Valmiki Ramayana 2.102.1: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 102, Shloka 1

पितृमरणश्रवणं जलक्रिया च

Hearing of Daśaratha’s death and the libation rites at Mandākinī

Setting: Forest meeting place near Rama (Citrakūṭa context)Bharata’s encounter with Rama; death-news delivery

Devanagari script

तां श्रुत्वा करुणां वाचं पितुर्मरणसंहिताम् ।

राघवो भरते नोक्तां बभूव गतचेतनः ॥१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.102.1

Transliteration

tāṃ śrutvā karuṇāṃ vācaṃ pitur maraṇasaṃhitām |

rāghavo bharatena uktāṃ babhūva gatacetanaḥ ||1||

Translation

Als Rāghava jene mitleidvollen Worte Bharatas vernahm, die vom Tod des Vaters kündeten, sank er bewusstlos dahin.

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Word by Word

• ताम्: that (speech)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
• Role: कर्म (Object)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) + क्त्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययम् (absolutive/gerund) पूर्वकालः “having heard”
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (prior action)

• करुणाम्: pitiable, compassionate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘वाचम्’ इति विशेष्येण सह
• Role: कर्म-विशेषण

• वाचम्: speech, words
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
• Role: कर्म (Object)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive)

• मरणसंहिताम्: connected with death (death-announcing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक) + संहिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः: मरणेन संहिता (death-connected); स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘वाचम्’ इति विशेष्येण सह
• Role: कर्म-विशेषण
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
• Role: कर्ता (Subject)

• भरतेन: by Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्गे, तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
• Role: कर्ता (agent in passive sense with ‘उक्ताम्’)

• उक्ताम्: spoken, uttered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्गे, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘वाचम्’ इत्यर्थे
• Role: कर्म-विशेषण

• बभूव: became
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्
• Role: क्रिया (Verb)

• गतचेतनः: one whose consciousness had gone; unconscious
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गत (कृदन्त from गम्) + चेतन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः बहुव्रीहिः: यस्य चेतना गता; पुल्लिङ्गे, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; ‘राघवः’ इति विशेष्येण सह
• Role: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

Sandhi Notes

• पितुर्मरणसंहिताम् = पितुः + मरणसंहिताम्
• भरते नोक्ताम् (पाठभेदे) = भरतेन + उक्ताम्
• गतचेतनः = गत + चेतनः (बहुव्रीहिः)

Context

Having heard the words of Bharata regarding the death of his father, Rama became unconscious.

The teaching

Even the steadfast may be overwhelmed by sudden loss; dharma requires acknowledging grief yet returning to duty.

Duties in tension

• Rama’s composure as dharma-hero vs natural filial grief
• Continuing exile-vow vs immediate pull of funeral obligations and family crisis

Ethical theme

Śoka-vyavahāra within dharma

How it resolves

Momentary breakdown preceding renewed resolve (to be developed in subsequent verses)

For your practice

Invites compassion and remembrance of Rama’s human līlā; supports practices of equanimity training and grief-transformation through devotion.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Shock, collapse, lament

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Grief
• Human Emotion

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama (Rāghava)
• Bharata
• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Even the dharma-steady experience overpowering grief; the epic validates human emotion while preparing the ground for dharmic action afterward.

What is the narrative situation?

Immediately after Bharata reports Daśaratha’s death, Rama is struck by shock and loses consciousness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s profound filial sensitivity—his love and respect for his father are shown through the intensity of his response.