atha rājā tad-āgatya dadarśa Sītām mahādruMe
“Then, having come there, the king saw Sītā under a great tree.”
Structure
atha rājā tad āgatya dadarśa Sītām mahādrume
rājā (king) atha (then) tad (that place) āgatya (having arrived) mahādrume (in the great tree) Sītām (Sītā) dadarśa (saw)
Word-by-Word Grammar
| Word | IAST | Type | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| atha | atha | indeclinable | — | then, now |
| rājā | rājā | noun | nominative · singular · masculine | king |
| tad | tad | indeclinable | — | at that time, then |
| āgatya | āgatya | indeclinable | — | having come, arriving |
| dadarśa | dadarśa | verb | √dṛś · past · third | he saw |
| Sītām | Sītām | noun | accusative · singular · feminine | Sītā |
| mahādrume | mahādrume | noun | locative · singular · masculine | in the great tree |
Scholarly Commentary
Advaita Vedānta (Ādi Śaṅkarācārya): In this verse, the meeting of the king and Sītā under the great tree can be seen as a metaphor for the union of the individual self (jīva) with the ultimate reality (Brahman). According to Shankara, the realization of this union is the ultimate goal of human existence. The 'great tree' can be interpreted as the symbol of the universe, and 'Sītā' as the individual self, which is ultimately one with the 'king', the supreme self. This interpretation is in line with Shankara's commentary on the Brahma Sutras, where he explains that the individual self is not different from the ultimate reality. In this context, the verse suggests that the king's vision of Sītā represents the direct realization of the identity of the individual self with the ultimate reality, leading to liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Vaiṣṇava tradition (Rāmānujācārya / Madhvācārya): This verse can be interpreted as a manifestation of the divine grace, where the king, representing the devotee, catches a glimpse of Sītā, symbolizing the divine. The 'great tree' can be seen as a symbol of the divine providence that facilitates this encounter. In Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita philosophy, the relationship between the jīva (individual self) and Īśvara (the Lord) is one of inseparable dependency. Similarly, in this verse, the king's ability to see Sītā is dependent on his approach towards the great tree, symbolizing the role of divine grace in facilitating the devotee's experience of the divine. Madhva's Dvaita philosophy also highlights the importance of the Lord's grace in enabling the devotee to experience the divine presence, which is evident in this verse where the king's vision of Sītā is a result of his approach towards the great tree.
Neo-Vedānta (Swami Vivekānanda / S. Rādhākrishnan): This verse can be seen as a representation of the universal human quest for unity and connection. The 'great tree' can be interpreted as a symbol of the universal consciousness that underlies all existence, while 'Sītā' represents the individual's aspiration for unity with this consciousness. According to Swami Vivekananda, the ultimate goal of human existence is to realize this unity, which can be achieved through selfless love and service. In his lecture on 'The Universal Soul', Vivekananda explains that the individual self is not separate from the universal consciousness, but rather an integral part of it. Similarly, in this verse, the king's vision of Sītā under the great tree represents the universal human aspiration for unity and connection with the ultimate reality, which is a fundamental aspect of human existence.