Shloka 40

पम्पा

तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka

Devanagari script

मयूरस्य वने नूनं रक्षसा न हृता प्रिया।तस्मान्नृत्यति रम्येषु वनेषु सह कान्तया।।।।

Transliteration

mayūrasya vane nūnaṃ rakṣasā na hṛtā priyā |

tasmān nṛtyati ramyeṣu vaneṣu saha kāntayā ||

Translation

నిశ్చయంగా అడవిలో మయూరుని ప్రియను రాక్షసుడు అపహరించలేదు; అందుకే అతడు తన ప్రియతో కలిసి ఈ రమ్య వనాలలో ఆనందంగా నర్తిస్తున్నాడు।

Word by Word

• mayūrasya: of the peacock
• mayūrasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mayūra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī (Locative), Ekavacana

• nūnam: surely
• nūnam: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; certainty particle/adverb (निश्चयार्थ-निपात)

• rakṣasā: by a demon
• rakṣasā: Kartṛ (Agent in passive/कर्तृ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-निपात)

• hṛtā: abducted/taken away
• hṛtā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √hṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agreeing with 'priyā'

• priyā: beloved (female)
• priyā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tasmāt: therefore
• tasmāt: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative-form used adverbially (तस्मात् = therefore); hetu-artha

• nṛtyati: dances
• nṛtyati: Kriyā (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √nṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana

• ramyeṣu: in delightful (places)
• ramyeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī (Locative), Bahuvacana; qualifying 'vaneṣu'

• vaneṣu: in forests
• vaneṣu: Adhikaraṇa (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī (Locative), Bahuvacana

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; preposition-like particle governing Instrumental (सह-योगे)

• kāntayā: with (his) beloved
• kāntayā: Sahakāraka (Accompaniment/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāntā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Ekavacana

Context

'The peacock's beloved, for sure, has not been abducted by the demon. Therefore, he is dancing in delight in the forest in the company of his beloved.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• rākṣasa (generic demon; contextually Ravana’s act)
• peacock

FAQs

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

By contrasting natural union with violent abduction, the verse condemns adharma (forcible taking) and implicitly upholds dharma as protection of rightful relationships and consent.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma interprets the peacock’s carefree dancing as evidence that its mate is safe, which painfully reminds him that Sītā was abducted.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment: Rāma frames his personal grief through an ethical lens—abduction is wrong, and restoring Sītā is a righteous necessity.