Valmiki Ramayana 2.39.20: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 20

एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः · Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma

Addressed to SitaSetting: Ayodhya (palace discourse context)

Devanagari script

असत्य स्सर्वलोकेऽस्मिन्सततं सत्कृताः प्रियैः ।

भर्तारं नानुमन्यन्ते विनिपातगतं स्त्रियः ॥२०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.39.20

Transliteration

asatyaḥ sarvaloke ’smin satataṁ satkṛtāḥ priyaiḥ |

bhartāraṁ nānumanyante vinipātagataṁ striyaḥ ||20||

Translation

Trong đời này, những người nữ—dẫu luôn được người thương kính trọng—mà không thuận theo, không ở bên chồng khi chồng sa vào tai ương, thì bị xem là bất tín.

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Word by Word

• असत्याः: untrue/faithless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्त्रियः इति विशेषण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• सर्वलोके: in the whole world
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (entire world)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• अस्मिन्: in this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सर्वलोके इत्यस्य विशेषण (in this)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• सततम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सततम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (always)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• सत्कृताः: honoured/respected
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत् + कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; स्त्रियः इति विशेषण (honoured)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• प्रियैः: by (their) beloveds/husbands
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; (प्रिय = husband/beloved)
• Role: Karana (करण)

• भर्तारम्: husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निषेध (negation)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• अनुमन्यन्ते: approve/consent (to follow)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) + अनु (उपसर्ग)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन (plural), आत्मनेपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• विनिपातगतम्: fallen into misfortune
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विनिपात + गत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त (PPP) from गम्, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भर्तारम् इति विशेषण; तत्पुरुष (gone into calamity)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• स्त्रियः: women
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• सर्वलोकेऽस्मिन् = सर्वलोके + अस्मिन्
• नानुमन्यन्ते = न + अनुमन्यन्ते

Context

Those women who, although always gratified, do not follow their husband when they fall into misfortune, are regarded as unfaithful.

The teaching

Fidelity is tested not in prosperity but in calamity; social dharma condemns abandonment at the moment of a spouse’s fall.

Duties in tension

• Personal comfort/safety vs duty to accompany and support spouse in adversity
• Social reputation (satya/asatya label) vs inner intention

Ethical theme

Strī-dharma / gṛhastha-dharma (marital duty)

How it resolves

Normative injunction (social dharma)

For your practice

For householders: reflection on steadfastness (niṣṭhā) and shared endurance; transforming relationship into a field of dharma-practice.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Admonishing, stern, moralizing

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Strīdharma
• Pativratā
• Ethics

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• husband (bhartṛ)

FAQs

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

It asserts the Dharma-ideal of steadfast companionship: loyalty is tested not in comfort but in adversity, and abandoning a spouse in misfortune is framed as a breach of truthfulness/faith (satya).

What is the narrative situation?

In the context of Rāma’s exile, Sītā is being addressed with traditional counsel about a wife’s conduct, emphasizing constancy toward one’s husband during hardship.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue of fidelity and unwavering commitment (niṣṭhā) in marital duty is emphasized as the expected ideal.