Shloka 17

सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः

Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha

Devanagari script

इतिब्रुवन्तीरुदतीबाष्पगद्गगभाषिणी ।उवाचलक्ष्मणंसीतादीनंध्यानपरायणम् ।।।।

Transliteration

iti bruvantī rudatī bāṣpa-gadgada-bhāṣiṇī |

uvāca lakṣmaṇaṁ sītā dīnaṁ dhyāna-parāyaṇam ||

Translation

เมื่อกล่าวดังนี้ นางสีดาร่ำไห้ เสียงสะอื้นติดขัดด้วยน้ำตา แล้วนางจึงกล่าวแก่พระลักษมณ์ ผู้ยืนอยู่ด้วยความระทมและจมอยู่ในภาวนาคิด

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति), sentence-closer

• bruvantī: speaking
• bruvantī: Karta (कर्ता/agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; agrees with sītā

• rudatī: weeping
• rudatī: Karta (कर्ता/agent participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rud (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Feminine, Nominative, Singular; agrees with sītā

• bāṣpa-gadgada-bhāṣiṇī: speaking with a choked voice from tears
• bāṣpa-gadgada-bhāṣiṇī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + gadgada (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāṣiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; descriptive compound: bāṣpeṇa gadgadā bhāṣiṇī (instrumental sense)

• uvāca: said/spoke
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया/finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular

• lakṣmaṇam: Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular, Masculine

• sītā: Sita
• sītā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular, Feminine

• dīnam: piteous/dejected
• dīnam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular, Masculine; qualifies lakṣmaṇam

• dhyāna-parāyaṇam: absorbed in meditation/thought
• dhyāna-parāyaṇam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक) + parāyaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular, Masculine; tatpuruṣa: dhyāne parāyaṇaḥ (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष)

Context

Thus speaking, and weeping with tears, with choked throat, Sita was absorbed in her mind and piteous. She spoke to Lakshmana.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma here is portrayed as steadfastness under suffering: the verse frames Sītā’s truthful speech and Lakṣmaṇa’s troubled restraint at a moral crisis.

What is the narrative situation?

After confronting Rāma, Sītā turns to Lakṣmaṇa, preparing to request the fire-ordeal arrangements.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s loyalty and inner discipline: he is depicted as sorrowful yet contemplative, holding to duty amid emotional turmoil.