Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 34, Shloka 28

रामदर्शनार्थं दारानयनम्

The Queens Summoned; Rama’s Leave-Taking and Dasaratha’s Collapse

Devanagari script

भवान्वर्ष सहस्राय पृथिव्या नृपते पतिः।अहं त्वरण्येवत्स्यामि न मे कार्यं त्वयाऽनृतम्।।।।

Transliteration

bhavān varṣa-sahasrāya pṛthivyā nṛpate! patiḥ |

ahaṃ tv araṇye vatsyāmi na me kāryaṃ tvayā anṛtam ||

Translation

“O king, you shall remain lord of this earth for a thousand years. As for me, I will live in the forest; for my sake, let no untruth be committed by you.”

Word by Word

• bhavān: you
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Masculine, nominative (प्रथमा) singular; honorific 2nd-person pronoun

• varṣa-sahasrāya: for a thousand years
• varṣa-sahasrāya: Sampradāna/Prayojana (सम्प्रदान/प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa-sahasra (प्रातिपदिक; varṣa + sahasra)
• Form: Neuter, dative (चतुर्थी) singular; tatpuruṣa compound meaning 'a thousand years'

• pṛthivyāḥ: of the earth
• pṛthivyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, genitive (षष्ठी) singular

• nṛpate: O king
• nṛpate: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, vocative (सम्बोधन) singular

• patiḥ: lord
• patiḥ: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, nominative (प्रथमा) singular; predicate of bhavān

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, nominative (प्रथमा) singular

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle (निपात), contrastive

• araṇye: in the forest
• araṇye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, locative (सप्तमी) singular

• vatsyāmi: I will dwell
• vatsyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष) singular

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle (निषेध)

• me: for me / to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, dative (चतुर्थी) singular (enclitic)

• kāryam: to be done / proper
• kāryam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, nominative (प्रथमा) singular; predicate with implied 'asti'

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, instrumental (तृतीया) singular

• anṛtam: untruth
• anṛtam: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, nominative (प्रथमा) singular; in apposition to kāryam (i.e., 'untruth is not to be done')

Context

Having fulfilled the vow on the completion of fourteen years of wandering in the forest I shall come back to touch your feet, O lord of men!

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• pṛthivī (earth)
• araṇya (forest)

FAQs

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

Satya is paramount: Rāma insists that truth must not be violated even for him; personal welfare cannot justify falsehood.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma rejects Daśaratha’s attempt to reverse the exile arrangement by making him king immediately, and instead urges him to remain truthful.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s integrity and renunciation—he chooses hardship over enabling his father to break truth.