Valmiki Ramayana 2.27.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 27, Shloka 21

सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः

Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest

Spoken by Sita to RamaSetting: Ayodhya (implied, prior to departure)Places named: vana (forest)Pre-exile decision; preparing for forest-dwelling

Devanagari script

अहं गमिष्यामि वनं सुदुर्गमं मृगायुतं वानरवारणैर्युतम् ।

वने निवत्स्यामि यथा पितुर्गृहे तवैव पादावुपगृह्य संयता ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.27.21

Transliteration

ahaṃ gamiṣyāmi vanaṃ sudurgamaṃ mṛgāyutaṃ vānaravāraṇair yutam |

vane nivatsyāmi yathā pitur gṛhe tavaiva pādāv upagṛhya saṃyatā ||21||

Translation

Pójdę do lasu - trudnego do przebycia, wypełnionego dzikimi zwierzętami, i odwiedzanego przez małpy i słonie. W lesie będę żyć z dyscypliną, jakby w domu mojego ojca, znajdując schronienie tylko u twoich stóp.

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Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• गमिष्यामि: I will go
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• वनम्: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• सुदुर्गमम्: very inaccessible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + दुर्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of वनम्); समासः: सु-दुर्गम (कर्मधारय) ‘very difficult to traverse’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• मृगायुतम्: full of animals
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृग + आयुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of वनम्); समासः: मृग-आयुत = ‘having multitudes of animals’ (तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• वानरवारणैः: with monkeys and elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: वानर + वारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्व-समासः (copulative) ‘monkeys and elephants’
• Role: Karaṇa/Association (करण/सह)
• Compound: Dvandva

• युतम्: joined/filled (with)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of वनम्)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• वने: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• निवत्स्यामि: I will dwell
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + वस् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• यथा: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (as/like)
• Role: Upamāna (उपमान)

• पितुः: of (my) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• गृहे: in the house
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• तव: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात (only/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• पादौ: (your) two feet
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• उपगृह्य: having taken hold of
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + ग्रह् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययभाव (gerund), ‘having taken hold of/embraced’
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• संयता: restrained
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + यम् (धातु) → संयत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘self-restrained’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• सुदुर्गमंमृगायुतं = सुदुर्गमम् + मृगायुतम् (म् + म → म्म)
• वानरवारणैर्युतम् = वानरवारणैः + युतम् (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + य → र्य)
• तवैव = तव + एव
• पादावुपगृह्य = पादौ + उपगृह्य (औ + उ → आवु)

Context

I shall go (along with you) to the highly impenetrable forest infested with animals likemonkeys and elephants. I shall live in the forest in (full) discipline as in my father's abode, taking shelter at your feet.

The teaching

True companionship in dharma is expressed as willingness to share hardship with discipline and refuge in the beloved’s feet.

Duties in tension

• Rama’s protective duty as husband/ksatriya vs Sita’s insistence to share exile
• Sita’s pativratā duty to accompany husband vs prudential safety concerns

Ethical theme

Gṛhastha-dharma / strī-dharma / rakṣaṇa-dharma

For your practice

Cultivates śaraṇāgati and tapas-minded acceptance of hardship in service of dharma.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Steadfast, austere, pleading

Themes

• Dharma
• Maryada
• Ethics
• Itihasa
• Austerity
• Refuge (śaraṇāgati)
• Conjugal duty

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Forest (vana)
• Monkeys (vānara)
• Elephants (vāraṇa)

FAQs

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

Dharma as disciplined co-dwelling: Sītā embraces hardship with restraint and chooses rightful refuge (her husband) over external safety.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā describes the dangers of the forest and still affirms she will go, promising self-control and dependence on Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage with humility—she is brave about danger yet frames her stance as disciplined refuge at Rāma’s feet.