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

लक्ष्मणगुणवर्णनम्

Lakshmana’s Vigil and Guha’s Testimony

Devanagari script

प्रभाते विमले सूर्ये कारयित्वा जटा उभौ।अस्मिन् भागीरथीतीरे सुखं सन्तारितौ मया।।।।

Transliteration

prabhāte vimale sūrye kārayitvā jaṭā ubhau |

asmin bhāgīrathītīre sukhaṃ santāritau mayā ||

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.

Word by Word

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.