Shloka 27

अशोकवनिकायां सीतादर्शनम्

Sita Seen in the Ashoka Grove

Devanagari script

ह्रियमाणा तदा तेन रक्षसा कामरूपिणा।।।।यथारूपा हि दृष्टा वै तथारूपेयमङ्गना।

Transliteration

hriyamāṇā tadā tena rakṣasā kāmarūpiṇā |

yathārūpā hi dṛṣṭā vai tathārūpey am aṅganā ||

Translation

Nang siya’y hinihila noon ng rākṣasa na nag-iiba-iba ng anyo, ang anyong nakita sa kanya noon—yaon ding anyo ang taglay ng babaeng ito.

Word by Word

• hriyamāṇā: being carried off
• hriyamāṇā: Karta (कर्ता; of passive state)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √hṛ (धातु); hriyamāṇa (कृदन्त; शानच्, passive)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, ekavacana; vartamāna-kṛdanta (present passive participle)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरणम्; time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Kāla-avyaya (adverb of time)

• tena: by that
• tena: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, ekavacana; pronoun

• rakṣasā: by the demon
• rakṣasā: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rakṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, ekavacana

• kāma-rūpiṇā: able to assume forms at will
• kāma-rūpiṇā: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: "having form at will"

• yathā-rūpā: of whatever form (she was)
• yathā-rūpā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, ekavacana; avyayībhāva: "according to (that) form"

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (particle)

• dṛṣṭā: was seen
• dṛṣṭā: Karma (कर्म; passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त; √dṛś, क्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, ekavacana; kta participle used predicatively: "was seen"

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (emphatic particle)

• tathā-rūpā: of the same form
• tathā-rūpā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, ekavacana; avyayībhāva: "of that very form"

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, ekavacana; pronoun

• aṅganā: woman/lady
• aṅganā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, ekavacana

Context

Beholding the form of the large-eyed lady, Hanuman guessed, 'This is similar to the form seen while the demon was kidnapping her'.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa (implied as the kāmarūpī rākṣasa)

FAQs

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

Satya is supported by accurate recognition and memory: Hanumān aligns his conclusion with what was previously witnessed, minimizing error before undertaking consequential action.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanumān compares the woman before him with the remembered appearance of Sītā at the time of her abduction, strengthening his identification.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s reliability and attentiveness: he uses recollection and careful comparison rather than assumption.