Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 19, Shloka 17

सीताव्यथा

वर्णनम् / Sītā’s Distress and Rāvaṇa’s Attempt at Coercive Allurement

Devanagari script

पतिशोकातुरां शुष्कां नदीं विस्रावितामिव।परया मृजया हीनां कृष्णपक्षनिशामिव।।।।

Transliteration

patiśokāturāṃ śuṣkāṃ nadīṃ visrāvitām iva |

parayā mṛjayā hīnāṃ kṛṣṇapakṣaniśām iva ||

Translation

ਪਤੀ ਦੇ ਸ਼ੋਕ ਨਾਲ ਆਤੁਰ ਉਹ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਧਾਰ ਘਟ ਕੇ ਸੁੱਕ ਗਈ ਨਦੀ ਹੋਵੇ—ਜੋ ਪੂਰੇ ਸਨਾਨ ਲਈ ਵੀ ਯੋਗ ਨਾ ਰਹੀ ਹੋਵੇ; ਅਤੇ ਜਿਵੇਂ ਚਮਕ ਤੋਂ ਰਹਿਤ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਪੱਖ ਦੀ ਰਾਤ ਹੋਵੇ, ਐਸੇ ਦਿਸਦੀ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• pati-śoka-āturām: distressed by grief for her husband
• pati-śoka-āturām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pati + śoka + ātura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (पतेः शोकः = पतिशोकः; तेन आतुरा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śuṣkām: dry
• śuṣkām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• nadīm: river
• nadīm: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• visrāvitām: drained, with flow diminished
• visrāvitām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-sru (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘let flow out / drained’

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

• parayā: by great (means)
• parayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; feminine instrumental singular

• mṛjayā: by cleansing/ablution
• mṛjayā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; feminine instrumental singular; ‘cleansing/ablution’

• hīnāṃ: deprived (of)
• hīnāṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; feminine accusative singular

• kṛṣṇa-pakṣa-niśām: night of the dark fortnight
• kṛṣṇa-pakṣa-niśām: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛṣṇa + pakṣa + niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषः (कृष्णः पक्षः = कृष्णपक्षः; तस्य निशा), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमाद्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

Context

A delicate lady with beautiful limbs who deserved to be in a gem-crusted house was (now) like a lotus stem just plucked out and scorched by the Sun's heat.

FAQs

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

Dharma includes steadfast loyalty and truth in relationships; separation inflicted by adharma causes profound suffering. The verse frames grief as a drying of life’s ‘flow’—a moral indictment of coercion.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā’s sorrow from separation is foregrounded, showing how captivity erodes vitality and outward auspiciousness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Constancy: her pain arises from unwavering devotion to Rāma and commitment to satya, not from wavering or compromise.