Valmiki Ramayana 2.60.8 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 60, Shloka 8

षष्टितमः सर्गः — Kausalyā’s Lament and Sumantra’s Consolation

Sītā’s Fearless Forest-Life

Devanagari script

नास्या दैन्यं कृतं किञ्चित्सुसूक्ष्ममपि लक्ष्यते।उचितेव प्रवासानां वैदेही प्रतिभाति मा।।।।

Transliteration

nāsyā dainyaṃ kṛtaṃ kiñcit susūkṣmam api lakṣyate |

ucitā iva pravāsānāṃ vaidehī pratibhāti mā ||

Translation

ਉਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਦੈਨ੍ਯ ਦਾ ਅਤਿ ਸੁਖਮ ਨਿਸ਼ਾਨ ਵੀ ਕੁਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਦਿੱਸਦਾ; ਵੈਦੇਹੀ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਤਾਂ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਹੀ ਪਰਦੇਸ-ਵਾਸ ਦੀ ਆਦੀ ਹੋਵੇ, ਐਸੇ ਹੀ ਪ੍ਰਤੀਤ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• asyāḥ: of her
• asyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Strīlinga, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• dainyam: dejection
• dainyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dainya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular; subject of lakṣyate

• kṛtam: done/produced
• kṛtam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त) → kṛta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Napumsaka, Nominative singular; qualifying dainyam

• kiñcit: any (at all)
• kiñcit: Pramāṇa (प्रमाण/परिमाण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiñcit (अव्ययवत्/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Indeclinable quantifier (किञ्चित्) used adverbially = at all

• susūkṣmam: even very slight
• susūkṣmam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su-sūkṣma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya with intensifier su-; Napumsaka, Nominative singular; qualifying dainyam

• api: even
• api: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अपि) = even

• lakṣyate: is perceived
• lakṣyate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: lakṣ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Ātmanepada, Prathama-puruṣa, Singular; passive-like sense 'is seen'

• ucitā: accustomed/suited
• ucitā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucita (प्रातिपदिक; from √uc 'to be fitting' + kta)
• Form: Past participial adjective, Strīlinga, Nominative singular; predicate adjective of vaidehī

• iva: as if
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle

• pravāsānām: of living away (from home)
• pravāsānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pravāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumlinga, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural

• vaidehī: Vaidehi (Sita)
• vaidehī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidehī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīlinga, Nominative, Singular

• pratibhāti: appears
• pratibhāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati + bhā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Singular

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular

Context

I could not see even the slightest depression in Sita as if she was accustomed to staying away from home.

Characters & Entities

• Vaidehī (Sītā)
• exile (pravāsa)

FAQs

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

Dharma is resilience in righteous duty: a person aligned with truth and commitment does not collapse inwardly when circumstances change.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker reports Sītā’s emotional state in the forest and notes her absence of despair.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s steadiness (dhairya) and adaptability—she bears exile without visible self-pity.