Shloka 3

गोदावरीतटे सीतान्वेषणम्

The Search for Sītā at the Godāvarī

Devanagari script

तां लक्ष्मणस्तीर्थवती विचित्वा राममब्रवीत्।।।।नैनां पश्यामि तीर्थेषु क्रोशतो न शृणोति मे।

Transliteration

tāṁ lakṣmaṇas tīrthavatīṁ vicitvā rāmam abravīt |

naināṁ paśyāmi tīrtheṣu krośato na śṛṇoti me ||

Translation

ครั้นพระลักษมณ์ตรวจค้นท่าน้ำและที่ข้ามอันเป็นทีรถะแล้ว จึงกราบทูลพระรามว่า “ข้าพระองค์ไม่เห็นนาง ณ ทีรถะเหล่านี้เลย แม้ข้าพระองค์ร้องเรียก ก็ไม่มีผู้ใดขานตอบ”

Word by Word

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (feminine, accusative, singular)

• लक्ष्मणः: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणः: कर्ता (agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (masculine, nominative, singular)

• तीर्थवतीम्: having fords/landing-places
• तीर्थवतीम्: कर्म (object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तीर्थवत् (प्रातिपदिक; तीर्थ + वत्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (feminine, accusative, singular); विशेषणम्—ताम् इति विशेष्यस्य (adjective qualifying 'tām')

• विचित्वा: having searched/examined
• विचित्वा: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial to main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + चित् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (gerund/absolutive); पूर्वकालिकक्रिया (prior action)

• रामम्: to Rama
• रामम्: सम्प्रदान/प्रति (addressee/goal of speech)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (masculine, accusative, singular)

• अब्रवीत्: said/spoke
• अब्रवीत्: क्रिया (main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकारः (अनद्यतनभूत/Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular, past)

• न: not
• न: क्रियानिषेध (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• एनाम्: her (this one)
• एनाम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (feminine, accusative, singular)

• पश्यामि: I see
• पश्यामि: क्रिया (main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान/Present), उत्तमपुरुषः एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (1st person singular)

• तीर्थेषु: at the fords/landing-places
• तीर्थेषु: अधिकरण (location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (neuter, locative, plural)

• क्रोशतः: of (me) calling out/crying
• क्रोशतः: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation to ‘मे’)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त-प्रातिपदिकम् (present active participle) ‘क्रोशत्’; षष्ठी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (genitive singular) — ‘(of) me crying out’

• न: not
• न: क्रियानिषेध (negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (negative particle)

• शृणोति: he/she/it hears
• शृणोति: क्रिया (main action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (वर्तमान/Present), प्रथमपुरुषः एकवचनम्, परस्मैपदम् (3rd person singular)

• मे: of me / my
• मे: सम्बन्ध (genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (genitive singular); स्वामि/सम्बन्ध (possessor/related to ‘क्रोशतः’)

Context

O king of the mountains! have you seen a lady with beautiful limbs separated from me in this forest tract ?

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• Sītā
• tīrtha (river ford/landing)

FAQs

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

Dharma here appears as dutiful service and truthful reporting: Lakṣmaṇa diligently searches and then honestly communicates the result to Rāma without exaggeration.

What is the narrative situation?

After Sītā’s disappearance, Lakṣmaṇa checks the river-fords/landings and reports to Rāma that he cannot find her and receives no response to his calls.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s loyalty and responsibility—careful effort followed by transparent, factual speech (satya).