Valmiki Ramayana 2.76.13: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 76, Shloka 13

दशरथस्य अन्त्येष्टि

विधानम् · Dasaratha’s Funeral Rites and Ayodhya’s Mourning

Setting: Ayodhyā, within/near the royal agnyāgāra (fire-sanctuary)

Devanagari script

ये त्वग्नयो नरेन्द्रेस्य चाग्न्यगाराद्बहिष्कृताः ।

ऋत्विग्भिर्याजकैश्चैव ते आह्रियन्त यथाविधि ॥१३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.76.13

Transliteration

ye tv agnayo narendrasya cāgnyagārād bahiṣkṛtāḥ |

ṛtvigbhir yājakaiś caiva te āhriyanta yathā-vidhi ||13||

Translation

Die heiligen Feuer des Königs, aus dem Feuerheiligtum hinausgebracht, wurden von den ṛtvij und den Opferdienern vorschriftsgemäß herbeigetragen und geordnet.

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Word by Word

• ये: which/those that
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• तु: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, विशेषार्थक
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• अग्नयः: fires
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• नरेन्द्रस्य: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: नराणाम् इन्द्रः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)

• अग्न्यगारात्: from the fire-sanctuary
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्न्यगार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: अग्नेः आगारम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), एकवचन
• Role: Apādāna (अपादानम्)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• बहिष्कृताः: put outside/removed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहिस् (अव्यय) + √कृ (धातु) → बहिष्कृत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अग्नयः इति विशेषण
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)

• ऋत्विग्भिः: by priests
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करणम्)

• याजकैः: by sacrificial attendants
• Type: Noun
• Root: याजक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करणम्)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक अव्यय (emphatic particle)
• Role: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)

• ते: they (those fires)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; अग्नयः इत्यस्य निर्देश
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• आह्रियन्त: were brought/removed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√हृ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे: ‘were brought/withdrawn’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• यथा-विधि: according to the prescribed rite
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + विधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव: यथाविधि = विधिना यथा (adverb: ‘according to rule’)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

Sandhi Notes

• त्वग्नयः = तु + अग्नयः (u+a→va/व; here written tv)
• चाग्न्यगारात् = च + अग्न्यगारात्
• ऋत्विग्भिर्याजकैः = ऋत्विग्भिः + याजकैः (i+y)
• चैव = च + एव (a+e→ai)।

Context

The sacrificial fire of the king has been put outside the fire-sanctuary in accordance with the ritual precepts and were withdrawn by the attendants and priests well-versed in Vedic lore.

The teaching

Even in mourning, sacred procedure is preserved; dharma is maintained through 'yathāvidhi' action.

Ethical theme

Saṃskāra-dharma / ritual propriety

For your practice

Attention to vidhi and sacred stewardship—careful handling of one’s ‘inner fire’ (discipline) during transitions.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Ritual exactness, somber order, sacred transition

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Vedic ritual procedure
• Sacred fire
• Funeral preparations

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• King Daśaratha (narendra, implied)
• Sacred fires (agni)
• Agnyagāra (fire-sanctuary)
• Ṛtvij (priests)
• Yājaka (ritual attendants)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes fidelity to prescribed sacred procedures; orderly ritual action expresses satya as exactness and integrity in communal religious duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Ritual personnel prepare the king’s sacred fires for the funeral rites by moving them from the fire-sanctuary according to rule.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Collective discipline and reverence: priests and attendants uphold tradition through careful, rule-bound conduct.