Shloka 10

शरत्प्रवेशे रामविलापः तथा सुग्रीवप्रमादे लक्ष्मणप्रेषणम्

Autumn’s Onset: Rama’s Lament and Lakshmana Sent to Sugriva

Devanagari script

निस्वनं चक्रवाकानां निशम्य नहचारिणाम्।पुण्डरीकविशालाक्षी कथमेषा भविष्यति।।

Transliteration

nisvanaṃ cakravākānāṃ niśamya nahacāriṇām |

puṇḍarīkaviśālākṣī katham eṣā bhaviṣyati ||4.30.10||

Translation

Nghe tiếng kêu của loài chim cakravāka bay lượn giữa hư không, ta tự hỏi: nàng—đôi mắt rộng như sen trắng—nay sẽ ra sao, khi bạn bầu chẳng còn ở bên?

Word by Word

• nisvanam: sound/cry
• nisvanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nisvana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana

• cakravākānām: of the cakravāka birds
• cakravākānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cakravāka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Bahuvacana

• niśamya: having heard
• niśamya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण; prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śam (धातु) with ni- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्/क्त्वा-समकक्ष), ni-√śam ‘to hear’; prior action

• sahacāriṇām: of (her) companions
• sahacāriṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sahacārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; tatpuruṣa: saha (with) + cārin (moving)

• puṇḍarīka-viśālākṣī: the lotus-large-eyed lady
• puṇḍarīka-viśālākṣī: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇḍarīka + viśāla + akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi: ‘she whose eyes (akṣi) are large (viśāla) like a lotus (puṇḍarīka)’

• katham: how
• katham: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb (प्रश्न-अव्यय)

• eṣā: this (she)
• eṣā: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Simple Future), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

Context

'How will that lady with large, pale white eyes sustain her life now, since she is used to listening to the sweet notes of chakravaka birds, who were her companions?

Characters & Entities

• Sītā (by epithet puṇḍarīkaviśālākṣī)
• cakravāka birds

FAQs

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

Compassion grounded in fidelity: Rāma’s dharma as husband expresses itself as constant concern for Sītā’s wellbeing, not merely his own pain.

What is the narrative situation?

In autumn after the rains, natural sounds trigger Rāma’s memories of Sītā; he fears how she survives in separation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Anukampā (tender compassion) and pativratya-oriented fidelity (steadfast marital devotion).