Valmiki Ramayana 2.17.8: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 17, Shloka 8

रामस्य राजमार्गगमनम्

Rama’s Progress along the Royal Highway

Addressed to RamaSetting: Ayodhya (royal assembly/abhiṣeka context)

Devanagari script

पितामहैराचरितं तथैव प्रपितामहैः ॥८॥

अद्योपादाय तं मार्गमभिषिक्तोऽनुपालय ।

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.17.8

Transliteration

pitāmahair ācaritaṃ tathaiva prapitāmahaiḥ ||8||

adyopādāya taṃ mārgam abhiṣikto 'nupālaya |

Translation

„Heute geweiht und gesalbt, wahre und schütze das Reich, indem du genau jenen Pfad annimmst, den deine Großväter und Urgroßväter gegangen sind.“

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Word by Word

• अलम्: enough
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) = ‘enough/sufficient’
• Role: —

• अद्य: today
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय
• Role: Kriya-visheṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) = ‘indeed/for’
• Role: —

• भुक्तेन: by food/eating
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुज् (धातु) → भुक्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used as noun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘by eating/with food eaten’
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)

• परमार्थैः: by the highest aims (of life)
• Type: Noun
• Root: परम (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (परमाः अर्थाः = highest aims)
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• अलम्: enough
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अलम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)
• Role: —

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: —

• नः: for us
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी (Genitive/Dative), बहुवचन; here dative sense ‘for us’
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Dative beneficiary)

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तबोधक अव्यय (conditional)
• Role: —

• पश्याम: we may see
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/optative-like wish in context) or विधिलिङ्-प्रयोगार्थ (contextual wish); उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद; sense: ‘may we see/if we could see’
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Main verb)

• निर्यान्तम्: going forth (in procession)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्-या (धातु) → निर्यान्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present active participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of रामम्)
• Role: Karma-anvaya (कर्मविशेषण)

• रामम्: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)

• प्रतिष्ठितम्: enthroned/established
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रति-स्था (धातु) → प्रतिष्ठित (कृदन्त)
• Form: कर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of रामम्)
• Role: Karma-anvaya (कर्मविशेषण)

Sandhi Notes

• अलमद्य = अलम् + अद्य
• परमार्थैरलं = परमार्थैः + अलम्
• निर्यान्तं रामं = निर्यान्तम् + रामम्

Context

(They said) Consecrated today, rule the kingdom by adopting the same path followed by your grandfathers and greatgrandfathers.

The teaching

A ruler’s legitimacy is expressed through protecting the realm by walking the proven dharmic path of the ancestors—tradition as a safeguard against arbitrariness.

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma / paramparā-anusaraṇa

For your practice

For householders/leaders: align decisions with dharmic precedents and protect dependents; cultivate humility before lineage wisdom.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Admonitory, traditional, duty-bound

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Rajadharma
• Tradition
• Lineage duty

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• ancestors (pitāmaha, prapitāmaha)
• consecration (abhiṣeka)

FAQs

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

Rāja-dharma grounded in satya and tradition: a king should preserve the righteous standards handed down by virtuous ancestors.

What is the narrative situation?

People bless and exhort Rāma, imagining his imminent consecration and urging him to rule in ancestral ways.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Continuity of righteous governance—steadfast commitment to inherited dharmic norms.