Valmiki Ramayana 2.55.11 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 55, Shloka 11

चित्रकूटमार्गोपदेशः

Instructions for the Chitrakuta Route and the Yamuna Crossing

Devanagari script

उपावृत्ते मुनौ तस्मिन्रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्।।।।कृतपुण्याः स्म सौमित्रे मुनिर्यन्नोऽनुकम्पते।

Transliteration

upāvṛtte munau tasmin rāmo lakṣmaṇam abravīt |

kṛta-puṇyāḥ sma saumitre munir yan no 'nukampate ||

Translation

Als jener Weise umgekehrt war, sprach Rāma zu Lakṣmaṇa: „O Saumitri, wahrlich sind wir gesegnet, da der Muni uns sein Erbarmen erwiesen hat.“

Word by Word

• उपावृत्ते: when (he) had turned back
• उपावृत्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; locative absolute)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + आ + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त-क्त (past passive participle) ‘having turned back’; सप्तमी-एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (locative absolute with मुनौ)

• मुनौ: in/with the sage
• मुनौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण; locative absolute)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तस्मिन्: in that (situation)
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• रामः: Rama
• रामः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• लक्ष्मणम्: Lakshmana
• लक्ष्मणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कृतपुण्याः: fortunate
• कृतपुण्याः: Karta (कर्ता; predicate nominative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुवचन, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, पुंलिङ्ग; कर्मधारयः (कृतं पुण्यं येषाम्) ‘having merit/fortunate’

• स्म: indeed
• स्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle) emphasis/indeed; often with past narration

• सौमित्रे: O Saumitri
• सौमित्रे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौमित्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; patronymic ‘O son of Sumitra’

• मुनिः: the sage
• मुनिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• यत्: since
• यत्: Hetu (हेतु; causal connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययप्रयोग (conjunction) ‘since/because’

• नः: to us
• नः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-बहुवचनस्य एन्क्लिटिक रूपम्; here द्वितीया/चतुर्थी-अर्थे ‘to/for us’ (context: compassion towards us)

• अनुकम्पते: shows compassion
• अनुकम्पते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + कम्प् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Context

With the sage gone, Rama said, O Saumitri (son of Sumitra)! we are lucky, for the sage has been so kind.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa (Saumitri)
• Bharadvāja (muni)

FAQs

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

Dharma is gratitude and recognition of grace: Rāma attributes their good fortune to the sage’s compassion rather than to pride or entitlement.

What is the narrative situation?

After Bharadvāja returns, Rāma speaks privately to Lakṣmaṇa about the kindness they received.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humility and thankfulness—Rāma acknowledges support as a blessing earned through prior merit and present right conduct.