Shloka 18

चित्रकूटवर्णनम् (Description of Chitrakūṭa) / Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta

Devanagari script

वैदेहि रमसे कच्चिच्चित्रकूटे मया सह।पश्यन्ती विविधान्भावान्मनोवाक्कायसम्मतान्।।।।

Transliteration

vaidehi ramase kaccic citrakūṭe mayā saha | paśyantī vividhān bhāvān manovākkāyasammatān ||

Translation

Wahai Vaidehī (Sītā), adakah engkau bergembira di Citrakūṭa ini bersamaku, sambil memandang pelbagai pemandangan dan pengalaman yang menyenangkan minda, tutur kata, dan jasad?

Word by Word

• vaidehi: O Vaidehī (Sītā)
• vaidehi: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidehī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• ramase: do you enjoy
• ramase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √ram (रमते) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यम), Ekavacana (एकवचन), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद)

• kaccit: indeed? (I hope)
• kaccit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative particle (प्रश्नार्थक निपात)

• citrakūṭe: on Chitrakūṭa
• citrakūṭe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: citrakūṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• mayā: with me
• mayā: Sahakāraka (सह/साकं)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aham (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahārtha (सहार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition-like indeclinable 'with' (सहवाचक अव्यय)

• paśyantī: seeing/observing
• paśyantī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्यति) (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ-pratyaya present participle (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन), agreeing with (vaidehī)

• vividhān: various
• vividhān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन), qualifying bhāvān

• bhāvān: things/experiences
• bhāvān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• mano-vāk-kāya-sammatān: pleasing to mind, speech, and body
• mano-vāk-kāya-sammatān: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + vāc (प्रातिपदिक) + kāya (प्रातिपदिक) + sammata (कृदन्त, सम्-√man 'to approve/think')
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (समाहार/coordination inside + determinative): manasā vācā kāyena ca sammatāḥ; Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन), qualifying bhāvān

Context

O Sita, are you enjoying by being with me here on this Chitrakuta and observing various objects gratifying to the body, mind and speech?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Citrakūṭa

FAQs

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

Dharma here is expressed as considerate companionship: Rāma, though enduring exile, remains attentive to Sītā’s well-being and emotional comfort, treating shared hardship as a field for mutual care rather than complaint.

What is the narrative situation?

During forest exile at Citrakūṭa, Rāma speaks to Sītā while showing her the surroundings and asks whether she is content and enjoying the place with him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s empathy and gentle responsibility as a husband—he actively checks on Sītā’s happiness and frames the exile in a way that supports her morale.