Shloka 17

दनु-शापकथा तथा सीताहरण-प्रश्नः

Danu’s Curse Narrative and Rama’s Inquiry about Sita

Devanagari script

अवश्यं ग्रहणं रामो मन्येऽहं समुपैष्यति।।3.71.17।।इमां बुद्धिं पुरस्कृत्य देहन्यासकृतश्रमः।

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ grahaṇaṃ rāmo manye 'haṃ samupaiṣyati || 3.71.17 ||

imāṃ buddhiṃ puraskṛtya dehanyāsakṛtaśramaḥ |

Translation

ยึดมั่นความเชื่อนี้ไว้ ข้าพเจ้าจึงตรากตรำเพียงเพื่อประคองกายให้ดำรงอยู่; ข้าพเจ้าคิดว่า พระรามจักมาถึงมือข้าพเจ้าในสักวันแน่นอน

Word by Word

• avaśyam: certainly
• avaśyam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: avaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• grahaṇam: seizure; capture
• grahaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: grahaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• manye: I think
• manye: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: man (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• samupaiṣyati: will come near; will approach
• samupaiṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-i (धातु) with sam- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• imām: this
• imām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Demonstrative pronoun used adjectivally (सर्वनाम-विशेषण), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• buddhim: thought; intention
• buddhim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative 2nd (द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• puraskṛtya: having put in front; keeping as motive
• puraskṛtya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: puras-kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् अव्यय), from √kṛ with preverb puras-; indeclinable

• deha-nyāsa-kṛta-śramaḥ: wearied from laying down the body
• deha-nyāsa-kṛta-śramaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deha (प्रातिपदिक) + nyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (कृदन्त, क्त) + śrama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound (समास): Tatpuruṣa; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative 1st (प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); meaning: 'one whose fatigue is caused by placing down the body'

Context

O Rama, I was struggling to preserve my body all the time thinking that some day you would certainly come into my arms.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Kabandha

FAQs

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

It shows how intention can be distorted: even belief in destiny can be used to sustain harmful aims. Dharma demands that hope and faith align with righteousness, not predation.

What is the narrative situation?

Kabandha confesses he preserved his life expecting that Rāma would eventually come close enough to be seized—before recognizing Rāma as his destined liberator.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s inevitability as a dhārmic force—his arrival is portrayed as certain, fulfilling the truthful chain of divine words.