Shloka 26

अशोकवनिकायां सीतादर्शनम्

Sita Seen in the Ashoka Grove

Devanagari script

तां समीक्ष्य विशालाक्षीमधिकं मलिनां कृशाम्।।।।तर्कयामास सीतेति कारणैरुपपादिभिः।

Transliteration

tāṃ samīkṣya viśālākṣīm adhikaṃ malināṃ kṛśām |

tarkayāmāsa sīteti kāraṇair upapādibhiḥ ||

Translation

汉奴曼细察那位大眼女子，污垢满身、瘦削至极，便凭诸多确凿征象推断，断定道：“这确是悉多。”

Word by Word

• tām: her
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, ekavacana; sarvanāma (pronoun)

• samīkṣya: having observed
• samīkṣya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√īkṣ (धातु); samīkṣya (कृदन्त; ल्यप्/absolutive)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-kriyāviśeṣaṇa; tumun? actually lyap (gerund): "having observed"

• viśāla-akṣīm: large-eyed
• viśāla-akṣīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, ekavacana; bahuvrīhi: "she whose eyes are large"

• adhikam: excessively/very much
• adhikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (adverbial accusative)

• malinām: soiled
• malinām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: malina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, ekavacana

• kṛśām: thin
• kṛśām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, ekavacana

• tarkayāmāsa: he reasoned/deliberated
• tarkayāmāsa: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √tark (धातु); tarkayāmāsa (तिङन्त)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra? actually perfect-like periphrastic: "āmāsa" indicates liṭ-periphrastic (परस्मैपद, लिट्/परिप्रयोग); prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), ekavacana

• sītā: Sītā
• sītā: Pratijñā/Viśeṣya (सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देश)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (1st/प्रथमा), ekavacana; quoted identification in iti-construction

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (iti-nipāta)

• kāraṇaiḥ: with reasons
• kāraṇaiḥ: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā, bahuvacana

• upapādibhiḥ: that establish (the conclusion)
• upapādibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upapādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/napuṃ? Tṛtīyā, bahuvacana; adjective to kāraṇaiḥ: "establishing/proving"

Context

After seeing the large-eyed lady worn out and dressed in soiled clothes, Hanuman started deliberating in himself and guessed it was Sita for strong reasons.

Characters & Entities

• Hanumān
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Righteous action must be guided by careful discernment and truth: Hanumān does not act on impulse but verifies identity through reliable indications, aligning conduct with satya.

What is the narrative situation?

After locating the captive woman in Aśoka-vana, Hanumān scrutinizes her features and condition to confirm she is Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Hanumān’s prudence and responsibility: he seeks certainty before proceeding, showing disciplined intelligence in service of dharma.