Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 51, Shloka 18

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकपञ्चाशः सर्गः — Guha’s Vigil and Lakṣmaṇa’s Lament

Night on the riverbank

Devanagari script

विनष्टे नृपतौ पश्चात्कौसल्या विनशिष्यति।अनन्तरं च माताऽपि मम नाशमुपैष्यति।।।।

Transliteration

vinaṣṭe nṛpatau paścāt kausalyā vinaśiṣyati | anantaraṃ ca mātā api mama nāśam upaiṣyati ||

Translation

Wenn der König zugrunde gegangen ist, wird auch Kausalyā vergehen; und nach ihr wird auch meine eigene Mutter dem Untergang entgegengehen.

Word by Word

• विनष्टे: when (he) has died
• विनष्टे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative absolute)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-naś (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग); 'when (he) has perished'

• नृपतौ: in/when the king
• नृपतौ: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: सम्बन्ध/काल (Temporal relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक/क्रमवाचक (temporal adverb)

• कौसल्या: Kausalya
• कौसल्या: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौसल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• विनशिष्यति: will perish
• विनशिष्यति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-naś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• अनन्तरम्: thereafter
• अनन्तरम्: सम्बन्ध/काल (Temporal relation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनन्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोग; क्रमवाचक अव्यय (adverb: immediately after)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• माता: mother
• माता: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = 'also/even' (particle)

• मम: my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• नाशम्: destruction
• नाशम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• उपैष्यति: will attain/meet
• उपैष्यति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-इ (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), परस्मैपद, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

Past is past (irreversible). My father, brooding over his desire of installing Rama as king unfulfilled, will perish.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• Sumitrā (implied by 'my mother' if speaker is Lakṣmaṇa; ambiguous in snippet)

FAQs

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

Family dharma is interconnected: when adharma destabilizes the household and throne, suffering cascades through the innocent.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker anticipates a chain of deaths in the royal family following the king’s demise.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Protective concern for elders and mothers—seeing beyond oneself to the vulnerable.