Valmiki Ramayana 2.53.8: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 53, Shloka 8

पञ्चाशत्तमः सर्गः (Sarga 53): Rāma’s Lament, Vigil for Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa’s Consolation

Spoken by Rama to LakṣmaṇaSetting: ForestPlaces named: Ayodhya (implied)Night-rest_reflecting_on_Ayodhya_crisis

Devanagari script

अनाथश्च हि वृद्धश्च मया चैव विनाकृतः ।

किं करिष्यति कामात्मा कैकेयी वशमागतः ॥८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.53.8

Transliteration

anāthaś ca hi vṛddhaś ca mayā caiva vinākṛtaḥ |

kiṃ kariṣyati kāmātmā kaikeyīvaśam āgataḥ ||8||

Translation

فهو شيخٌ، وقد تُرك بلا سندٍ بعد أن فُصل عني؛ فماذا عسى الملك أن يفعل، وهو أسيرُ الهوى واقعٌ تحت سلطان كايكَيِي؟

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Word by Word

• अनाथः: helpless, without protector
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)

• वृद्धः: aged
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)

• मया: by me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)

• एव: certainly, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)

• विना: without
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना (अव्यय)
• Form: वियोगार्थक अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• कृतः: made (to be) without; separated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘विना’ इत्यनेन सह ‘विनाकृतः’ = वियुक्तः
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• किम्: what
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• करिष्यति: will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• कामात्मा: one whose nature is desire; lustful-minded
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिकौ)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः: ‘कामः आत्मा यस्य/काम एव आत्मा’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• कैकेयी: of Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (समासे पूर्वपद-सम्बन्धः: कैकेय्याः)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• वशम्: control, sway
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• आगतः: having come (under); fallen under
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ + गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘वशम्’ इत्यस्य कर्मणि प्रयोगः (वशम् आगतः = under control)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• अनाथश्च = अनाथः + च
• वृद्धश्च = वृद्धः + च
• चैव = च + एव
• विनाकृतः = विना + कृतः
• कैकेयी वशमागतः = कैकेयी(षष्ठी) + वशम् + आगतः
• किं करिष्यति = किम् + करिष्यति

Context

That lustful king, having come under the hold of Kaikeyi, has been deprived of my presence. What can that forlorn and aged king do?

The teaching

Outer authority collapses when inner mastery is lost; dharma requires self-control, and family bonds suffer when kāma governs decisions.

Duties in tension

• Son’s duty to protect and serve aged father
• Duty to obey father’s command and uphold truth of vows
• King’s duty to rule with self-mastery vs being desire-led

Ethical theme

Self-mastery (indriya-nigraha) and filial duty

How it resolves

Tragic_constraint (vow-bound helplessness)

For your practice

Meditation on freedom from ‘vaśa’ (subjection) through self-discipline; compassion for the aged and vulnerable as a dharmic practice.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Helpless, anguished, resentful

Themes

• Dharma
• Maryada
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Filial concern
• Critique of kāma

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Daśaratha (implied king)
• Kaikeyī
• kāma (desire)

FAQs

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

Dharma requires guarding the mind: when a ruler becomes governed by desire and influence, he loses agency and fails in protective duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma laments his father’s vulnerability—aged, separated from Rāma, and swayed by Kaikeyī—during the first night of exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Filial responsibility and compassion: Rāma’s pain is for his father’s welfare, not for lost power.