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Shloka 2

सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः

Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha

सातदश्रुतपूर्वंहिजनेमहतिमैथिली ।श्रुत्वाभर्तृर्वचोरूक्षंलज्जयावनताभवत् ।।।।

sā tadā śrutapūrvaṃ hi jane mahati maithilī | śrutvā bhartuḥ vaco rūkṣaṃ lajjayā avanatābhavat || 6.119.2 ||

ครั้งนั้น ไมถิลี ครั้นได้สดับถ้อยคำอันกระด้างของพระสวามีต่อหน้ามหาสภาชน ก็โค้งก้มด้วยความละอาย ยืนอยู่ด้วยพักตร์ก้มต่ำ

she
:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन)
tadāthen
tadā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), adverb of time
aśruta-pūrvamnever heard before
aśruta-pūrvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Roota- (नञ्) + śruta (कृदन्त) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound with negation; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies vacaḥ (understood)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormNipāta (निपात)
janeamong people
jane:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootjana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative/Saptamī (7), Singular (एकवचन)
mahatiin a great (assembly)
mahati:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmahat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative/Saptamī (7), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies jane
maithilīMaithilī (Sītā)
maithilī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmaithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन)
śrutvāhaving heard
śrutvā:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeIndeclinable
Root√śru (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Ktvā (क्त्वा)
bhartuḥof (her) husband
bhartuḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootbhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive/Ṣaṣṭhī (6), Singular (एकवचन)
vacaḥwords
vacaḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvacas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन)
rūkṣamharsh, rough
rūkṣam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootrūkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies vacaḥ
lajjayāfrom shame
lajjayā:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootlajjā (प्रातिपदik)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (3), Singular (एकवचन)
vanatābowed down
vanatā:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√nam (धातु) + vanata (कृदन्त)
FormKta (क्त) PPP (from ava-√nam/√nam with prefix); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies maithilī
abhavatbecame
abhavat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
FormImperfect/Laṅ (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Then Mythili hearing her husband 's harsh words, in the presence of a large number of people, stayed bent with shyness.

M
Maithilī (Sītā)
R
Rāma (implied as husband)
J
janāḥ (the assembled people)

FAQs

It highlights the tension between personal dignity and the social sphere: words spoken publicly can deeply affect honor (māna) and modesty (lajjā), and dharma requires restraint and responsibility in speech.

After the war, Sītā is confronted in a public setting; Rāma’s severe words are heard by many, and Sītā reacts with shame and lowered posture.

Sītā’s modesty and self-restraint (lajjā, śīla), shown by her bowed demeanor even under emotional distress.