Shloka 14

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

राक्षसानां सहस्राणि जनस्थाने चतुर्दश।येनैकेन निरस्तानि स मां किं नाभिपद्यते।।।।

Transliteration

rākṣasānāṁ sahasrāṇi janasthāne caturdaśa | yenaikena nirastāni sa māṁ kiṁ nābhipadyate || 5.26.14 ||

Translation

Aquele que, sozinho, exterminou catorze mil rākṣasas em Janasthāna — por que não vem resgatar-me?

Word by Word

• राक्षसानाम्: of demons
• राक्षसानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• सहस्राणि: Karma (कर्म; object of निरस्तानि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• जनस्थाने: at Janasthana
• जनस्थाने: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनस्थान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्याशब्द)
• Form: Numeral used adjectivally; indeclinable-like numeral form; qualifies (सहस्राणि) as 'fourteen (thousand)' by context

• येन: by whom
• येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; relative pronoun

• एकेन: by one (alone)
• एकेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; qualifies implied रामेण

• निरस्तानि: were driven away/destroyed
• निरस्तानि: Kriya (क्रिया; participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: निरस्त (कृदन्त; निर्+√अस्/अस्? here √अस् (throw) in sense 'cast away', PPP)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural; past passive participle agreeing with सहस्राणि

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• किम्: why/what (reason)?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative/Nominative, Singular; interrogative

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• अभिपद्यते: comes to/rescues (approaches)
• अभिपद्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+√पद् (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Ātmanepada, 3rd person, Singular

Context

"He who destroyed fourteen thousand demons single-handed has not come to protect me. I do not know why.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Janasthāna
• rākṣasas

FAQs

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

Dharma is protective responsibility and righteous guardianship; Sītā’s question arises from trust in Rāma’s proven power used in defense of dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā recalls Rāma’s earlier victory at Janasthāna and contrasts it with her present abandonment, intensifying her lament.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Faith in righteous strength: she measures the present crisis against Rāma’s past dharmic heroism.