Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 29
एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः
Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma
नातन्त्री वाद्यते वीणा नाचक्रो वर्तते रथः।नापतिस्सुखमेधेत या स्यादपि शतात्मजा।।2.39.29।।
nātantrī vādyate vīṇā nācakro vartate rathaḥ |
nā patiḥ sukham edheta yā syād api śatātmajā ||2.39.29||
Đàn vīṇā không dây thì chẳng thể gảy; xe không bánh thì chẳng thể lăn. Cũng vậy, người phụ nữ không có phu quân thì khó nở hoa trong hạnh phúc, dẫu có trăm người con.
The mighty-armed king lost consciousness for a moment and in grief lamented, brooding only over Rama.
FAQs
The verse asserts a traditional dharmic ideal of marital unity: the wife’s well-being is presented as inseparable from her husband’s presence and role. It uses concrete analogies to argue for the centrality of the marital bond.
Sītā speaks to Kauśalyā while affirming her commitment to Rāma and the values that define her understanding of wifely duty, in the context of Rāma’s impending forest exile.
Sītā’s steadfastness (niṣṭhā) and loyalty (pativratā-bhāva) are emphasized through her uncompromising identification with her husband’s fate.