Valmiki Ramayana 2.29.3-4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 29, Shlokas 3-4
सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः · Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest
Spoken by Sita to RamaSetting: Daṇḍakāraṇya (forest-bound exile context)Places named: vana (forest)Entering/anticipating forest-dwelling during exile
मृगा स्सिंहा गजाश्चैव शार्दूला श्शरभास्तथा ।
पक्षिण स्सृमराश्चैव ये चान्ये वनचारिणः ॥३॥
अदृष्टपूर्वरूपत्वात्सर्वे ते तव राघव ।
रूपं दृष्ट्वाऽपसर्पेयुर्भये सर्वे हि बिभ्यति ॥४॥
mṛgāḥ siṃhā gajāś caiva śārdūlāḥ śarabhas tathā |
pakṣiṇaḥ sṛmarāś caiva ye cānye vanacāriṇaḥ ||3||
adṛṣṭapūrvarūpatvāt sarve te tava rāghava |
rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā 'pasarpeyuḥ bhaye sarve hi bibhyati ||4||
मृगाः सिंहा गजाश्चैव शार्दूलाः शरभास्तथा। पक्षिणः सृमराश्चैव ये चान्ये वनचारिणः॥ अदृष्टपूर्वरूपत्वात् सर्वे ते तव राघव। रूपं दृष्ट्वाऽपसर्पेयुः, भये हि सर्वे बिभ्यति॥
Sandhi Notes
- mṛgāḥ siṃhāḥ (mṛgā ssiṅhā)
- gajāḥ ca eva (gajāścaiva)
- śārdūlāḥ śarabhāḥ (śārdūlā śśarabhāḥ)
- pakṣiṇaḥ sṛmarāḥ (pakṣiṇa ssṛmarāḥ)
- ye ca anye (ye cānyē)
- adṛṣṭa-pūrva-rūpa-tvāt (adṛṣṭapūrvarūpatvāt)
- rūpaṃ dṛṣṭvā apasarpeyuḥ (rūpaṅ dṛṣṭvā'pasarpēyuḥ)
O scion of the Raghu race! antelopes, lions, elephants, tigers, sarabhas, birds, srimaras and other wild beasts wandering in the forest have not seen your beauty before. Now on seeing you, they will flee away. In fact, who will not be afraid of seeing an object of fear?.
The teaching
Even the innocent forest-dwellers recoil before unfamiliar power; therefore the wise move with awareness and restraint among all beings.
- Ethical theme
- Ahiṃsā/saṃyama (non-harm and self-restraint)
For your practice
Contemplation on Rāma’s tejas as protective presence; practice of moving through the world without causing fear to others.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder), with Bhayanaka (fear)
- Mood
- Majestic, startled, wary
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Courage
- Protection
- Itihasa
- Ethics
The presence of tejas (sattva-pradhāna splendor) alters the field of perception; fear arises from avidyā-based otherness (bheda-darśana).
Kaṭha Upaniṣad’s contrast of fearlessness with realization (abhaya) is indirectly evoked by the universal statement about fear (bhaya) in beings.
- Sita and Rama
- Spouses; Sita addressing Rama as Raghava (protective-awe)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.29.3 (catalog of forest beings); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.29.5-7 (Sītā’s insistence and protection motif)
Taittirīya Upaniṣad 2.7 (bhaya as arising from duality—conceptual resonance); Kaṭha Upaniṣad 2.3.2 (fearlessness as a spiritual ideal—conceptual resonance)
Araṇyakāṇḍa scenes where animals react to human/royal presence (general motif)
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Narrative
Madhyama-gati with slight kampita on bhaye/bibh्यति to color the Bhayānaka undertone
FAQs
The verse supports righteous confidence: Sītā argues that Rāma’s very presence embodies protective dharma, making fearsome surroundings less threatening.
To counter Rāma’s warnings about forest dangers, Sītā claims the wild creatures would flee at the sight of Rāma, implying safety in accompanying him.
Rāma’s awe-inspiring valor (tejas) as perceived by Sītā, and Sītā’s persuasive courage in reframing danger.
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