Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 15

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Resolve under Threat

अहं तु राम त्वयि जातकामा चिरं विनाशाय निबद्धभावा।मोघं चरित्वाथ तपो व्रतञ्च त्यक्ष्यामिधिग्जीवितमल्पभाग्याम्।।5.28.15।।

ahaṃ tu rāma tvayi jātakāmā ciraṃ vināśāya nibaddhabhāvā |

moghaṃ caritvātha tapo vratañ ca tyakṣyāmi dhig jīvitam alpabhāgyām ||5.28.15||

ഹേ രാമാ, ഞാൻ നിന്നിലേയ്ക്ക് തന്നെ പ്രേമം കെട്ടിപ്പിടിച്ച് ദീർഘകാലം നിന്നോടു ബന്ധിതഭാവത്തോടെ നിന്നു—അത് എന്റെ നാശത്തിനായിത്തീർന്നു. വ്യർത്ഥമായി തപസ്സും വ്രതവും അനുഷ്ഠിച്ച്, ഇനി ഞാൻ പ്രാണം ത്യജിക്കും; അൽപഭാഗ്യയായ എന്റെ ഈ ജീവിതത്തിന് ധിക്കാരം!

अहम्I
अहम्:
कर्ता (Agent)
TypeNoun
Rootअस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम-शब्दः; पुंलिङ्गे (प्रायः); प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (कर्तरि), एकवचनम्; English: pronoun, nominative singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-समुच्चय (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपातः/अवधारणार्थकः; English: particle/conjunction “but/indeed”
रामO Rama
राम:
सम्बोधन (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootराम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गः; सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: vocative singular
त्वयिin/for you
त्वयि:
अधिकरण (Locus)
TypeNoun
Rootयुष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम-शब्दः; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; English: locative singular “in/at you”
जातकामाone whose love/desire has arisen (for you)
जातकामा:
कर्ता-विशेषण (Agent qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootजात (√जन् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + काम (प्रातिपदिक) → जातकामा
Formकर्मधारय-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अहम्-इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; English: nominative singular feminine adjective “having arisen desire/love”
चिरम्for long
चिरम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootचिरम् (अव्यय/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-प्रयोगः)
Formकालवाचक-अव्ययम्; English: adverb “for a long time”
विनाशायfor (my) destruction/doom
विनाशाय:
सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन (Purpose/Goal)
TypeNoun
Rootविनाश (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्गः; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; प्रयोजनार्थे; English: dative singular “for destruction/doom”
निबद्धभावाwith my feelings fixed (on you)
निबद्धभावा:
कर्ता-विशेषण (Agent qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootनिबद्ध (नि+√बन्ध् धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक) → निबद्धभावा
Formकर्मधारय-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अहम्-इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; English: nominative singular feminine adjective “with feelings bound/fixed”
मोघम्in vain
मोघम्:
क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootमोघ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formक्रियाविशेषण-प्रयोगः (नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकारेण अव्ययीभूतम्); English: adverb “in vain”
चरित्वाhaving practiced/performed
चरित्वा:
पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)
TypeVerb
Root√चर् (धातु) + क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (ल्यप्) → चरित्वा
Formक्त्वान्त-अव्ययकृदन्तम्; पूर्वकालिक-क्रिया; English: gerund “having practiced/performed”
अथthen/thereupon
अथ:
सम्बन्ध/अनुक्रम (Sequencing particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअथ (अव्यय)
Formअव्ययम्; अनुक्रम/अनन्तरार्थकः; English: adverb/conjunction “then/thereupon”
तपःausterities
तपः:
कर्म (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (कर्म); English: accusative singular “austerity”
व्रतम्vow(s)
व्रतम्:
कर्म (Object)
TypeNoun
Rootव्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (कर्म); English: accusative singular “vow”
and
:
समुच्चय (Coordinator)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयार्थक-अव्ययम्; English: conjunction “and”
त्यक्ष्यामिI will give up/abandon
त्यक्ष्यामि:
क्रिया (Predicate action)
TypeVerb
Root√त्यज् (धातु) — लृट्-लकारः
Formलृट् (भविष्यत्कालः); उत्तम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; English: simple future, 1st person singular “I will abandon”
धिक्fie!/alas!
धिक्:
भावप्रकाशक (Exclamatory particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootधिक् (अव्यय)
Formनिन्दार्थक-निपातः; English: interjection “fie!/alas!/shame!”
जीवितम्life
जीवितम्:
कर्म/विषय (Object/target of exclamation)
TypeNoun
Rootजीवित (प्रातिपदिक; √जीव् धातोः क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-नाम)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; धिक्-इत्यस्य विषयः; English: accusative singular “life”
अल्पभाग्याम्unfortunate (me)
अल्पभाग्याम्:
कर्म-विशेषण (Object qualifier; self-reference)
TypeAdjective
Rootअल्प (प्रातिपदिक) + भाग्य (प्रातिपदिक) → अल्पभाग्य
Formकर्मधारय-समासः; स्त्रीलिङ्गः; द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; अहम्-इत्यस्य विशेषणम् (कर्मरूपेण/स्व-निर्देशे); English: accusative singular feminine “(me) unfortunate/ill-fated”

"O Rama!I loved you and concentrated all my love on you for a long time only for my doom. I have observed vows and austerities in vain. I cannot continue it for long. Here I am giving up my life. Fie upon this luckless one (me).

R
Rama
S
Sita

FAQs

Sītā’s words arise from extreme duḥkha and perceived hopelessness, yet the verse highlights her unwavering one-pointed fidelity to Rāma (pativratā-dharma). The ethical tension is that despair threatens life, while Dharma upholds endurance and trust in righteous order; the verse captures that crisis rather than endorsing self-destruction.

Satya appears in Sītā’s candid self-disclosure: she truthfully states her long-held love, her sense that her tapas and vows have become ‘mogha’ (fruitless), and her present resolve. The verse’s moral force comes from truthful speech expressing inner reality, even when that truth is painful.