Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 118, Shloka 21

अनसूयोपदेशः तथा सीताया स्वयंवरकथा

Anasuya’s Counsel and Sita’s Swayamvara Narrative

Devanagari script

सा वस्त्रमङ्गरागं च भूषणानि स्रजस्तथा।मैथिली प्रतिजग्राह प्रीतिदानमनुत्तमम्।।2.118.21।।

Transliteration

sā vastram aṅgarāgaṃ ca bhūṣaṇāni srajas tathā |

maithilī pratijagrāha prītidānam anuttamam ||2.118.21||

Translation

แล้วไมถิลีจึงรับผ้าทรง เครื่องหอมอังคาราคะ เครื่องประดับ และพวงมาลัยนั้นไว้ เป็นทานแห่งความรักอันหาที่เปรียบมิได้

Word by Word

• sā: she
• sā: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vastram: garment
• vastram: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• aṅgarāgam: body-unguent
• aṅgarāgam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅgarāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• bhūṣaṇāni: ornaments
• bhūṣaṇāni: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• srajaḥ: garlands
• srajaḥ: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sraj (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• tathā: also
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (also/likewise)

• maithilī: Maithilī (Sītā)
• maithilī: Karta (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘Sītā’

• pratijagrāha: accepted
• pratijagrāha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√grah (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• prītidānam: gift of affection
• prītidānam: Karma (कर्म/object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prīti (प्रातिपदिक) + dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी: ‘of affection’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• anuttamam: incomparable
• anuttamam: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: an- (नञ्) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of prītidānam)

Context

O daughter of Janaka, you will enhance the glory of your husband by anointing your body with this divine, fragrant unguent to your body like Lakshmi enhancing the glory of eternal Visnu.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Maithilī)
• vastra (garment)
• bhūṣaṇa (ornaments)

FAQs

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

Receiving with gratitude and propriety: accepting a righteous elder’s affectionate gifts without pride or greed.

What is the narrative situation?

After Anasūyā offers divine adornments, Sītā formally accepts them as tokens of love and blessing.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s humility and gracious acceptance, honoring the giver’s intention.