Shloka 14

सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः

Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha

Devanagari script

त्वयातुनृपशार्दूलदोषमेवानुवर्तता ।लघुनेवमनुष्येणस्त्रीत्वमेवपुरस्कृतम् ।।।।

Transliteration

tvayā tu nṛpa-śārdūla doṣam evānuvartatā |

laghun eva manuṣyeṇa strītvam eva puraskṛtam ||

Translation

แต่พระองค์ โอ้พยัคฆ์แห่งหมู่นฤปะ กลับตามเพียงโทษ—ยอมจำนนต่อความบกพร่องนั้น; ดุจชายผู้คับแคบ พระองค์ยกความอ่อนแอขึ้นนำหน้า ราวกับว่า ‘ความเป็นสตรี’ เองคือเหตุแห่งความระแวง

Word by Word

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (निपात), adversative/emphatic particle

• nṛpaśārdūla: O tiger among kings
• nṛpaśārdūla: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक) + śārdūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sambodhana (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); tatpuruṣa: nṛpāṇāṃ śārdūlaḥ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• doṣam: fault/anger (as a fault)
• doṣam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण/particle of emphasis)

• anuvartatā: (you) followed/kept following
• anuvartatā: Kriyā (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Present tense (लट्), Active/Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); from anu√vṛt = to follow

• laghunā: by a petty/mean (one)
• laghunā: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: laghu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); used adjectivally

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण)

• manuṣyeṇa: by a man; like a man
• manuṣyeṇa: Upamāna (उपमान/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manuṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग)

• strītvam: womanliness
• strītvam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strītva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग)

• eva: only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avadhāraṇa-nipāta (अवधारण)

• puraskṛtam: put forward/adopted
• puraskṛtam: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: puras√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/कृत्), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with strītvam

Context

"O tiger among kings! You also gave up yourself to anger like a weak man and adopted womanliness"

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma as impartial justice: Sītā critiques judgment based on prejudice (here, suspicion attached to womanhood) rather than evidence and truth.

What is the narrative situation?

In response to Rāma’s harsh public posture, Sītā accuses him of yielding to a moral fault (doṣa) and behaving beneath royal ideals.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courageous truth-speaking: Sītā confronts power with satya, holding the king to a higher standard of righteousness.