Valmiki Ramayana 2.34.40 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 34, Shloka 40

रामदर्शनार्थं दारानयनम्

The Queens Summoned; Rama’s Leave-Taking and Dasaratha’s Collapse

Devanagari script

प्राप्स्यामि यानद्य गुणान्को मे श्वस्तान् प्रदास्यति।अपक्रमणमेवातः सर्वकामैरहं वृणे।।।।

Transliteration

prāpsyāmi yān adya guṇān ko me śvas tān pradāsyati |

apakramaṇam evātaḥ sarvakāmair ahaṃ vṛṇe ||

Translation

Welches Verdienst ich heute auch erlangen mag—wer wird es mir morgen gewähren? Darum wähle ich das Fortgehen selbst und lasse alle Wünsche fahren.

Word by Word

• prāpsyāmi: I shall obtain
• prāpsyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√āp (आप्) (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तम-पुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• yān: which
• yān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)

• adya: today
• adya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (today)

• guṇān: merits/benefits
• guṇān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa (गुण) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• kaḥ: who
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक (interrogative)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन; ‘मह्यम्/मे’ (enclitic)

• śvaḥ: tomorrow
• śvaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śvaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (tomorrow)

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• pradāsyati: will give
• pradāsyati: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (दा) (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Future), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन

• apakramaṇam: departure/withdrawal
• apakramaṇam: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apakramaṇa (अपक्रमण) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• eva: only/indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis/only)

• ataḥ: therefore
• ataḥ: Hetu (हेतु/Reason)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थ (therefore/from this)

• sarvakāmaiḥ: with all desires (fulfilled)
• sarvakāmaiḥ: Karana (करण/Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva-kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: सर्वे च ते कामाः (कर्मधारय); पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), बहुवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vṛṇe: I choose/seek
• vṛṇe: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृ) (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, उत्तम-पुरुष, एकवचन

Context

Who will give me the merit (of propriety) I earn today? Therefore, I want to depart (today), discarding all my desires.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Lakṣmaṇa (context)

FAQs

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

Dharma is urgent and action-oriented: moral opportunity is time-bound, so Rāma prioritizes immediate righteous action over personal longing or delay.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma responds that postponement risks losing the moral ‘merit’ of acting rightly now; he prefers to depart immediately, relinquishing personal desires.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s vairāgya (detachment) and steadfastness—choosing duty over comfort and emotion.