Valmiki Ramayana 2.64.23 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 64, Shloka 23

शब्दवेध्य-अनर्थः, ऋषिशापः, दशरथस्य प्राणत्यागः

The Sound-Target Tragedy, the Sage’s Curse, and Dasaratha’s Death

Devanagari script

यद्येतदशुभं कर्म न त्वं मे कथयेस्स्वयम्।फलेन्मूर्धा स्म ते राजन् सद्य श्शतसहस्रधा।।।।

Transliteration

yady etad aśubhaṃ karma na tvaṃ me kathayes svayam |

phalen mūrdhā sma te rājan sadyaḥ śatasahasradhā ||

Translation

O König, hättest du mir diese unheilvolle Tat nicht selbst offenbart, wäre dein Kopf sofort in hunderttausend Stücke zersprungen.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त/निबन्धन)

• etat: this
• etat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma used adjectivally; Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies 'karma'

• aśubham: inauspicious/evil
• aśubham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aśubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; qualifies 'karma'

• karma: act
• karma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: karman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• tvam: you
• tvam: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma; Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma; Caturthī vibhakti (4th/चतुर्थी), Ekavacana (enclitic)

• kathayeḥ: would tell
• kathayeḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Madhyama puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• svayam: yourself
• svayam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; reflexive adverb (स्वयम्)

• phalet: would split/burst
• phalet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √phal (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (optative), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• mūrdhā: head
• mūrdhā: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mūrdhan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• sma: indeed/would have
• sma: Kriyā-nipāta (क्रियानिपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; past/asservative particle (स्म) used with optative to mark counterfactual

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma; Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti, Ekavacana (enclitic)

• rājan: O king
• rājan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• sadyaḥ: immediately
• sadyaḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• śata-sahasradhā: into a hundred thousand pieces
• śata-sahasradhā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: śata + sahasra + dhā (अव्यय)
• Form: Dvigu-based adverbial formation meaning 'into X parts'; avyaya usage (धावाचक)

Context

'O king!, hadn't you yourself broken this inauspicious news, your head would have split into a hundred thousand pieces right now.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Ṛṣi (sage)

FAQs

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

Satya has protective power: truthful confession aligns one with dharma and mitigates the spiritual shock that follows grave wrongdoing.

What is the narrative situation?

The sage responds to Daśaratha’s confession, stressing the peril of such a deed and the significance of immediate truthfulness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness (satya) and moral courage—speaking the truth even when it condemns oneself.