Shloka 21

सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः

Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile

Devanagari script

पतङ्गा वृश्चिकाः कीटा दंशाश्च मशकै स्सह।बाधन्ते नित्यमबले सर्वं दुःखमतो वनम्।।2.28.21।।

Transliteration

pataṅgā vr̥ścikāḥ kīṭā daṃśāś ca maśakaiḥ saha |

bādhante nityam abale sarvaṃ duḥkham ato vanam ||2.28.21||

Translation

హే అబలా! అక్కడ పక్షులు, తేళ్లు, కీటకాలు, కుట్టే దోమలు మరియు మశకాలు నిత్యం బాధిస్తాయి; అందుచేత వనజీవితం పూర్తిగా దుఃఖమయం।

Word by Word

• pataṅgāḥ: flying insects
• pataṅgāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pataṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• vṛścikāḥ: scorpions
• vṛścikāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛścika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• kīṭāḥ: insects
• kīṭāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kīṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• daṃśāḥ: biting gnats
• daṃśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (and)

• maśakaiḥ: with mosquitoes
• maśakaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maśaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti, Bahuvacana

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सहकारक/Accompaniment marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (preposition-like: 'together with')

• bādhante: trouble/afflict
• bādhante: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bādh (बाध् धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana, Parasmaipada

• nityam: always
• nityam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nityam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (adverb: always)

• abale: O helpless one
• abale: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abalā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• sarvam: entirely
• sarvam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate qualifier (emphatic: wholly)

• duḥkham: painful
• duḥkham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate for vanam

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (therefore)

• vanam: forest life
• vanam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Context

Birds, scorpions, insects, gnats and mosquitoes always create trouble. Therefore, life in the forest is all suffering.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassionate warning: Rāma’s duty is not only to accept hardship himself but to prevent unnecessary suffering for Sītā.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma describes continual minor afflictions—stings and bites—that make daily life miserable in the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Empathy—recognizing that constant small pains can be as discouraging as major dangers.