Valmiki Ramayana 2.28.5: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 28, Shloka 5

सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः · Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile

Spoken by Rama to SitaSetting: Ayodhya (decision counsel)Places named: vana, kāntāraPre-exile persuasion

Devanagari script

सीते विमुच्यतामेषा वनवासकृता मतिः ।

बहुदोषं हि कान्तारं वनमित्यभिधीयते ॥५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.28.5

Transliteration

sīte vimucyatām eṣā vanavāsakṛtā matiḥ |

bahudoṣaṃ hi kāntāraṃ vanam ity abhidhīyate ||5||

Translation

Ó Sītā, abandona esta decisão de viver na floresta. Pois o ermo é chamado ‘floresta’ justamente por estar repleto de muitos perigos e dificuldades.

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Word by Word

• सीते: O Sītā
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• विमुच्यताम्: let (it) be abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + मुच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘let it be given up/released’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• एषा: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (subject of passive)

• वनवासकृता: made for forest-dwelling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वन + वास + कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘वनवासेन कृता’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of मतिः)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (adjectival to subject)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• मतिः: intention/resolve
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (subject of passive)

• बहुदोषम्: full of many faults/dangers
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + दोष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (‘बहवः दोषाः यस्मिन्’ as adjectival), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of कान्तारम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) (adjectival to object)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)

• कान्तारम्: wilderness
• Type: Noun
• Root: कान्तार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘wild forest/trackless wilderness’
• Role: Karma (कर्म) (predicate accusative with ‘called’)

• वनम्: forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (subject of passive ‘abhidhīyate’)

• इति: thus/‘as’
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, इत्यादि-निपात (quotative particle)
• Role: Vākyārtha-dyotaka (वाक्यार्थद्योतक)

• अभिधीयते: is called/said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + धा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• विमुच्यतामेषा = विमुच्यताम् + एषा (म् + ए → मे)
• वनमित्यभिधीयते = वनम् + इति + अभिधीयते (म् + इ → मि; इति + अभि → इत्यभि)

Context

Give up the desire to live in the forest, O Sita! Living in the dreary jungle, it is said, has many hardships.

The teaching

Not every ‘resolve’ is dharma; dharma includes sober appraisal of doṣas and consequences.

Duties in tension

• Sītā’s vow of companionship vs duty of self-preservation and not burdening the exile
• Rāma’s acceptance of exile vs obligation to minimize harm to loved ones

Ethical theme

Prudential ethics within dharma

For your practice

Before taking vows, examine doṣa and śakti (capacity); renunciation includes relinquishing impulsive saṅkalpa.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Urgent, grim, protective

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Prudence
• Maryada

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• kāntāra (wilderness)
• vana (forest)

FAQs

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

Dharma is aligned with discernment (viveka): one should not romanticize hardship when it conflicts with safety, responsibility, and realistic assessment.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma directly urges Sītā to relinquish her wish to live in the forest, characterizing the wilderness as inherently perilous.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom and restraint—Rāma prioritizes careful judgment over emotional impulse.