Valmiki Ramayana 2.28.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 28, Shloka 2

सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः · Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile

Devanagari script

सान्त्वयित्वा पुनस्तां तु बाष्पदूषितलोचनाम् ।

निवर्तनार्थे धर्मात्मा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.28.2

Transliteration

sāntvayitvā punas tāṃ tu bāṣpa-dūṣita-locanām |

nivartanārthe dharmātmā vākyam etad uvāca ha ||2||

Translation

An ủi Sītā, đôi mắt còn mờ lệ, bậc tâm hồn công chính là Rāma lại nói những lời này, với ý muốn ngăn nàng (theo Người vào rừng).

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Word by Word

• सान्त्वयित्वा: having consoled
• सान्त्वयित्वा: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सान्त्वय् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), ‘having consoled’

• पुनः: again
• पुनः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb: again)

• ताम्: her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात

• बाष्पदूषितलोचनाम्: whose eyes were blurred by tears
• बाष्पदूषितलोचनाम्: Karma (कर्म) (adjectival to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाष्प + दूषित + लोचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘बाष्पेण दूषिते लोचने यस्याः सा’), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ताम्)

• निवर्तनार्थे: for dissuasion
• निवर्तनार्थे: Prayojana/Adhikaraṇa (प्रयोजन/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवर्तन + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/उपपद-प्रायः: ‘निवर्तनस्य अर्थे’), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; प्रयोजन-अधिकरणे (for the purpose of dissuasion)

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (‘धर्मः आत्मा यस्य सः’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of speaker)

• वाक्यम्: words/speech
• वाक्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म) (apposition to वाक्यम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम (demonstrative)

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• ह: indeed (particle)
• ह: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात (emphatic/metrical particle)

Context

Righteous Rama consoled Sita whose eyes were blurred with tears, and in order to dissuade her (from going to the forest) said again:

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Dharma is expressed as compassionate responsibility: Rāma’s righteousness includes protecting Sītā from foreseeable suffering, even while he himself accepts hardship for duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā insists on accompanying Rāma to exile; Rāma, after consoling her, resumes his attempt to dissuade her by describing the forest’s rigors.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s compassion and moral steadiness (dharmātmatā): he speaks gently yet firmly, guided by duty and concern.