Shloka 20

सीताप्रत्याख्यानम् / Rama’s Post-Victory Address to Sītā

Public Opinion and Royal Duty

Devanagari script

रावणाङ्कपरिक्लिष्टांदृष्टांदुष्टेनचक्षुषा ।कथंत्वापुनरादद्यांकुलंव्यपदिशन् महत् ।।6.118.20।।

Transliteration

rāvaṇāṅka-parikliṣṭāṃ dṛṣṭāṃ duṣṭena cakṣuṣā |

kathaṃ tvāṃ punar ādad yāṃ kulaṃ vyapadiśan mahat ||6.118.20||

Translation

เจ้าเคยถูกบีบคั้นในอ้อมกอดของราวณะ และถูกจ้องมองด้วยดวงตาอันชั่วร้าย; แล้วเราจะรับเจ้ากลับคืนได้อย่างไร ในเมื่อยังอ้างเกียรติแห่งวงศ์ตระกูลอันยิ่งใหญ่?

Word by Word

• rāvaṇa-aṅka-parikliṣṭām: afflicted by (being in) Rāvaṇa's lap/arms
• rāvaṇa-aṅka-parikliṣṭām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + aṅka (प्रातिपदिक) + parikliṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound; parikliṣṭa = Kta (क्त) PPP from pari-√kliś; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies tvām (Sītā)

• dṛṣṭām: seen
• dṛṣṭām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dṛś (धातु) + dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: Kta (क्त) past passive participle; Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies tvām

• duṣṭena: evil, wicked
• duṣṭena: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (3), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies cakṣuṣā

• cakṣuṣā: with (an) eye
• cakṣuṣā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (3), Singular (एकवचन)

• katham: how?
• katham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्नाव्यय)

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन)

• punar: again
• punar: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punar (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb

• ādad yām: should I accept/take back
• ādad yām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√dā (धातु)
• Form: Optative/Viḍhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• kulam: family line
• kulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन)

• vyapadiśan: while claiming/pointing out
• vyapadiśan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-apa-√diś (धातु)
• Form: Present participle/Śatṛ (शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन); used adjectivally to speaker (aham)

• mahat: great
• mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies kulam

Context

"O Auspicious Sita! You are won by destruction of the enemy in the battlefield. What was worth doing has been done with all my effort."

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa

FAQs

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

It shows dharma being argued through the lens of lineage-honor and perceived purity—revealing how royal ethics are entangled with societal notions of reputation.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma cites Sītā’s captivity under Rāvaṇa and the gaze of the enemy as grounds for refusing immediate acceptance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Guarding the credibility of the royal house (kula-yaśas) as Rāma understands it.