Shloka 17

सीताविलापः रावणनिन्दा च

Sita’s Lament and Condemnation of Ravana

Devanagari script

मुमूर्षूणां हि सर्वेषां यत्पथ्यं तन्न रोचते।।3.53.17।।पश्याम्यद्य हि कण्ठेत्वां कालपाशावपाशितम्।

Transliteration

mumūrṣūṇāṃ hi sarveṣāṃ yat pathyaṃ tan na rocate ||3.53.17||

paśyāmy adya hi kaṇṭhe tvāṃ kāla-pāśāvapāśitam |

Translation

เพราะผู้ที่มุ่งสู่ความตายทั้งหลาย ย่อมไม่พอใจสิ่งอันเป็นคุณแก่ตน และวันนี้ข้าเห็นบ่วงแห่งกาลเวลาได้รัดรึงอยู่ที่คอของเจ้าแล้ว

Word by Word

• मुमूर्षूणाम्: of those wishing to die
• मुमूर्षूणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: इच्छार्थक-देशिदेरिवेटिव (desiderative) मुमूर्षु ("wishing to die") as कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• सर्वेषाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun agreeing with पथ्यम्

• पथ्यम्: the wholesome thing
• पथ्यम्: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पथ्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; subject of रोचते

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; correlative pronoun

• न: not
• न: निषेध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• रोचते: is pleasing
• रोचते: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; impersonal sense "is pleasing"

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: क्रिया (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अद्य: today/now
• अद्य: कालाधिकरण (Time/अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (today/now)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• कण्ठे: in (your) neck
• कण्ठे: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• कालपाश: noose of death
• कालपाश: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + पाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (षष्ठी: "कालस्य पाशः"), पुंलिङ्ग; used as first member in compound below

• अवपाशितम्: bound/ensnared
• अवपाशितम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव + पाश् (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (Past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with त्वाम्; meaning "bound/ensnared"

Context

O ten-headed Ravana, since you do not fear the source of fear, evidently you see golden trees. (a symptom of death).

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa
• Kāla (Time/Death)

FAQs

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

Refusal of wholesome counsel is a symptom of adharma: when a person is committed to wrongdoing, even life-preserving advice becomes distasteful.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā warns Rāvaṇa that his choices show he is already caught by death—metaphorically ‘bound by Time’s noose’.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral fearlessness and clarity: Sītā confronts power with truth, warning of inevitable consequence (karman/phala).