Valmiki Ramayana 2.57.5: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 57, Shloka 5

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

Setting: AyodhyāPlaces named: अयोध्याArrival/return to capital on third day

Devanagari script

तत स्सायाह्न समये तृतीयेऽहनि सारथिः ।

अयोध्यां समनुप्राप्य निरानन्दां ददर्श ह ॥५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.57.5

Transliteration

tataḥ sāyāhna-samaye tṛtīye 'hani sārathiḥ |

ayodhyāṁ samanuprāpya nirānandāṁ dadarśa ha ||5||

Translation

Dann, zur Abenddämmerung des dritten Tages, erreichte der Wagenlenker Ayodhyā und sah die Stadt aller Freude beraubt.

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Word by Word

• ततः: then / thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त (ablatival adverb)
• Role: Kala (काल)

• सायाह्न: evening
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāyāhna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषे समये इति सह; अत्र समासपूर्वपदवत् (evening)
• Role: Kala (काल)

• समये: at the time
• Type: Noun
• Root: samaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• तृतीये: on the third
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tṛtīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अहनि विशेषयति)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• अहनि: day
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• सारथिः: charioteer
• Type: Noun
• Root: sārathi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• अयोध्याम्: Ayodhya
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayodhyā (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (गति/कर्म), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• समनुप्राप्य: having arrived at
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + anu + prāp (प्राप्-धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having reached)
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• निरानन्दाम्: joyless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nir + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (अयोध्याम् विशेषयति)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ददर्श: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश्-धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• ह: indeed (particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक निपात (expletive particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)

Sandhi Notes

• तत स्सायाह्न = ततः + सायाह्न (विसर्ग-सन्धिः: ः + स → स्)
• तृतीयेऽहनि = तृतीये + अहनि (स्वर-सन्धिः: ए + अ → एऽ)

Context

The charioteer reached Ayodhya on the third day at dusk and found the city cheerless.

The teaching

When dharma’s course brings separation, one must still complete one’s entrusted task, even as the heart trembles.

Duties in tension

• Loyalty to the king’s command (return/report)
• Compassion for Rama and the grieving city

Ethical theme

Rājadharma / sevā-dharma (service duty)

How it resolves

Duty-bound return despite sorrow

For your practice

Contemplation on how the presence of the righteous (Rāma) is felt as ānanda; supports bhakti through viraha (devotional longing).

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Dusk-heavy, joyless, ominous

Themes

• Itihasa
• Narrative
• Dharma
• Satya

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sumantra
• Ayodhyā

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the communal cost of dharma-bound decisions: Rāma’s truthful adherence to duty results in collective sorrow, showing how righteousness can demand sacrifice.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumantra arrives back in Ayodhyā after escorting Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa toward exile, and he finds the capital plunged into grief.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truth-aligned acceptance (satya-niṣṭhā) is implied: the city’s sorrow arises because Rāma does not deviate from the truth-bound course of exile.