Valmiki Ramayana 5.21.22: Sundara Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 22

सीताया रावणं प्रति धर्मोपदेशः

Sita’s Dharmic Admonition to Ravana

Devanagari script

एवं हि ते भवेत्स्वस्ति सम्प्रदाय रघूत्तमे।।।।अन्यथा त्वं हि कुर्वाणो वधं प्राप्स्यसि रावण।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 5.21.22

Transliteration

evaṃ hi te bhavet svasti sampradāya raghūttame | anyathā tvaṃ hi kurvāṇo vadhaṃ prāpsyasi rāvaṇa ||

Translation

Лишь так будет тебе благо: возвратив меня Рагхуттаме (Раме). Иначе, если упрямо продолжишь, ты непременно встретишь смерть, о Равана.

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Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this way
• एवम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb of manner)

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle; emphasis

• ते: for you, to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (4th/Dative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• भवेत्: may be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• स्वस्ति: welfare, well-being
• स्वस्ति: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वस्ति (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘welfare’ (often used as indeclinable, here as noun)

• सम्प्रदाय: having handed over
• सम्प्रदाय: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + √प्रदा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा/ल्यप्-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund) from ‘सम्प्रदा’ (to hand over); अव्ययभाव

• रघूत्तमे: O best of the Raghus
• रघूत्तमे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रघु + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे सप्तमी (address in locative); तत्पुरुषः (रघोः उत्तमः)

• अन्यथा: otherwise
• अन्यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अन्यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीति-अव्यय (adverb: otherwise)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/particle; emphasis

• कुर्वाणः: doing
• कुर्वाणः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present active participle/शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वधम्: death, killing
• वधम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• प्राप्स्यसि: you will attain/meet
• प्राप्स्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √आप् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• रावण: O Ravana
• रावण: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

Context

"It is good for you to give me back to Rama, the foremost in the Raghu dynasty. Otherwise you will face death.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa
• Raghūttama (Rāma)

FAQs

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

Choosing dharma leads to welfare (svasti); persisting in adharma leads to destruction—moral choice has real consequences.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā delivers a final, direct admonition: return her to Rāma to avert catastrophe, or face inevitable punishment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthful admonition (satya-vākya) and righteous resolve—Sītā speaks plainly to prevent further adharma.