Valmiki Ramayana 2.86.24: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 86, Shloka 24

लक्ष्मणगुणवर्णनम् · Lakshmana’s Vigil and Guha’s Testimony

Spoken by GuhaSetting: Bhāgīrathī riverbankPlaces named: BhāgīrathīCrossing from one bank to the other at dawn

Devanagari script

प्रभाते विमले सूर्ये कारयित्वा जटा उभौ ।

अस्मिन् भागीरथीतीरे सुखं सन्तारितौ मया ॥२४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.86.24

Transliteration

prabhāte vimale sūrye kārayitvā jaṭā ubhau |

asmin bhāgīrathītīre sukhaṃ santāritau mayā ||24||

Translation

Bei Tagesanbruch, als die Sonne klar erstrahlte, ließ ich beide ihre Jatā—die verfilzten Haarsträhnen—an diesem Ufer der Bhāgīrathī anlegen und setzte sie mühelos über.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• guhasya: of Guha
• Type: Noun
• Root: guha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• vacanam: words/speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• śrutvā: having heard
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √śru (धातु) > śrutvā (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (gerund/absolutive): ‘having heard’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• bhṛśam: greatly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhṛśam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, परिमाण/तीव्रतावाचक (adverb)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• apriyam: unpleasant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; qualifying vacanam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• dhyānam: meditation / deep thought
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• jagāma: entered (into)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (परोक्षभूत/Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; idiom: ‘dhyānaṃ jagāma’ = entered into thought
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• tatra: there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, देशवाचक (locative adverb)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• eva: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारण (emphatic particle)
• Role: Avadhāraṇa (निपातार्थ)

• yatra: where
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, सम्बन्धबोधक (relative adverb: where)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• tat: that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative referring to vacanam; here with śrutam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• śrutam: heard (thing)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √śru (धातु) > śruta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP) ‘heard’ used substantively: ‘that which was heard’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• apriyam: unpleasant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying śrutam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

Sandhi Notes

• tatraiva → tatra eva
• tacchrutamapriyam → tat śrutam apriyam (t + ś → cch by sandhi)

Context

The next morning when the Sun shone bright, both of them matted their hair on the bank of the river Bhagirathi (Ganga) and I ferried them across comfortably.

The teaching

Auspicious beginnings and practical help support dharma: the outer discipline (jaṭā) and safe passage enable the vow-bound journey.

Ethical theme

Anugraha / sahāya-dharma (duty of assistance)

For your practice

Dawn discipline and simple acts of service (seva) become sacred when aligned with dharma; adopting outer simplicity can reinforce inner resolve.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Clear, ritual-ready, protective

Themes

• Dharma
• Renunciation markers
• Service
• Sacred geography (Gaṅgā)

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bhāgīrathī (Gaṅgā)
• Rāma (implied as one of the two)
• Lakṣmaṇa (implied as the other of the two)

FAQs

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

Dharma is enacted through respectful assistance to those undertaking a vow: Guha supports the exiles’ renunciant discipline and helps them proceed safely.

What is the narrative situation?

Morning arrives; Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa adopt ascetic signs (jaṭā), and Guha arranges their crossing of the Bhāgīrathī.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Guha’s devoted service and reliability—helping the righteous continue their difficult path.