Shloka 25

सीताहनूमद्भाषणम्

Sita Tests the Messenger; Hanuman Offers Reassurance

Devanagari script

इत्येवं बहुधा सीता सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलम्।।।।रक्षसां कामरूपत्वान्मेने तं राक्षसाधिपम्।

Transliteration

ity evaṃ bahudhā sītā sampradhārya balābalam | rakṣasāṃ kāmarūpatvān mene taṃ rākṣasādhipam ||

Translation

ഇങ്ങനെ സീത പലവിധത്തിൽ ബലാബലങ്ങൾ ആലോചിച്ചു; രാക്ഷസർ ഇഷ്ടമെന്നപോലെ രൂപം ധരിക്കുമെന്നു ഓർത്തു, അവനെ രാക്ഷസാധിപനെന്നു സംശയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इत्यादि-उपसंहारार्थक (quotative/thus)

• एवम्: in this way
• एवम्: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (adverb 'in this manner')

• बहुधा: in many ways
• बहुधा: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahudhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/बहुविधार्थक (adverb 'in many ways')

• सीता: Sita
• सीता: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-एकवचनम् (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)

• सम्प्रधार्य: having considered
• सम्प्रधार्य: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वकर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + pra + √dhṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund); 'having considered'

• बलाबलम्: strength and weakness
• बलाबलम्: Karma (कर्म/object of considering)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bala + abala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Accusative, Singular); इतरेतर-द्वन्द्वः (strength and weakness)

• रक्षसाम्: of the demons
• रक्षसाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी-बहुवचनम् (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• कामरूपत्वात्: because of (their) ability to assume forms at will
• कामरूपत्वात्: Hetu (हेतु/cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma-rūpatva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-एकवचनम् (Neuter, Ablative, Singular); तत्पुरुषः (kāmena rūpam) + त्व-प्रत्यय (abstract noun)

• मेने: thought/considered
• मेने: Kriya (क्रिया/verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person); एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular) सर्वनाम

• राक्षसाधिपम्: the lord of demons
• राक्षसाधिपम्: Karma (कर्म/object complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-एकवचनम् (Masculine, Accusative, Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rākṣasānām adhipaḥ)

Context

Considering the strength and weakness of demons in that manner Sita thought that Hanuman was none other than the king of demons who can asume any form at will.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• rākṣasas
• rākṣasādhipa (Rāvaṇa, implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma is prudent caution in a hostile setting: Sītā’s suspicion arises from knowledge of rākṣasa deception, showing that truth-seeking includes guarding against manipulation.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator summarizes Sītā’s internal deliberation: due to the shapeshifting nature of demons, she momentarily suspects the visitor could be the rākṣasa king in disguise.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s vigilance and practical wisdom—she assesses threats realistically rather than yielding to naïve hope.