Shloka 17

सीताविलापः

Sita’s Lament and Prophecy of Lanka’s Ruin

Devanagari script

कामं मध्ये समुद्रस्य लङ्केयं दुष्प्रधर्षणा।न तु राघवबाणानां गतिरोधो भविष्यति ।।।।

Transliteration

kāmaṃ madhye samudrasya laṅkeyaṃ duṣpradharṣaṇā | na tu rāghavabāṇānāṃ gatिरोधो bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

Dẫu Laṅkā này ở giữa biển khơi, khó bề công phá; nhưng đường bay của những mũi tên Rāghava ắt chẳng ai ngăn nổi.

Word by Word

• कामम्: even if / granted
• कामम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कामम् (अव्यय)
• Form: Concessive particle (अनुज्ञा/स्वीकृति-अव्यय)

• मध्ये: in the middle
• मध्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• समुद्रस्य: of the ocean
• समुद्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: समुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• लङ्का: Lanka
• लङ्का: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• दुष्प्रधर्षणा: hard to assail/unassailable
• दुष्प्रधर्षणा: Karta (कर्ता; predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुस्-प्रधर्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; adjective of लङ्का

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

• तु: but/however
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Adversative particle (व्यतिरेक)

• राघवबाणानाम्: of Raghava's arrows
• राघवबाणानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव-बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (राघवस्य बाणाः)

• गतिरोधः: obstruction to movement
• गतिरोधः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति-रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (गतेः रोधः)

• भविष्यति: will be
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: Future tense (लृट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

Context

"This Lanka in the middle of the ocean is unassailable. But there is nothing which can resist the arrows of Rama.

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Laṅkā
• Samudra (ocean)
• Rāghava (Rāma)

FAQs

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

Faith that dharma overcomes formidable barriers: physical distance and fortifications cannot ultimately obstruct righteous action.

What is the narrative situation?

Sītā weighs Laṅkā’s strategic security against her certainty in Rāma’s irresistible prowess.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s invincible heroism and Sītā’s resolute confidence in it.