Shloka 4

पञ्चवटी-निवासः

Settlement at Pañcavaṭī and Construction of the Hermitage

Devanagari script

रमते यत्र वैदेही त्वमहं चैव लक्ष्मण।तादृशो दृश्यतां देशस्सन्निकृष्टजलाशयः।।।।वनरामण्यकं यत्र स्थलरामण्यकं तथा।सन्निकृष्टं च यत्र स्यात्समित्पुष्पकुशोदकम्।।।।

Transliteration

ramate yatra vaidehī tvam ahaṃ caiva lakṣmaṇa |

tādṛśo dṛśyatāṃ deśaḥ sannikṛṣṭa-jalāśayaḥ ||

vanarāmaṇyakaṃ yatra sthalarāmaṇyakaṃ tathā |

sannikṛṣṭaṃ ca yatra syāt samit-puṣpa-kuśodakam ||

Translation

Hỡi Lakṣmaṇa, hãy tìm một nơi khiến Vaidehī (Sītā) hoan hỷ, và nơi con cùng ta cũng được an vui cư trú—gần kề nguồn nước; nơi rừng cây duyên dáng, đất đai cũng thanh nhã; và nơi củi tế lễ, hoa, cỏ kuśa cùng nước đều sẵn có bên tay.

Word by Word

• रमते: delights, rejoices
• रमते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ram (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb); देशवाचक (where)

• वैदेही: Vaidehī (Sita)
• वैदेही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vaidehī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषनाम (Sītā)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: N/A (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• एव: indeed
• एव: N/A (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle); अवधारण (indeed/just)

• लक्ष्मण: O Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मण: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• तादृशः: such (of that kind)
• तादृशः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् देशः

• दृश्यताम्: let (it) be looked for/seen
• दृश्यताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (imperative), तृतीय-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): ‘let it be seen/selected’

• देशः: place
• देशः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सन्निकृष्ट-जल-आशयः: having a nearby water source
• सन्निकृष्ट-जल-आशयः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sannikṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + jala (प्रातिपदिक) + āśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् देशः; समासः: सन्निकृष्टः (nearby) जलाशयः (water-reservoir) यस्य (having a nearby water source)

• वन-रामण्यकम्: beauty of the forest
• वन-रामण्यकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + rāmaṇyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘वनस्य रामण्यकम्’ (forest-beauty)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb)

• स्थल-रामण्यकम्: beauty of the site/land
• स्थल-रामण्यकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sthala (प्रातिपदिक) + rāmaṇyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘स्थलस्य रामण्यकम्’ (beauty of the ground/site)

• तथा: likewise, also
• तथा: N/A (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb); समुच्चय/सादृश्य (also/likewise)

• सन्निकृष्टम्: near at hand
• सन्निकृष्टम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sannikṛṣṭa (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समित्पुष्पकुशोदकम् implied as neuter collective)

• च: and
• च: N/A (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction)

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (relative adverb)

• स्यात्: may be, should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• समित्-पुष्प-कुश-उदकम्: fuel-sticks, flowers, kuśa grass, and water (supplies)
• समित्-पुष्प-कुश-उदकम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samit (प्रातिपदिक) + puṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + kuśa (प्रातिपदिक) + udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्व (collective copulative): fuel-sticks, flowers, kuśa-grass, and water

Context

Rama who was an enhancer of fortunes and who had his senses under control said thus to Lakshmana and lived happily there in that place filled with fruits.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Vaidehī (Sītā)
• puṣpa (flowers)
• kuśa (kuśa-grass)
• udaka (water)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is responsible, considerate living: Rāma prioritizes Sītā’s wellbeing and the practical needs of a righteous forest-life (water and ritual materials), showing duty-based care rather than mere preference.

What is the narrative situation?

In the forest, Rāma instructs Lakṣmaṇa to search for an appropriate location to establish their hermitage—pleasant, safe, and resource-sufficient.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s foresight and compassionate leadership—he plans for sustenance and sacred observance while ensuring Sītā’s comfort.