Shloka 46

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

अथवा न्यस्तशत्रौ तौ वने मूलफलाशिनौ।।।।भ्रातरौ हि नरश्रेष्ठौ संवृत्तौ वनगोचरौ।

Transliteration

athavā nyastaśatrū tau vane mūlaphalāśinau | bhrātarau hi naraśreṣṭhau saṃvṛttau vanagocarau ||

Translation

അല്ലെങ്കിൽ, ഒരുപക്ഷേ ആ രണ്ടു സഹോദരന്മാർ—മനുഷ്യശ്രേഷ്ഠർ—വൈരം ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് ഇപ്പോൾ വനത്തിൽ മൂലഫലങ്ങൾ ആഹരിച്ച് വനചരരായി സഞ്ചരിക്കുകയായിരിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• अथवा: or else
• अथवा: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/disjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय

• न्यस्त-शत्रू: having laid down enmity/arms
• न्यस्त-शत्रू: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier of 'tau')
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyasta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय: 'न्यस्ताः शत्रवः यस्य' (having laid down hostility/arms); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन (Dual)

• वने: in the forest
• वने: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्/location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• मूल-फल-आशिनौ: eating roots and fruits
• मूल-फल-आशिनौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + āśin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (object-determinative): 'मूलफलानि अश्नाति' (eating roots and fruits); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• भ्रातरौ: two brothers
• भ्रातरौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/हेतौ अव्यय

• नर-श्रेष्ठौ: best among men (two)
• नर-श्रेष्ठौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'नराणां श्रेष्ठौ'; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• संवृत्तौ: have become
• संवृत्तौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-vṛt (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; 'become'

• वन-गोचरौ: forest-roaming
• वन-गोचरौ: Karta (कर्ता/subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + gocara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: 'वने गोचरः' (moving in the forest); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Context

"May be both the brothers, foremost among men, have laid down their arms, and taken to asceticism, subsisting on roots and fruits.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

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

It gestures toward forest-dharma (austere living and restraint): even great warriors can choose self-control and simplicity when dharma calls.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā imagines alternate possibilities—perhaps Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa have turned fully to ascetic forest life, delaying any rescue.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Austerity and self-restraint (tapas, saṃyama) as possible expressions of the brothers’ nobility.