Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 88, Shloka 22

रामशय्यादर्शनम्

Bharata Beholds Rama’s Forest Bed

Devanagari script

आकर्णधारा पृथिवी नौः इव प्रतिभाति मा।गते दशरथे स्वर्गं रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते।।।।

Transliteration

ākarṇadhārā pṛthivī nauḥ iva pratibhāti mā |

gate daśarathe svargaṃ rāme cāraṇyam āśrite ||

Translation

Da Daśaratha in den Himmel eingegangen ist und Rāma im Wald Zuflucht genommen hat, erscheint mir dieses ganze Reich wie ein Schiff ohne Steuermann.

Word by Word

• आकर्ण-धारा: rudderless / without a helmsman
• आकर्ण-धारा: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; 'आकर्णधारा' = कर्णधारा-रहित (rudderless/without helmsman) (usage as bahuvrihi in sense, but form as tatpurusha)

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नौः: a ship
• नौः: उपमान (comparison base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमाव्यय (comparative particle)

• प्रतिभाति: appears
• प्रतिभाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (Dative experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन रूप (gen./dat. sg. enclitic); here दत्तिवाचक (to me)

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: सति-सप्तमी (circumstantial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• दशरथे: (when) Daśaratha
• दशरथे: सति-सप्तमी
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (goal)

• रामे: when Rāma (was)
• रामे: सति-सप्तमी
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• अरण्यम्: the forest
• अरण्यम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (goal)

• आश्रिते: having taken refuge (in)
• आश्रिते: सति-सप्तमी
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (having resorted to)

Context

King Dasaratha having ascended to heaven and Rama taken shelter in the forest, this kingdom appears to me like a ship without a helmsman.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• heaven (svarga)
• forest (araṇya)

FAQs

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

Rāja-dharma: a kingdom requires righteous leadership; without a dharmic king, society becomes directionless and vulnerable.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha has died; Rāma is in exile—creating a leadership vacuum felt as instability in the state.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The speaker’s sense of responsibility and clear-eyed recognition that governance must be anchored in dharma.