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Shloka 2

सीताया अग्निप्रवेशः

Sita’s Ordeal by Fire / Agni-Pariksha

सातदश्रुतपूर्वंहिजनेमहतिमैथिली ।श्रुत्वाभर्तृर्वचोरूक्षंलज्जयावनताभवत् ।।।।

sā tadā śrutapūrvaṃ hi jane mahati maithilī | śrutvā bhartuḥ vaco rūkṣaṃ lajjayā avanatābhavat || 6.119.2 ||

Bấy giờ nàng Maithilī, giữa đại hội đông người, nghe lời phu quân thô bạo chưa từng nghe, liền cúi đầu vì hổ thẹn, đứng lặng với mặt rũ xuống.

she
:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun (सर्वनाम), Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन)
tadāthen
tadā:
Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAvyaya (अव्यय), adverb of time
aśruta-pūrvamnever heard before
aśruta-pūrvam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Roota- (नञ्) + śruta (कृदन्त) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
FormTatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) compound with negation; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies vacaḥ (understood)
hiindeed
hi:
Sambandha/Discourse particle (निपात)
TypeIndeclinable
Roothi (अव्यय)
FormNipāta (निपात)
janeamong people
jane:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootjana (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative/Saptamī (7), Singular (एकवचन)
mahatiin a great (assembly)
mahati:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmahat (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative/Saptamī (7), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies jane
maithilīMaithilī (Sītā)
maithilī:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmaithilī (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन)
śrutvāhaving heard
śrutvā:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeIndeclinable
Root√śru (धातु)
FormAbsolutive/Ktvā (क्त्वा)
bhartuḥof (her) husband
bhartuḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootbhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive/Ṣaṣṭhī (6), Singular (एकवचन)
vacaḥwords
vacaḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootvacas (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन)
rūkṣamharsh, rough
rūkṣam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootrūkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative/Dvitīyā (2), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies vacaḥ
lajjayāfrom shame
lajjayā:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeNoun
Rootlajjā (प्रातिपदik)
FormFeminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental/Tṛtīyā (3), Singular (एकवचन)
vanatābowed down
vanatā:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Root√nam (धातु) + vanata (कृदन्त)
FormKta (क्त) PPP (from ava-√nam/√nam with prefix); Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative/Prathamā (1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifies maithilī
abhavatbecame
abhavat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√bhū (धातु)
FormImperfect/Laṅ (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Then Mythili hearing her husband 's harsh words, in the presence of a large number of people, stayed bent with shyness.

M
Maithilī (Sītā)
R
Rāma (implied as husband)
J
janāḥ (the assembled people)

FAQs

It highlights the tension between personal dignity and the social sphere: words spoken publicly can deeply affect honor (māna) and modesty (lajjā), and dharma requires restraint and responsibility in speech.

After the war, Sītā is confronted in a public setting; Rāma’s severe words are heard by many, and Sītā reacts with shame and lowered posture.

Sītā’s modesty and self-restraint (lajjā, śīla), shown by her bowed demeanor even under emotional distress.