Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.19: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 19

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed

Spoken by Dasharatha to KaikeyiSetting: Mountain slopes/foothills

Devanagari script

पाण्डुरारुणवर्णानि स्रोतांसि विमलान्यपि ।

सुस्रुवुर्गिरिधातुभ्यस्सभस्मानि भुजङ्गवत् ॥१९॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.63.19

Transliteration

pāṇḍurāruṇa-varṇāni srotāṃsi vimalāny api |

susruvur giri-dhātubhyaḥ sa-bhasmāni bhujaṅgavat ||19||

Translation

Selbst die sonst klaren Bäche flossen dahin und nahmen durch die Bergminerale blassweiße und rötliche Farben an; sie wanden sich wie Schlangen, als wären sie mit Asche vermischt.

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Word by Word

• pāṇḍurāruṇa-varṇāni: of pale and reddish color
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāṇḍura (प्रातिपदिक) + aruṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + varṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: पाण्डुरश्च अरुणश्च (यः) वर्णः तानि; Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying srotāṃsi
• Role: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषणम्)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• srotāṃsi: streams/flows
• Type: Noun
• Root: srotas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kartā (कर्ता)

• vimalāni: clear/pure
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vimala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying srotāṃsi
• Role: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषणम्)

• api: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (सम्भावना/अपि = ‘even/also’)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• susruvuḥ: flowed
• Type: Verb
• Root: sru (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• giri-dhātubhyaḥ: from the mountain-minerals/ores
• Type: Noun
• Root: giri (प्रातिपदिक) + dhātu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी): गिरेः धातुभ्यः; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• sa-bhasmāni: mixed with ash
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ ‘with’) + bhasman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘with ash’; qualifying srotāṃsi
• Role: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषणम्)

• bhujaṅgavat: like a serpent
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhujaṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: Simile adverb (वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययप्राय)
• Role: Upamā (उपमा)

Sandhi Notes

• pāṇḍura+aruṇa+varṇāni → pāṇḍurāruṇavarṇāni
• giri+dhātubhyaḥ → giridhātubhyaḥ
• sa+bhasmāni → sabhasmāni

Context

Although pure, the rapidly flowing water from the mountains mixed with the minerals in the soil turned white and red in colour and flowed like a serpent.

The teaching

Guard clarity: even what is pure can be colored by contact; choose environments and associations wisely.

Ethical theme

Saṅga-tyāga / śuddhi (purity through right association)

For your practice

Useful as a meditation metaphor for citta-śuddhi and vigilance about saṅga.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Mineral-tinted, sinuous, uncanny

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Nature
• Appearance vs reality
• Moral discernment

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Serpent (bhujaṅga) (simile)

FAQs

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

Dharma requires discernment: what seems pure can be altered by unseen mixtures—an ethical reminder to verify before acting, not to rely on surface impressions.

What is the narrative situation?

Rains swell mountain runoffs; minerals tint the waters, creating striking colors and serpentine flows.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence—careful judgment in uncertain conditions, a virtue Daśaratha will later recognize he failed to uphold.