Shloka 4

सीतान्वेषणारम्भः

The Search for Sita Begins

Devanagari script

वृक्षेणाच्छाद्य यदि मां सीते हसितुमिच्छसि।अलं ते हसितेनाद्य मां भजस्व सुदुःखितम्।।।।

Transliteration

vṛkṣeṇācchādya yadi māṃ sīte hasitum icchasi | alaṃ te hasitena adya māṃ bhajasva suduḥkhitam ||

Translation

“噢，悉多，若你想躲在树后取笑我——今日这嬉戏已足够了；来我身边吧，我正深陷大悲苦。”

Word by Word

• vṛkṣeṇa: by/with a tree
• vṛkṣeṇa: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• ācchādya: having covered/hid (behind)
• ācchādya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √chad (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), पूर्वकाल; उपसर्गः ā-

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional conjunction: if)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन

• sīte: O Sītā
• sīte: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन

• hasitum: to laugh at / to mock
• hasitum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √has (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), अव्यय; प्रयोजनार्थ (purpose)

• icchasi: you wish
• icchasi: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• alam: enough
• alam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध/पर्याप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (enough)

• te: for you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (Dative) एकवचन (also possible genitive in other contexts; here dative: 'for you')

• hasitena: with laughter / with mocking
• hasitena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasita (प्रातिपदिक; √has-कृत)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• adya: today / now
• adya: Kālādhi karaṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (temporal adverb: today/now)

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष सर्वनाम, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• bhajasva: come to / join / attend to
• bhajasva: Kriyā (आज्ञार्थक क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• suduḥkhitam: very sorrowful
• suduḥkhitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying mām)

Context

O Sita! if you intend to make fun by hiding behind a tree, I tell you it is enough. Stop it and come to this extremely sorrowful man.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as steadfast marital commitment: Rāma’s mind cannot accept Sītā’s absence and calls her back, reflecting the ethical centrality of conjugal loyalty in the epic.

What is the narrative situation?

After Sītā is taken, Rāma searches and laments, imagining she is playfully hiding and urging her to return.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s single-minded devotion to Sītā and emotional sincerity.