Valmiki Ramayana 2.57.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 57, Shloka 23

सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः · Sumantra’s Return to Ayodhya and the Palace’s Lament

Setting: Ayodhyā palace inner apartments (gṛha/antaḥpura)Places named: gṛha (inner chambers/house)Moving inward through chambers

Devanagari script

सत्यरूपं तु तद्वाक्यं राज्ञः स्त्रीणां निशामयन् ।

प्रदीप्तमिव शोकेन विवेश सहसा गृहम् ॥२३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.57.23

Transliteration

satyarūpaṃ tu tadvākyaṃ rājñaḥ strīṇāṃ niśāmayan |

pradīptam iva śokena viveśa sahasā gṛham ||23||

Translation

Als er jene Worte der Gemahlinnen des Königs vernahm, Worte in der Gestalt der Wahrheit, trat er plötzlich ins Innere ein, als stünde das Haus im Brand des Kummers.

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Word by Word

• सत्यरूपम्: truthful in nature
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: सत्यं रूपं यस्य/सत्यरूपम् (कर्मधारय); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifying ‘वाक्यम्’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• तु: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विरोध/विशेष (but/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• तत्: that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun qualifying ‘वाक्यम्’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object of ‘niśāmayan’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘of the king’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• स्त्रीणाम्: of the wives
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Genitive plural
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• निशामयन्: hearing, taking note of
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि + शम्/शमय् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘while hearing/observing’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• प्रदीप्तम्: burning, blazing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + दीप् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (PPP), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; qualifying ‘गृहम्’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमावाचक (as if/like)
• Role: Upamā (उपमा)

• शोकेन: with grief
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Instrumental singular ‘with/by grief’
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• विवेश: entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + विश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; he entered
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• सहसा: suddenly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सहसा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शीघ्रार्थक (suddenly/immediately)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• गृहम्: house, chamber
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Accusative singular (object of ‘entered’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

Sandhi Notes

• तत् + वाक्यम् → तद्वाक्यम्
• प्रदीप्तम् + इव → प्रदीप्तमिव

Context

Listening to the correct words of the king's wives, he immediately entered the palace as if in flames (of grief).

The teaching

Truthful speech, even when quiet, can strike like fire when it names irreversible loss.

Ethical theme

Satya and the moral weight of consequence

For your practice

Witnessing grief without denial; using satya as a doorway to inner steadiness rather than avoidance.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Truth-laden speech, sudden plunge, grief as fire

Themes

• Satya
• Dharma
• Śoka
• Itihasa
• Ethics of truth

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sumantra
• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Satya is presented as undeniable reality: truthful words about suffering compel action, and dharma requires responding to truth rather than avoiding it.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumantra, hearing the queens’ truthful lament, proceeds immediately further inside to the king, entering a space heavy with grief.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage to face painful truth: Sumantra does not retreat from the sorrowful atmosphere but moves toward his duty.