Shloka 12

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

छिन्ना भिन्ना विभक्ता वा दीप्तेवाग्नौ प्रदीपिता।रावणं नोपतिष्ठेयं किं प्रलापेन वश्चिरम्।।।।

Transliteration

chinnā bhinnā vibhaktā vā dīpte vāgnau pradīpitā | rāvaṇaṁ nopatiṣṭheyaṁ kiṁ pralāpena vaś ciram || 5.26.12 ||

Translation

“Dẫu bị chém đứt, bị nghiền nát, hay bị thiêu trong lửa rực—ta vẫn không khuất phục Rāvaṇa. Những lời dài dòng rỗng tuếch của các ngươi có ích gì?”

Word by Word

• छिन्ना: cut
• छिन्ना: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (कृदन्त; √छिद् धातु)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle qualifying implied अहम्/सीता

• भिन्ना: split/broken
• भिन्ना: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्न (कृदन्त; √भिद् धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle

• विभक्ता: divided/apportioned
• विभक्ता: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विभक्त (कृदन्त; वि+√भज् धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle

• वा: or/even if
• वा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्प)

• दीप्ता: burning/blazing
• दीप्ता: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीप्त (कृदन्त; √दीप् धातु)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle

• इव: as if/like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle (उपमा)

• अग्नौ: in fire
• अग्नौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• प्रदीपिता: set on fire/burnt
• प्रदीपिता: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रदीपित (कृदन्त; प्र+√दीप् धातु, णिच्)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; past passive participle

• रावणम्: Ravana
• रावणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रावण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• उपतिष्ठेयम्: I would attend/submit to (accept)
• उपतिष्ठेयम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप+√स्था (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular; negative sense with न

• किम्: what (use)?
• किम्: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; used idiomatically in question

• प्रलापेन: by prattle/empty talk
• प्रलापेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• वः: of you (all)
• वः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); enclitic pronoun

• चिरम्: for long
• चिरम्: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चिर (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (कालवाचक-अव्ययप्रयोग)

Context

"Even if I am cut, broken to pieces or burnt in glowing fire, I will not accept Ravana. Why do you shout for so long?

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāvaṇa
• fire (agni)

FAQs

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

Truth and righteousness are not to be traded for safety: Sītā declares that bodily harm is preferable to consenting to adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā answers prolonged intimidation/argumentation with an absolute refusal, emphasizing the futility of coercive persuasion.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Unbreakable resolve (dṛḍha-vrata): commitment to virtue even at the cost of life.