Valmiki Ramayana 2.27.6 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 27, Shloka 6

सीताया वनगमननिश्चयः

Sita’s Resolve to Accompany Rama to the Forest

Devanagari script

यदि त्वं प्रस्थितो दुर्गं वनमद्यैव राघव।अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि मृद्नन्ती कुशकण्टकान्।।।।

Transliteration

yadi tvaṁ prasthito durgaṁ vanam adyaiva rāghava | agratas te gamiṣyāmi mṛdnantī kuśakaṇṭakān ||

Translation

హే రాఘవా! మీరు ఈ రోజే ఆ దుర్గమమైన అడవికి బయలుదేరితే, నేను మీ ముందే ముందుగా సాగుతాను—కుశగడ్డి, ముళ్లను తొక్కుతూ.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/condition)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तार्थक-समुच्चय (conditional particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/त्रिलिङ्ग-प्रयोग; प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• प्रस्थितः: having set out / set out
• प्रस्थितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगः (set out)

• दुर्गम्: difficult/impassable
• दुर्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying वनम्)

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• राघव: O Rāghava
• राघव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन (8th case), एकवचन

• अग्रतः: in front
• अग्रतः: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: agratas (अव्यय)
• Form: स्थानवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• ते: of you/your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuzmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी (4th case) / षष्ठी (6th case) एकवचन; अत्र षष्ठी-सम्बन्धे (of you)

• गमिष्यामि: I shall go
• गमिष्यामि: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (simple future); उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मृद्नन्ती: crushing
• मृद्नन्ती: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √mṛd (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (present active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषण-भावे (while crushing)

• कुशकण्टकान्: kuśa grass and thorns
• कुशकण्टकान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (कुशाः च कण्टकाः च); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Context

O son of the Raghus! if you set out for the impenetrable forest now itself, I shall also go, walking ahead of you and crushing the thorns and (spiky) kusa grass (rendering the path comfortable for you to walk).

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• vana (forest)
• kuśa grass

FAQs

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

Dharma is framed as shared responsibility: Sītā insists on participating in her husband’s hardship rather than remaining in comfort, treating duty as companionship in action.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā intensifies her plea to accompany Rāma into exile, portraying herself as actively helping him on the difficult forest path.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage and self-sacrificing loyalty—readiness to endure hardship for dharma and for her spouse.