Valmiki Ramayana 2.77.17: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 77, Shloka 17

और्ध्वदैहिकक्रिया-शोकविलापः

Obsequies for Daśaratha and the Brothers’ Lament

Devanagari script

पितरि स्वर्गमापन्ने रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते।।।।किं मे जीवितसामर्थ्यं प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.77.17

Transliteration

pitari svargamāpanne rāme cāraṇyamāśrite | kiṃ me jīvitasāmarthyaṃ pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam ||

Translation

Da mein Vater in den Himmel eingegangen ist und Rāma im Wald Zuflucht genommen hat, welche Kraft bleibt mir noch zu leben? Ich werde in das verzehrende Feuer treten.

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Word by Word

• pitari: when (my) father
• pitari: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (Locative), Ekavacana; locative absolute with āpanne

• svargam: to heaven
• svargam: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svarga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• āpanne: having attained
• āpanne: Kriyā (absolute construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √pad (पद्) (धातु)
• Form: Kta (past participle/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; with pitari: locative absolute 'when father had attained'

• rāme: when Rama
• rāme: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (राम) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative absolute with āśrite

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-avyaya (conjunction)

• araṇyam: the forest
• araṇyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (अरण्य) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• āśrite: having taken refuge (in)
• āśrite: Kriyā (absolute construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √śri (श्रि) (धातु)
• Form: Kta (past participle/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; with rāme: locative absolute 'when Rama had resorted to'

• kim: what (use/what is)
• kim: Prashna (प्रश्न)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (किम्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; interrogative used predicatively

• me: for me / of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive) Ekavacana; enclitic

• jīvita-sāmarthyam: ability to live
• jīvita-sāmarthyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita + sāmarthya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: jīvitasya sāmarthyam (capacity for living)

• pravekṣyāmi: I will enter
• pravekṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √viś (विश्) (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Simple Future/लुट्), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person/उत्तम), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• hutāśanam: the fire
• hutāśanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutāśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya: hutaṃ aśnāti iti (fire that consumes offerings)

Context

Devoid of my father and brother, I will not return to empty Ayodhya that was once ruled by the Ikshvakus. I will enter the grove of asceticism .

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Forest (Araṇya)
• Fire (Hutāśana)

FAQs

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

It highlights the dharmic weight of family bonds and kingship succession; Bharata’s despair shows how deeply duty and loss are intertwined, even when self-harm is not endorsed as dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata, overwhelmed by Daśaratha’s death and Rāma’s exile, expresses suicidal intent in grief.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s intense loyalty and attachment to righteous order—his life feels purposeless without father and elder brother.