Shloka 28

सीताप्रत्यय-प्रदानम्

Sita’s Recognition and Reassurance by the Envoy

Devanagari script

कच्चिन्न तद्धेमसमानवर्णं तस्याननं पद्मसमानगन्धि।मया विना शुष्यति शोकदीनं जलक्षये पद्ममिवातपेन।।।।

Transliteration

kaccin na tad hemasamānavarṇaṁ tasyānanaṁ padmasamānagandhi | mayā vinā śuṣyati śokadīnaṁ jalakṣaye padmam ivātapena ||

Translation

എന്നില്ലാതെ ദുഃഖത്തിൽ ക്ഷീണിച്ച്, സ്വർണ്ണസമാന വർണ്ണമുള്ളതും താമരപോലെ സുഗന്ധമുള്ളതുമായ അവന്റെ മുഖം വാടിപ്പോയിട്ടില്ലേയോ? ജലം ക്ഷയിക്കുമ്പോൾ സൂര്യതാപത്തിൽ താമര ഉണങ്ങുന്നതുപോലെ.

Word by Word

• kaccit: I hope; is it so?
• kaccit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative particle of anxious hope

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; here used demonstratively with ānanam ("that")

• hemasamānavarṇam: having color like gold
• hemasamānavarṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema-samāna-varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa chain: hema (gold) + samāna (similar) + varṇa (color); qualifying ānanam

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (षष्ठी), Singular

• ānanam: face
• ānanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• padmasamānagandhi: fragrant like a lotus
• padmasamānagandhi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: padma-samāna-gandhin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: padma (lotus) + samāna (similar) + gandhin (fragrant); qualifying ānanam

• mayā: by/with me
• mayā: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया), Singular

• vinā: without
• vinā: Apadana (अपादान/वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable (उपपद-अव्यय) meaning "without"; governs instrumental

• śuṣyati: dries up/wilts
• śuṣyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śuṣ (धातु; शोषणे)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• śokadīnam: pale/wretched with grief
• śokadīnam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka-dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; karmadhāraya: dīna (wretched) qualified by śoka (grief) = "wretched with grief"; qualifying ānanam

• jalakṣaye: when water is depleted
• jalakṣaye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala-kṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: jala (water) + kṣaya (loss)

• padmam: lotus
• padmam: Upamana (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: padma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; upamāna in simile

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle (उपमा-वाचक)

• ātapena: by heat/sunshine
• ātapena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

Context

"Rama has given up sovereignty for the sake of establishing righteousness and led me into the forest on foot.He had not then felt any fear, anxiety or grief at heart.Rama showed patience, instead. Hope he retains them.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• lotus (padma)

FAQs

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

Dharma is steadfast marital devotion joined with empathy: Sītā’s suffering does not erase concern for Rāma’s well-being and emotional truth.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā, separated from Rāma, anxiously imagines his grief and asks Hanumān whether Rāma is enduring the separation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s selfless love—she worries about Rāma’s pain even while she herself is captive.