Shloka 2.102.28

पितृमरणश्रवणं जलक्रिया च (Hearing of Daśaratha’s death and the libation rites at Mandākinī)

Devanagari script

ततो मन्दाकिनीतीरात्प्रत्युत्तीर्य स राघवः।पितुश्चकार तेजस्वी निर्वापं भ्रातृभि सह।।।।

Transliteration

tato mandākinītīrāt pratyuttīrya sa rāghavaḥ | pituś cakāra tejasvī nirvāpaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha ||

Translation

Then Rāghava, strong and radiant, climbed up from the bank of the Mandākinī and, together with his brothers, made the nirvāpa, the funerary offering, for his father.

Context

Then, the powerful scion of the Raghu race reached bank, from the bathing spot of the river Mandakini along with his brothers and offered pinda (an offering of rice flour to the departed) to his late lamented father.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Mandākinī River
• Daśaratha
• Rāma’s brothers

FAQs

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

Ritual duty toward parents is upheld even in exile: dharma is action, not mere intention—Rāma completes the prescribed offerings with his brothers.

What is the narrative situation?

After bathing and libations, the brothers perform the next step of ancestral rites on the riverbank.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Responsibility and leadership in grief: Rāma guides the rite, embodying disciplined compassion.