Valmiki Ramayana 2.28.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 28, Shloka 22

सीतानिवर्तनप्रयत्नः · Rama’s Attempt to Dissuade Sita from Forest Exile

Devanagari script

द्रुमाः कण्टकिनश्चैव कुशाः काशाश्च भामिनि ।

वने व्याकुलशाखाग्रास्तेन दुःखतरं वनम् ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.28.22

Transliteration

drumāḥ kaṇṭakinaś caiva kuśāḥ kāśāś ca bhāmini |

vane vyākula-śākhāgrās tena duḥkhataraṃ vanam ||22||

Translation

O Schöne, im Wald gibt es dornige Bäume, Kuśa-Gras und Kāśa-Schilf; und die Wipfel sind mit ineinander verhedderten Zweigen. Darum ist das Leben im Wald überaus beschwerlich.

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Word by Word

• drumāḥ: trees
• drumāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• kaṇṭakinaḥ: thorny
• kaṇṭakinaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaṇṭakin (कण्टकिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; agrees with drumāḥ

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (and)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (emphasis: 'indeed/just')

• kuśāḥ: kuśa grass
• kuśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• kāśāḥ: reeds
• kāśāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject, item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (and)

• bhāmini: O beautiful lady
• bhāmini: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī vibhakti, Ekavacana

• vyākulaśākhāgrāḥ: with tangled branch-tops
• vyākulaśākhāgrāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyākula (व्याकुल) + śākhā (शाखा) + agra (अग्र)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (with entangled branch-tops); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; qualifies drumāḥ (understood)

• tena: therefore
• tena: Hetu (हेतु/Reason marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Instrumental form used adverbially (tena = 'therefore/for that reason')

• duḥkhataraṃ: more painful
• duḥkhataraṃ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + tara (तरप् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Comparative, Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate for vanam

• vanam: forest life
• vanam: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Context

O lovely Sita! there are thorny trees with branches on the top interlaced with one another. There are kusa grass and reeds. So forest life is very hard.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• kuśa
• vana (forest)

FAQs

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

Dharma-based guidance is grounded in reality: one should not choose a path (like exile) without understanding its concrete hardships.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma continues detailing the forest terrain—thorny growth and tangled thickets—to persuade Sītā to remain safe.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Responsibility—Rāma tries to shield Sītā by truthful, detailed counsel.