Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 47, Shloka 22

पुष्पकविमानेन सीताया युद्धभूमिदर्शनम्

Sita Shown the Battlefield in the Pushpaka

Devanagari script

तौदृष्टवाभ्रातरौतत्रप्रवीरौपुरुषर्षभौ ।शयानौपुण्डरीकाक्षौकुमाराविवपावकी ।।6.47.21।।शरतल्पगतौवीरौतथाभूतानरर्षभौ ।दुःखार्ताकरुणंसीतासुभृशंविललापह ।।6.47.22।।

Transliteration

tau dṛṣṭvā bhrātarau tatra pravīrau puruṣarṣabhau | śayānau puṇḍarīkākṣau kumārāv iva pāvakī ||6.47.21||

śara-talpa-gatau vīrau tathā-bhūtau nararṣabhau | duḥkhārtā karuṇaṃ sītā subhṛśaṃ vilalāpa ha ||6.47.22||

Translation

तौ भ्रातरौ प्रवीरौ पुरुषर्षभौ पुण्डरीकाक्षौ शरतल्पे शयानौ दृष्ट्वा, तथाभूतौ नरर्षभौ इति ज्ञात्वा, दुःखार्ता करुणं सुभृशं च सीता विललाप।

Word by Word

• शरतल्पगतौ: gone to/lying on a bed of arrows
• शरतल्पगतौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शर + तल्प + गत (गम्-धातु)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष: शरतल्पे गतौ), क्त-प्रत्यय कृदन्त (past participle) from गम्; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा? here as विशेषण of वीरौ (Nom. dual) → प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• वीरौ: two heroes
• वीरौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), द्विवचन; कर्तृपद (subject) of implied state

• तथाभूतौ: being in such a state
• तथाभूतौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तथा + भूत (भू-धातु)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (तथा + भूत = 'thus become'), क्त-कृदन्त from भू; पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; विशेषण of वीरौ

• नरर्षभौ: best of men (two)
• नरर्षभौ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: नराणाम् ऋषभौ), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; उपाधि of वीरौ

• दुःखार्ता: afflicted with sorrow
• दुःखार्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख + आर्त (ऋ-धातु/आर्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (दुःखेन आर्ता), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of सीता

• करुणम्: piteously
• करुणम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसकलिङ्ग-एकवचन-द्वितीया (accusative used adverbially)

• सीता: Sita
• सीता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सीता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्तृ (subject)

• सुभृशम्: exceedingly
• सुभृशम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सुभृशम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb), तीव्रतावाचक

• विललाप: lamented
• विललाप: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + ललप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/परस्मैपद? actually लङ् (Imperfect/लङ्), प्रथम-पुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; धातु: ललप् (to lament) with उपसर्ग वि

• ह: indeed
• ह: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), पदपूरण/निश्चयार्थक

Context

Seeing the gallant bulls among men, the two brothers with big eyes, the two heroes like sons of fire god lying on the bed of arrows in such a state, Sita was filled with intense sorrow and pity burst into tears being affected extremely.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

The repetition underscores the moral weight of compassion and fidelity: dharma is not abstract, but felt as lived responsibility and love.

What is the narrative situation?

A repeated (or re-numbered) unit in the recension reiterates Sītā’s reaction to the brothers’ wounded condition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s steadfast devotion and tender-heartedness under extreme psychological pressure.