Shloka 54

सीतासान्त्वनम् / Hanuman Consoles Sita with the News of Victory

Transliteration

sapadi harivaraḥ tato hanūmān prativacanaṃ janakeśvarātmajāyāḥ |

kathitam akathayad yathākramena tridaśavarapratimāya rāghavāya ||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ വാനരശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ ഹനുമാൻ, ഇന്ദ്രസമമായ ദീപ്തിയുള്ള രാഘവനോടു സീതാദേവിയുടെ മറുപടി അവൾ പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ തന്നെ അതേ ക്രമത്തിൽ വാക്കുവാക്കായി പുനരാഖ്യാനം ചെയ്തു അറിയിച്ചു.

Word by Word

• सपदि: immediately
• सपदि: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sapadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (adverb of time)

• हरिवरः: the best of monkeys
• हरिवरः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hari + vara (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (वरः हरिः)

• ततः: then
• ततः: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/अनन्तरम् (then/from there)

• हनूमान्: Hanuman
• हनूमान्: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hanumat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रतिवचनम्: reply/message in return
• प्रतिवचनम्: कर्म (Object of अकथयत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prati + vacana (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (प्रतिवचनम् = उत्तरवचनम्)

• जनकेश्वरात्मजायाः: of Janaka's daughter
• जनकेश्वरात्मजायाः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: janaka + īśvara + ātmajā (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-समूहः (जनक-ईश्वरस्य आत्मजा)

• कथितम्: told/related
• कथितम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kathita (कृदन्त; √kath धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) used as object-complement

• अकथयत्: reported/told
• अकथयत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु) causative √kathay
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• यथाक्रमेन: in due order
• यथाक्रमेन: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā + krama (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; तृतीया-एकवचन-रूपेण अव्ययवत् (instrumental-form used adverbially)

• त्रिदशवरप्रतिमाय: to him who resembles the best of the gods
• त्रिदशवरप्रतिमाय: सम्प्रदान-विशेषण (Qualifier of recipient)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tridaśa + vara + pratimā (प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (त्रिदशानां वरः इव प्रतिमा यस्य) used as epithet to rāghavāya

• राघवाय: to Raghava (Rama)
• राघवाय: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

Context

Then Hanuman, the choicest of the monkeys, speedily delivered in turn every word of the message in the same order, in sequence to Raghava, who resembled the Lord of gods.।। itayāraṣēvālamīkīyēśarīmadarāmāyaṇēādikāvayēyudadhakāṇaḍēṣōḍaśōtataraśatatamasasaragaḥ ।।This is the end of one hundred and sixteenth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Sītā (Janakeśvarātmajā)
• Janaka
• Indra (implied by tridaśavara)

FAQs

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

Satya within dharma: Hanumān transmits Sītā’s words accurately and in order, showing ethical responsibility in communication.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān reaches Rāma and delivers Sītā’s response precisely, completing the cycle of message and reply.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability and integrity—Hanumān’s commitment to faithful reporting without distortion.