Shloka 9

Sundarakāṇḍa Sarga 32

Sītā’s Perplexity and Recognition of Hanumān

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने मयाऽयं विकृतोऽद्य दृष्टश्शाखामृगश्शास्त्रगणैर्निषिद्धः।स्वस्त्यस्तु रामाय स लक्ष्मणाय तथा पितुर्मे जनकस्य राज्ञः।।।।

Transliteration

svapne mayā ’yaṃ vikṛto ’dya dṛṣṭaḥ śākhāmṛgaḥ śāstragaṇair niṣiddhaḥ | svasty astu rāmāya sa lakṣmaṇāya tathā pitur me janakasya rājñaḥ ||

Translation

ഇന്ന് ഞാൻ സ്വപ്നത്തിൽ വികൃതമായ ഒരു വാനരനെ കണ്ടു—ശാസ്ത്രോപദേശപ്രകാരം അശുഭമായി നിരോധിക്കപ്പെട്ട അപശകുനം. എങ്കിലും ശ്രീരാമനും ലക്ഷ്മണനും, അതുപോലെ എന്റെ പിതാവായ രാജാ ജനകനും ക്ഷേമവും മംഗളവും ലഭിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: अधिकरण (locus)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; सप्तमी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (locative singular)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: कर्ता (agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; तृतीया-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (instrumental singular)

• ayam: this (one)
• ayam: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• vikṛtaḥ: deformed, ugly
• vikṛtaḥ: विशेषण (qualifier of ‘ayam’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi√kṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त) प्रत्यय → vikṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत्; पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (past participle used adjectivally)

• adya: today, now
• adya: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)

• dṛṣṭaḥ: was seen
• dṛṣṭaḥ: क्रिया (verbal predicate; passive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु) + kta (क्त) प्रत्यय → dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम्; (अत्र ‘दृष्टः’ = ‘seen/was seen’)

• śākhāmṛgaḥ: a monkey (lit. ‘branch-animal’)
• śākhāmṛgaḥ: कर्ता (agent in passive: ‘was seen’—the monkey is what was seen)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śākhā (प्रातिपदिक) + mṛga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śākhāyāḥ mṛgaḥ); पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• śāstragaṇaiḥ: by groups of scriptures / by scriptural authorities
• śāstragaṇaiḥ: करण (instrument/agent-group)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śāstra (प्रातिपदिक) + gaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (śāstrāṇāṃ gaṇāḥ); पुंलिङ्गः; तृतीया-विभक्तिः; बहुवचनम् (instrumental plural)

• niṣiddhaḥ: forbidden, prohibited
• niṣiddhaḥ: विशेषण (qualifier of ‘śākhāmṛgaḥ’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ni√sidh (धातु) + kta (क्त) प्रत्यय → niṣiddha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः; भूतकर्मणि; पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (past participle used adjectivally)

• svasti: auspiciousness, well-being
• svasti: वाक्योपपद (benedictive marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svasti (अव्यय/निपात)
• Form: मङ्गलवाचक-अव्ययम्/निपातः (benedictive particle)

• astu: may it be
• astu: क्रिया (predicate: ‘let there be’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative/benedictive); प्रथमपुरुषः; एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• rāmāya: for Rama
• rāmāya: सम्प्रदान (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (dative singular)

• sa: and/also (that)
• sa: समुच्चय/अन्वय (correlative ‘also/and’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; प्रथमा-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (nominative singular)

• lakṣmaṇāya: for Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇāya: सम्प्रदान (recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; चतुर्थी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (dative singular)

• tathā: likewise, also
• tathā: क्रियाविशेषण (linking adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb: ‘likewise/also’)

• pituḥ: of (my) father
• pituḥ: सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

• me: my
• me: सम्बन्ध (possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (enclitic genitive singular)

• janakasya: of Janaka
• janakasya: सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

• rājñaḥ: of the king
• rājñaḥ: सम्बन्ध (genitival relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः; एकवचनम् (genitive singular)

Context

'Today I saw an ugly monkey in my dream. Its sight in a dream is inauspicious according to sastras. Let it be auspicious for Lakshmana and Rama for the sake of my father Janaka.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Janaka

FAQs

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

Even amid fear and ominous signs, Sita turns to dharmic speech—wishing welfare for Rama, Lakshmana, and her father—showing steadiness, goodwill, and restraint rather than despair.

What is the narrative situation?

Sita, held captive in Lanka, is troubled by an ominous dream; she nevertheless prays for auspiciousness for her loved ones.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sita’s steadfastness (dhairya) and benevolence—she prioritizes others’ well-being and maintains righteous intention despite suffering.