Shloka 4

सीताहरण

विलापः / The Lament at Jatāyu and the Abduction of Sītā

Devanagari script

अयं हि पापचारेण मां त्रातुमभिसङ्गतः।शेते विनिहतो भूमौ ममाभाग्याद्विहंगमः।।।।

Transliteration

ayaṃ hi pāpacāreṇa māṃ trātum abhisaṅgataḥ |

śete vinihato bhūmau mamābhāgyād vihaṅgamaḥ ||

Translation

“یہ پرندہ تو اپنے نیک دل سے مجھے بچانے کو آگے بڑھا تھا؛ مگر اس پاپی نے اسے گرا دیا۔ میری بدقسمتی سے وہ زمین پر پڑا ہے۔”

Word by Word

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) ‘indeed/for’

• पाप-चारेण: by the evil-doer
• पाप-चारेण: Kartṛ-karaṇa/Agent (कर्तृकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa + cāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) ‘evil-doer’; Masculine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (speaker), Accusative (2nd), Singular

• त्रातुम्: to rescue
• त्रातुम्: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √trā (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्) ‘to save/protect’

• अभिसङ्गतः: has come forward
• अभिसङ्गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√saṅgam (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Past participle (क्त) used predicatively; Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; ‘has come forward/approached’

• शेते: lies
• शेते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śī (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person, Singular, Ātmanepada

• विनिहतः: slain/struck down
• विनिहतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ni-√han (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; predicate of ‘विहंगमः’

• भूमौ: on the ground
• भूमौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th), Singular

• अभाग्यात्: due to misfortune
• अभाग्यात्: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhāgya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; cause/source

• विहंगमः: the bird
• विहंगमः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vihaṅgama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

Context

Seeing Sita abducted, the glorious Sun looked lustreless and distraught. He developed a pale white disk around him.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (Vaidehī)
• Rāvaṇa (implied as pāpacārin)
• Jatāyu (implied as vihaṅgama)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights dharma as protective courage and compassion: Jatāyu attempts to defend the vulnerable, while Rāvaṇa’s violence is marked as pāpa (sin/adharma).

What is the narrative situation?

During Sītā’s abduction, she sees the bird-warrior (Jatāyu) felled while trying to rescue her, and she laments his fall.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Jatāyu’s self-sacrificing bravery and compassion (anukampā) in defending Sītā, even at great personal cost.