Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 41, Shloka 6

अयोध्यायाः शोकप्रकम्पः

Ayodhya’s Tremor of Grief and Omens

Devanagari script

अहो निश्चेतनो राजा जीवलोकस्य सम्प्रियम्।धर्म्यं सत्यव्रतं रामं वनवासे प्रवत्स्यति।।2.41.6।।

Transliteration

aho niścetano rājā jīvalokasya sampriyam |

dharmyaṃ satyavrataṃ rāmaṃ vanavāse pravatsyati || 2.41.6 ||

Translation

Alas—senseless is the king, for he is sending Rāma into forest-dwelling: Rāma who is dear to all living beings, righteous in conduct, and steadfast in truth.

Word by Word

• aho: alas!
• aho: Bhava-prakashana (भाव-प्रकाशन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: Exclamatory indeclinable (विस्मय/शोक-निपात)

• niścetanaḥ: senseless / unthinking
• niścetanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niścetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; qualifying 'rājā'

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• jīvalokasya: of the living world
• jīvalokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīva + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; compound: jīva-loka = world of living beings

• sampriyam: very dear
• sampriyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sampriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying 'rāmam'

• dharmyam: righteous
• dharmyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying 'rāmam'

• satyavratam: true-to-his-vow
• satyavratam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya + vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; compound: satya-vrata = whose vow is truth; qualifying 'rāmam'

• rāmam: Rāma
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• vanavāse: to forest-dwelling / into exile
• vanavāse: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana + vāsa (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; compound: vana-vāsa = dwelling in the forest

• pravatsyati: will send away
• pravatsyati: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + vats (धातु)
• Form: Verb, Future/लृट्, Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular; causative sense 'will send forth' in context

Context

Alas, the king must be devoid of any sense as he is sending away Rama, who is dear to the world, is righteous and truthful, to dwell in the forest.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• the king (Daśaratha)
• vana (forest)

FAQs

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

The verse explicitly praises dharma and satya: Rāma is ‘dharmya’ and ‘satyavrata’, making his exile ethically tragic because it removes a living embodiment of righteousness and truth from the kingdom.

What is the narrative situation?

The queens lament that the king is sending the universally beloved Rāma to live in the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s satyavrata—unwavering commitment to truth and principled conduct.