Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 5

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्

Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation

Devanagari script

नष्टं दृष्ट्वा नाभ्यनन्दन् विपुलं वा धनागमम्।पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाभ्यनन्दत।।2.48.5।।

Transliteration

naṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭvā nābhyanandan vipulaṃ vā dhanāgamam |

putraṃ prathamajaṃ labdhvā jananī nābhyanandata ||2.48.5||

Translation

Seeing loss, they did not grieve; gaining great wealth, they did not rejoice. Even a mother, obtaining her first-born son, felt no happiness.

Word by Word

• naṣṭam: loss; what is lost
• naṣṭam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: naṣṭa (कृदन्त; √naś (धातु))
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); past passive participle used substantively

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् अव्यय), 'having seen'

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negation of verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• abhyanandan: they rejoiced; they welcomed
• abhyanandan: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√nand (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vipulam: vast; abundant
• vipulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying dhanāgamam

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• dhanāgamam: acquisition of wealth
• dhanāgamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhana-āgama (प्रातिपदिक; dhana + āgama)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद-तत्पुरुष sense: 'arrival/acquisition of wealth'

• putram: son
• putram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prathamajam: firstborn
• prathamajam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prathama-ja (प्रातिपदिक; prathama + ja)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying putram; 'first-born'

• labdhvā: having obtained
• labdhvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप् अव्यय), 'having obtained'

• jananī: mother
• jananī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negation of verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• abhyanandata: she rejoiced
• abhyanandata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√nand (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

Neither loss nor acquisition of wealth mattered (to the people). No mother rejoiced over getting her first-born son.

FAQs

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

The verse places dharma above artha (wealth) and even private milestones: when righteousness is violated in the polity, ordinary gains and losses lose meaning.

What is the narrative situation?

The people of Ayodhyā are so consumed by sorrow at Rāma’s exile that neither economic change nor family joy can move them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s moral authority is emphasized by contrast: his removal makes the city’s usual measures of happiness—wealth and progeny—feel empty.