Shloka 18

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

किन्नु तत्कारणं येन रामो दृढपराक्रमः।रक्षसापहृतां भार्यामिष्टां नाभ्यवपद्यते।।।।

Transliteration

kinnu tatkāraṇaṃ yena rāmo dṛḍhaparākramaḥ | rakṣasāpahṛtāṃ bhāryām iṣṭāṃ nābhyavapadyate ||

Translation

ദൃഢപരാക്രമനായ ശ്രീരാമൻ, രാക്ഷസൻ അപഹരിച്ച തന്റെ പ്രിയഭാര്യയിലേക്കു ഇനിയും എത്താത്തത് എന്തുകൊണ്ടാകാം?

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; interrogative

• नु: indeed/then
• नु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative/emphatic particle (प्रश्न/अनुनय)

• तत्: that
• तत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; demonstrative used adjectivally

• कारणम्: reason
• कारणम्: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• येन: by which
• येन: Hetu (हेतु; by which reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; relative pronoun

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दृढपराक्रमः: of firm valor
• दृढपराक्रमः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दृढ-पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; adjective of रामः

• रक्षसा: by the demon
• रक्षसा: Kartr-karana (कर्तृकरण; agent in passive participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रक्षस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अपहृताम्: abducted
• अपहृताम्: Karma (कर्म; within object phrase)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपहृत (कृदन्त; अप+√हृ धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; past passive participle qualifying भार्याम्

• भार्याम्: wife
• भार्याम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इष्टाम्: beloved
• इष्टाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट (कृदन्त; √इष् धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; past passive participle used adjectivally qualifying भार्याम्

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• अभ्यवपद्यते: reaches/recovers
• अभ्यवपद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभ्यव+√पद् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular

Context

"What may be the reason that my loving husband, Rama who is highly powerful has not reached this place to which I was abducted by the demon.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Rākṣasa (Rāvaṇa implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma is tested under delay and uncertainty: Sītā maintains truth and fidelity while questioning circumstances, not righteousness itself.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā, abducted and isolated, tries to understand why the expected dharmic rescue has not yet materialized.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s perseverance and loyalty, alongside acknowledgment of Rāma’s steadfast prowess.