Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 14, Shloka 46

अशोकवनिकाविचारः

Survey of the Aśoka Grove and its Enchanted Landscape

Devanagari script

अथवा मृगशाबाक्षी वनस्यास्य विचक्षणा।वनमेष्यति साऽर्येह रामचिन्तानुकर्शिता।।।।

Transliteration

athavā mṛgaśābākṣī vanasyāsya vicakṣaṇā | vanam eṣyati sāryehā rāmacintānukarśitā ||

Translation

లేదా మృగశిశువులాంటి కన్నులుగల ఆ ఆర్య, ఈ వనాన్ని బాగా తెలిసినది, రామచింతచే ఆకర్షితమై ఇక్కడ ఈ ఉపవనానికి రావచ్చు.

Word by Word

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; alternative conjunction (विकल्पार्थ)

• mṛga-śāba-akṣī: fawn-eyed
• mṛga-śāba-akṣī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of sā/āryā
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक) + śāba (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strī-liṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; bahuvrīhi: mṛgaśābasya iva akṣiṇī yasyāḥ (one whose eyes are like a fawn's)

• vanasya: of the forest/grove
• vanasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Eka-vacana

• asya: of this
• asya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka/puṃ-liṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Eka-vacana; demonstrative pronoun

• vicakṣaṇā: discerning, well-acquainted
• vicakṣaṇā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strī-liṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• vanam: to the forest/grove
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुṃsaka-liṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana

• eṣyati: will come
• eṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: i (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (future); Prathama-puruṣa, Eka-vacana

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strī-liṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• āryā: the noble lady
• āryā: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strī-liṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; honorific noun/epithet

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; place adverb (देशवाचक)

• rāma-cintā-anukarśitā: drawn by thoughts of Rāma
• rāma-cintā-anukarśitā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + cintā (प्रातिपदिक) + anukarśita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strī-liṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; tatpuruṣa: rāmasya cintā (genitive) + tayā anukarśitā (kta PPP from anu + kṛṣ, 'drawn/dragged by')

Context

"Or may be that doe-eyed noble lady brooding over Rama will come to this garden she is familiar with.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (implicit: āryā, mṛgaśābākṣī)
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma is constancy of love aligned with truth (satya): Sītā’s mind remains anchored in Rāma, reflecting integrity amid suffering.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān considers alternate possibilities for where and why Sītā might appear within the grove.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Single-minded devotion: her thoughts of Rāma continually guide her inner life.