Shloka 4

सीताहरण

विलापः / The Lament at Jatāyu and the Abduction of Sītā

Devanagari script

अयं हि पापचारेण मां त्रातुमभिसङ्गतः।शेते विनिहतो भूमौ ममाभाग्याद्विहंगमः।।।।

Transliteration

ayaṃ hi pāpacāreṇa māṃ trātum abhisaṅgataḥ |

śete vinihato bhūmau mamābhāgyād vihaṅgamaḥ ||

Translation

“ఈ పక్షి నన్ను రక్షించేందుకు ముందుకు వచ్చింది; ఆ పాపాచారి దీన్ని కొట్టి పడేసాడు. నా దురదృష్టం వల్ల ఇది నేలపై పడి ఉంది।”

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘indeed/for’

• पाप-चारेण: by the evil-doer
• पाप-चारेण: Kartṛ-karaṇa/Agent (कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa + cāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘evil-doer’; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (speaker), Accusative (2nd), Singular

• त्रातुम्: to rescue
• त्रातुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √trā (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्) ‘to save/protect’

• अभिसङ्गतः: has come forward
• अभिसङ्गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√saṅgam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Past participle (क्त) used predicatively; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; ‘has come forward/approached’

• शेते: lies
• शेते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• विनिहतः: slain/struck down
• विनिहतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ni-√han (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; predicate of ‘विहंगमः’

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th), Singular

• अभाग्यात्: due to misfortune
• अभाग्यात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; cause/source

• विहंगमः: the bird
• विहंगमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Context

Seeing Sita abducted, the glorious Sun looked lustreless and distraught. He developed a pale white disk around him.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Rāvaṇa (implied as pāpacārin)
• Jatāyu (implied as vihaṅgama)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights dharma as protective courage and compassion: Jatāyu attempts to defend the vulnerable, while Rāvaṇa’s violence is marked as pāpa (sin/adharma).

What is the narrative situation?

During Sītā’s abduction, she sees the bird-warrior (Jatāyu) felled while trying to rescue her, and she laments his fall.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jatāyu’s self-sacrificing bravery and compassion (anukampā) in defending Sītā, even at great personal cost.