Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 122, Shloka 11

दशरथदर्शनम् — Dasharatha’s Epiphany and Benedictions

Sarga 122

Devanagari script

हर्षेणमहताविष्टोविमनस्थोमहीपतिः ।प्राणैःप्रियतरंदृष्टवापुत्रंदशरथस्तदा ।।।।आरोप्याङ्केमहबाहुर्वरासनगतःप्रभुः ।बाहुभ्यांसम्परिष्वज्यततोवाक्यंसमाददे ।।।।

Transliteration

harṣeṇa mahatāviṣṭo vimānastho mahīpatiḥ | prāṇaiḥ priyataram dṛṣṭvā putraṃ daśarathas tadā || āropyāṅke mahābāhur varāsanagataḥ prabhuḥ | bāhubhyāṃ sampariṣvajya tato vākyaṃ samādade ||

Translation

Da wurde Daśaratha, der königliche Herrscher, der im himmlischen Wagen saß, von gewaltiger Freude erfüllt, als er seinen Sohn erblickte, der ihm lieber war als das eigene Leben. Er setzte den starkarmigen Rāma auf seinen Schoß, umschlang ihn mit beiden Armen und begann zu sprechen.

Word by Word

• हर्षेण: with joy
• हर्षेण: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण/Instrumental), एकवचन; 'with joy'

• महता: greatly
• महता: विशेषण (Adverbial qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (adverbial sense) 'greatly'

• आविष्टः: overcome (with emotion)
• आविष्टः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-विश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'overcome/possessed'

• विमानस्थः: seated in the aerial car
• विमानस्थः: कर्तृविशेषण (Subject-qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमान + स्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (विमाने स्थितः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'situated in the aerial car'

• महीपतिः: the king (lord of the earth)
• महीपतिः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (मही- पातिः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्राणैः: than (his) life
• प्राणैः: करण (Standard of comparison/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपमान/अतिशयार्थे 'than life'

• प्रियतरम्: dearer
• प्रियतरम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier/कर्मविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तरप्-प्रत्यय (comparative) 'dearer'

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• दृष्ट्वा: पूर्वकाल (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund) 'having seen'

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: कर्म (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दशरथः: Dasharatha
• दशरथः: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; apposition to महीपतिः

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

Context

Then Dasaratha, the ruler of the world, seated in an elevated seat in the aerial car, seeing his son who was dearer than life to him, extremely rejoiced and made Raghava sit on his lap, embraced him, and started speaking as follows.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Vimāna
• Lakṣmaṇa (implicit by proximity in passage)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as the restoration of rightful order: the son who upheld truth and duty is honored and blessed by the father.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha appears in a vimāna, rejoices at seeing Rāma, embraces him, and prepares to deliver a message.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s steadfastness in dharma—being ‘dearer than life’ to the father because he embodied truth and duty even under suffering.