Ramayana — Sundara Kanda, Sarga 13, Shloka 10

रावणभवनपरिक्रमणं हनूमतः शोकविचारश्च

Hanuman’s Circuit of Ravana’s Palace and the Crisis of Deliberation

Devanagari script

उपर्युपरि वा नूनं सागरं क्रमतस्तदा।।।।विवेष्टमाना पतिता सागरे जनकात्मजा।

Transliteration

upary upari vā nūnaṃ sāgaraṃ kramatas tadā |

viveṣṭamānā patitā sāgare janakātmajā |

Translation

Hẳn khi ta bay từng chặng vượt qua biển cả, ái nữ của vua Janaka—quằn quại tìm cách thoát thân—đã rơi xuống đại dương.

Word by Word

• उपरि-उपरि: higher and higher
• उपरि-उपरि: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उपरि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति (reduplication) क्रियाविशेषण: higher and higher

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पवाचक (or)

• नूनम्: surely
• नूनम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (certainly)

• सागरम्: the sea
• सागरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• क्रमतः: of (him) advancing
• क्रमतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'of (him) advancing/stepping'

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (then)

• विवेष्टमाना: struggling/writhing
• विवेष्टमाना: Karta (कर्ता; विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+वेष्ट् (धातु)
• Form: शानच्-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present middle participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'wriggling/struggling'

• पतिता: fell
• पतिता: Kriya (क्रिया; भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पतित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-आधारित)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सागरे: into the sea
• सागरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• जनक-आत्मजा: Janaka's daughter
• जनक-आत्मजा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: janakasya ātmajā); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Context

"Surely, she might have fallen into the sea while wriggling in her effort to extricate herself from the hold of Ravana as he was flying over the sea.

Characters & Entities

• Sita
• Janaka
• Ocean (Samudra/Sagara)
• Ravana (implied as abductor flying)

FAQs

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

Dharma motivates urgent protection of the innocent; Hanuman’s speculation shows the moral weight of safeguarding Sītā and the pain caused by adharma (abduction).

What is the narrative situation?

After failing to find Sītā in the palace, Hanuman considers possible fates that could have befallen her during the abduction over the sea.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective concern and persistence—his mind continues searching for explanations that can guide the next action.