे कृतम्।यनेदं प्राप्यते दुःखं मया घोरं सुदारुणम्।।5.25.18।।

Transliteration

kīdṛśaṃ tu mahāpāpaṃ mayā janmāntare kṛtam | yenedaṃ prāpyate duḥkhaṃ mayā ghoraṃ sudāruṇam || 5.25.18 ||

Translation

മുൻജന്മത്തിൽ ഞാൻ ഏതു മഹാപാപം ചെയ്തുവോ, അതിനാലാണോ എനിക്ക് ഇപ്പോൾ ഈ ഭയങ്കരവും അത്യന്തം ക്രൂരവുമായ ദുഃഖം അനുഭവിക്കേണ്ടിവരുന്നത്?

Word by Word

• कीदृशम्: what kind of
• कीदृशम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कीदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); interrogative adjective qualifying महापापम्

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Adversative/emphatic particle (निपात-अव्यय)

• महापापम्: great sin
• महापापम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2nd), Singular (एकवचन)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr (कर्ता/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3rd), Singular (एकवचन)

• जन्मान्तरे: in another birth (past life)
• जन्मान्तरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्म-अन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7th), Singular (एकवचन)

• कृतम्: done
• कृतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object-qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (कृत्: क्त/PPP), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया/2nd), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with महापापम्

• येन: by which
• येन: Karana (करण/Instrument-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3rd), Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1st), Singular (एकवचन)

• प्राप्यते: is obtained/experienced
• प्राप्यते: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप् (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Passive sense ‘is obtained/experienced’ (कर्मणि-भाव)

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1st), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to इदम्

• मया: by me/to me
• मया: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3rd), Singular (एकवचन); experiencer/agent reference

• घोरम्: terrible
• घोरम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1st), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies दुःखम्

• सुदारुणम्: very cruel
• सुदारुणम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-दारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1st), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies दुःखम्

Context

'A human ought not to become the wife of a demon. You can eat me up. I will not follow your advice.'

Characters & Entities

• Sītā

FAQs

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

The verse reflects the dharmic worldview of karma and moral causality: suffering prompts introspection rather than hatred, even when the immediate cause is injustice.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā, overwhelmed in captivity, wonders if past actions could explain her present agony.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral introspection—she examines herself rather than abandoning truth or becoming vindictive.