Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 47, Shloka 3

अयोध्यायाः पौरविलापः

Lament of the Citizens of Ayodhya on Rama’s Absence

Devanagari script

ते विषादार्तवदना रहितास्तेन धीमता।कृपणाः करुणा वाचो वदन्ति स्म मनस्विनः।।।।

Transliteration

te viṣādārtavadanā rahitās tena dhīmatā | kṛpaṇāḥ karuṇā vāco vadanti sma manasvinaḥ ||

Translation

Those noble-hearted people, their faces stricken with sorrow at separation from the wise Rāma, spoke pitiable words that stirred compassion.

Word by Word

• ते: those (men)
• ते: कर्ता (agent/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (masc. nominative plural)

• विषादार्तवदनाः: having faces afflicted with grief
• विषादार्तवदनाः: कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषाद + आर्त + वदन (प्रातिपदिक; समासाङ्गानि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम्; (विषादेन आर्तं वदनं येषाम्/विषाद-आर्त-वदन) (masc. nominative plural; adjectival compound)

• रहिताः: separated, bereft
• रहिताः: कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रहित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √रह्/रह् ‘to leave/abandon’ इत्यर्थे, भूतकृदन्त-निष्पन्न विशेषण)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (masc. nominative plural); ‘deprived/separated’

• तेन: from him / without him
• तेन: अपादान/वियोग-हेतु (cause/marker of separation; ‘from/without him’ in sense with रहित)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (masc. instrumental singular)

• धीमता: by/with the sagacious (one)
• धीमता: सह/विशेषण-सम्बन्धः (associative/qualifier with तेन: ‘that sagacious one’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (masc. instrumental singular)

• कृपणाः: piteous, wretched
• कृपणाः: कर्तृ-विशेषणम् (qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (masc. nominative plural)

• करुणाः: compassionate, pathetic (evoking pity)
• करुणाः: कर्म-विशेषणम् (qualifier of object ‘words’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (fem. nominative plural); वाचः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (agreeing with vācaḥ)

• वाचः: words, utterances
• वाचः: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (fem. accusative plural)

• वदन्ति: they speak, they say
• वदन्ति: क्रिया (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वद् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुषः बहुवचनम् (present indicative, 3rd person plural, parasmaipada)

• स्म: indeed/then (past narrative marker)
• स्म: क्रिया-विशेषक (verbal particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: भूतार्थ-स्मरणार्थक-अव्ययम्; लट्-क्रियायाः भूतकाल-सूचनम् (particle indicating past/narrative sense with a present form)

• मनस्विनः: high-minded people
• मनस्विनः: कर्ता (agent/subject; appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (masc. nominative plural); ते इत्यस्य अप्पोजिशनम् (in apposition to ‘te’)

Context

Those people devoid of delight entered their rich mansions with great difficulty. Even though they, stricken with sorrow, looked at men and their own kinsmen they could not recognise them.ইত্যার্ষে শ্রীমদ্রামাযণে বাল্মীকীয আদিকাব্যে অযোধ্যাকাণ্ডে সপ্তচত্বারিংশস্সর্গঃ৷৷Thus ends the fortyseventh sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Ayodhyā (implied citizens)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights collective moral sensitivity: when dharma-bearing leadership is lost, society responds with shared grief and compassionate speech.

What is the narrative situation?

Ayodhyā’s citizens, unable to find Rāma, begin voicing their lament openly.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The citizens’ compassion and integrity (manas) are emphasized, alongside Rāma’s wisdom as the cause of their reverence.