Shloka 38

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

यदि कश्चित् प्रदाता मे विषस्याद्य भवेदिह।।।।क्षिप्रं वैवस्वतं देवं पश्येयं पतिना विना।

Transliteration

yadi kaścit pradātā me viṣasyādya bhaved iha |

kṣipraṃ vaivasvataṃ devaṃ paśyeyaṃ patinā vinā ||

Translation

کاش آج یہاں کوئی مجھے زہر دے دیتا؛ تو میں شوہر کے بغیر ہی جلد وئیوسوت—یعنی یم دیو، موت کے دیوتا—کا دیدار کر لیتی۔

Word by Word

• kumbhakarṇa-ādayaḥ: Kumbhakarna and others
• kumbhakarṇa-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbhakarṇa + ādi (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (ādi-शब्देन ‘and others’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; conjunction (समुच्चय)

• ime: these
• ime: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; agrees with rākṣasapuṅgavāḥ

• rākṣasa-puṅgavāḥ: chiefs of the rakshasas
• rākṣasa-puṅgavāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasa + puṅgava (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (श्रेष्ठाः राक्षसानाम्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• raktam: red
• raktam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; agrees with nivasanaṃ

• nivasanam: garment/clothing
• nivasanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nivasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• gṛhya: having taken
• gṛhya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: grah (धातु) + lyap (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् (gerund), ‘having taken’

• praviṣṭāḥ: entered
• praviṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-viś (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past participle/क्त) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; ‘entered’

• gomaya-hrade: in the cow-dung pond
• gomaya-hrade: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomaya + hrada (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (gomayasya hradaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन

Context

"If I can find some one who can give me poison now I shall soon see the lord of death without my lord.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Vaivasvata (Yama)

FAQs

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

It portrays the extreme psychological cost of adharma inflicted on the innocent; dharma here is implicit as the need to protect and restore justice so that despair does not consume the righteous.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā, overwhelmed by threats and separation, imagines ending her life by poison to escape dishonor and suffering.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Her uncompromising commitment to chastity and integrity, even when it drives her toward desperate thoughts.