Shloka 40

सीतासान्त्वनम् / Hanuman Consoles Sita with the News of Victory

Devanagari script

राजसंश्रयवश्यानांकुर्वतीनांपराज्ञया ।विधेयानां च दासीनांकःकुप्यद्वानरोत्तम ।।6.116.40।।

Transliteration

rājasaṃśraya-vaśyānāṃ kurvatīnāṃ parājñayā | vidheyānāṃ ca dāsīnāṃ kaḥ kupyed vānarottama ||6.116.40||

Translation

噢，诸猿中最卓越者，谁会对那些依附王权、唯奉他命、被迫顺从的婢女而动怒呢？

Word by Word

• rāja-saṃśraya-vaśyānām: of those dependent on the king's protection (and under control)
• rāja-saṃśraya-vaśyānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/genitive qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃśraya (प्रातिपदिक) + vaśya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी) plural; tatpuruṣa chain: 'rājñaḥ saṃśraye' (rāja-saṃśraya) + 'tasya vaśyāḥ' (dependent on royal refuge); qualifies dāsīnām

• kurvatīnām: of those who do (act)
• kurvatīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/qualifier)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), feminine, genitive (षष्ठी) plural; qualifies dāsīnām

• parājñayā: by another's order
• parājñayā: Karana (करण/instrument-cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: para-ājñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, instrumental (तृतीया) singular; tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी sense) 'parā ājñā' = another's command

• vidheyānām: of the obedient
• vidheyānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidheya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी) plural; adjective qualifying dāsīnām

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• dāsīnām: of the maidservants
• dāsīnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāsī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, genitive (षष्ठी) plural

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, masculine, nominative (प्रथमा) singular

• kupyēt: would be angry
• kupyēt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kup (धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) singular, parasmaipada

• vānarottama: O best of monkeys
• vānarottama: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vānara (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, vocative (सम्बोधन) singular; karmadhāraya 'uttamaḥ vānaraḥ'

Context

"Foremost of Vanaras! Who will be angry? Being under the command of the king and being obedient maids, they did so according to king's order.

Characters & Entities

• Sita
• Hanuman
• Rākṣasī (female rākṣasas)
• King (implicit: Ravana’s authority)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes fairness in assigning blame: Sita argues one should not direct anger at subordinates compelled by a ruler’s command.

What is the narrative situation?

Sita responds to Hanuman’s request for permission to kill the rākṣasīs who guarded and threatened her.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sita’s compassion and justice-mindedness—she distinguishes between principal guilt and coerced obedience.