Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 33, Shloka 18

त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha

Devanagari script

समुद्धृतनिधानानि परिध्वस्ताजिराणि च।उपात्त धनधान्यानि हृतसाराणि सर्वशः।।।।रजसाभ्यवकीर्णानि परित्यक्तानि दैवतैः।मूषकैःपरिधावद्भिरुद्बिलैरावृतानि च।।।।अपेतोदकधूमानि हीनसम्मार्जनानि च।प्रणष्टबलिकर्मेज्यामन्त्रहोमजपानि च।।।।दुष्कालेनेव भग्नानि भिन्नभाजनवन्ति च।अस्मात्त्यक्तानि वेश्मानि कैकेयी प्रतिपद्यताम्।।।।

Transliteration

samuddhṛta-nidhānāni paridhvasta-ajirāṇi ca |

upātta-dhana-dhānyāni hṛta-sārāṇi sarvaśaḥ ||

rajasābhyavakīrṇāni parityaktāni daivataiḥ |

mūṣakaiḥ paridhāvadbhir udbilair āvṛtāni ca ||

apetodaka-dhūmāni hīna-sammārjanāni ca |

praṇaṣṭa-bali-karma-ijyā-mantra-homa-japāni ca ||

duṣkālena iva bhagnāni bhinna-bhājana-vanti ca |

asmāt tyaktāni veśmāni kaikeyī pratipadyatām ||

Translation

Let Kaikeyī take over the houses we abandon—houses whose courtyards are ruined, whose hidden hoards have been dug up, whose wealth and grain have been carried off, and which are utterly stripped. Let them lie coated in dust, forsaken by the gods, overrun by rats and covered with their burrows; without water and without kitchen-smoke, unswept, with offerings, worship, mantras, oblations, and recitations all fallen silent—like homes broken by famine, strewn with shattered vessels.

Word by Word

• समुद्धृत-निधानानि: (houses) with treasures dug up
• समुद्धृत-निधानानि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of implied वेश्मानि
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-उद्-हृ (धातु) + निधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण; समुद्धृत = unearthed/raised up

• परिध्वस्त-आजिराणि: (houses) whose courtyards are ruined
• परिध्वस्त-आजिराणि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-ध्वंस् (धातु) + आजिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण; आजिर = courtyard

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• उपात्त-धन-धान्यानि: (houses) whose wealth and grain have been taken away
• उपात्त-धन-धान्यानि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-आ-दा (धातु) + धन (प्रातिपदिक) + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण; धन-धान्य = wealth and grain

• हृत-साराणि: (houses) stripped of valuables
• हृत-साराणि: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हृ (धातु) + सार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण; सार = essence/valuable substance

• सर्वशः: entirely
• सर्वशः: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)

Context

Let Kaikeyi take possession of our deserted and dilapidated homes with ruined courtyards which seem as though struck by calamities. They are drained of wealth and foodgrains, covered with dust and abandoned by the gods. There is no water or smoke (from kitchen). They are infested with rats. They stand unswept. There foodgrains lie around ratholes, and broken earthenwares lie scattered. There are no offerings, no sacrifices, no recitation of sacred hymns, no libations and no invocations.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Ayodhyā (implied)
• deities (daivata)
• homa
• japa
• mantra

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as the life-breath of society: when righteousness is exiled, prosperity, order, and ritual harmony symbolically collapse—even homes become spiritually “abandoned.”

What is the narrative situation?

The citizens, preparing to leave with Rāma, declare that Kaikeyī may keep their now-worthless houses, which will become desolate without them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The citizens’ steadfast loyalty to dharma over property—renunciation of comfort as a moral protest against adharma.