Valmiki Ramayana 2.67.38: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 67, Shloka 38

अयोध्यायां शोक-रात्रिः तथा अराजक-राष्ट्रस्य नीतिविचारः

The Night of Lamentation in Ayodhya and the Political Ethics of a Kingless Realm

Devanagari script

स न स्समीक्ष्य द्विजवर्य वृत्तं नृपं विना राज्यमरण्यभूतम्।कुमारमिक्ष्वाकुसुतं वदान्यं त्वमेव राजानमिहाभिषिञ्च।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.67.38

Transliteration

sa naḥ samīkṣya dvijavarya vṛttaṃ nṛpaṃ vinā rājyam araṇyabhūtam |

kumāram ikṣvākusutaṃ vadānyaṃ tvam eva rājānam ihābhiṣiñca || 2.67.38 ||

Translation

فلذلك، يا أفضلَ البراهمة، بعد أن تتأمّل ما جرى—وترى أن المملكةَ بلا ملكٍ تصير كالغابة—فلتقم أنتَ بنفسك هنا بتتويجِ الأميرِ الكريم، ابنِ سلالةِ إكشْفاكو، ملكًا علينا.

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Word by Word

• सः: he/that (you)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नः: of us/for us
• नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Plural; 'of us/for us' (contextual)

• समीक्ष्य: having considered
• समीक्ष्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam+√īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), 'having considered'

• द्विजवर्य: O best of brahmins
• द्विजवर्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + varya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular

• वृत्तम्: what has happened/the situation
• वृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (√vṛt, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; object of 'samīkṣya'

• नृपम्: a king
• नृपम्: Apādāna/Exclusion (अपादान/वियोग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; with 'vinā'

• विना: without
• विना: Viyoga (वियोग)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vinā (अव्यय)
• Form: Prepositional indeclinable (उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय) governing accusative; 'without'

• राज्यम्: kingdom
• राज्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Singular; object understood with 'samīkṣya' (considering the kingdom...)

• अरण्य-भूतम्: become like a forest (lawless)
• अरण्य-भूतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūta (√bhū, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; predicate adjective to 'rājyam'

• कुमारम्: the prince
• कुमारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; object of 'abhiṣiñca'

• इक्ष्वाकु-सुतम्: son of Ikṣvāku lineage
• इक्ष्वाकु-सुतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣvāku (प्रातिपदिक) + suta (√sū, कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; apposition to 'kumāram'

• वदान्यम्: generous
• वदान्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vadānya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; adjective to 'kumāram'

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta, emphasis

• राजानम्: as king/the king
• राजानम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; object complement to 'abhiṣiñca' (as king)

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (देश-अव्यय), adverb of place

• अभिषिञ्च: consecrate (him)
• अभिषिञ्च: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi+√sic (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/Imperative), Madhyama-puruṣa (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular, Parasmaipada

Context

O Vasistha, the best of brahmins, considering all that has happened and knowing that a kingdom without a king is like a forest, you may consecrate a generous son from the Ikshvaku race as our king.ইত্যার্ষে শ্রীমদ্রামাযণে বাল্মীকীয আদিকাব্যে অযোধ্যাকাণ্ডে সপ্তষষ্টিতমস্সর্গঃ৷৷Thus ends the sixtyseventh sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Ikṣvāku dynasty
• kumāra (the prince—Bharata is contextually most likely in this moment of succession debate)
• rājya (kingdom)

FAQs

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

Dharma requires continuity of legitimate rule; installing a rightful king is portrayed as a moral necessity to prevent the realm from descending into disorder.

What is the narrative situation?

After Daśaratha’s passing, the assembly urges Vasiṣṭha to perform the royal consecration so the leaderless kingdom does not become lawless like a forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Generosity and fitness for kingship in the chosen Ikṣvāku prince, alongside Vasiṣṭha’s duty as priest to uphold lawful succession.