Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 88, Shloka 18

रामशय्यादर्शनम्

Bharata Beholds Rama’s Forest Bed

Devanagari script

सार्वभौमकुले जात स्सर्वलोकस्य सम्मतः।सर्वलोकप्रियस्त्यक्त्वा राज्यं सुखमनुत्तम्।।।।कथमिन्दीवरश्यामो रक्ताक्षः प्रियदर्शनः।सुखभागी न दुःखार्ह श्शयितो भुवि राघवः।।।।

Transliteration

sārvabhaumakule jātaḥ sarvalokasya sammataḥ |

sarvalokapriyaḥ tyaktvā rājyaṃ sukham anuttam ||

katham indīvaraśyāmo raktākṣaḥ priyadarśanaḥ |

sukhabhāgī na duḥkhārhaḥ śayito bhuvi rāghavaḥ ||

Translation

How could Rāghava sleep upon the ground—he who was born in an imperial line, revered by all the world and dear to all; who abandoned a kingdom and unsurpassed comforts; lotus-dark in hue, red-eyed, pleasing to behold—fit for happiness, not for suffering?

Word by Word

• सार्वभौमकुले: in an imperial lineage
• सार्वभौमकुले: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सार्वभौम (प्रातिपदिक) + कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative: ‘imperial family’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जातः: born
• जातः: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP/क्त) but intransitive sense ‘born’, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सर्वलोकस्य: of all the world
• सर्वलोकस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative: ‘of all people/world’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सम्मतः: esteemed, approved
• सम्मतः: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्√मन् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘approved/esteemed’

• सर्वलोकप्रियः: beloved of all
• सर्वलोकप्रियः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वलोक (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative: ‘beloved of all’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• त्यक्त्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive), ‘having abandoned’

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सुखम्: comfort, happiness
• सुखम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘comforts’

• अनुत्तम्: unsurpassed
• अनुत्तम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘सुखम्’

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: प्रश्न (Interrogative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय (interrogative adverb: how)

• इन्दीवरश्यामः: dark like a blue lotus
• इन्दीवरश्यामः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इन्दीवर (प्रातिपदिक) + श्याम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (descriptive: ‘lotus-blue/dark like a blue lotus’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘राघवः’

• रक्ताक्षः: red-eyed
• रक्ताक्षः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रक्त (प्रातिपदिक) + अक्षि/अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (descriptive: ‘red-eyed’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘राघवः’

• प्रियदर्शनः: pleasing to behold
• प्रियदर्शनः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक) + दर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (descriptive: ‘pleasing in appearance’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘राघवः’

• सुखभागी: deserving/partaking of happiness
• सुखभागी: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुख (प्रातिपदिक) + भागिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative: ‘partaker of happiness’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘राघवः’

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय

• दुःखार्हः: deserving of suffering
• दुःखार्हः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative: ‘worthy of suffering’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; न-निषेधेन सह ‘not deserving’

• शयितः: slept, lay down
• शयितः: विधेय (Predicate participle)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (PPP used in intransitive sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘having lain/slept’

• भुवि: on the ground
• भुवि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: ‘earth’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Context

How could such Rama sleep on the ground? He was born in the house of emperors, worthy of reverence by the entire world and beloved of all the worlds, with the complexion of a blue lotus, with red eyes, and pleasing looks, one who deserves to be happy and not to suffer by renouncing the kingdom and excellent comforts.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

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

Dharma may demand renunciation even from the most deserving: Rāma accepts hardship to uphold truth and rightful order, while Bharata’s lament highlights the cost of unrighteous outcomes.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata contrasts Rāma’s royal worthiness and beloved status with the reality that he sleeps on bare earth in exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s sacrifice and adherence to satya/dharma (implicit), and Bharata’s reverence for those virtues (explicit).