Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 33, Shloka 31

त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha

Devanagari script

पितुर्निदेशेन तु धर्मवत्सलःवनप्रवेशे कृतबुद्धिनिश्चयः।स राघवः प्रेक्ष्य सुमन्त्रमब्रवीन्निवेदयस्वागमनं नृपाय मे।।।।

Transliteration

pitur nideśena tu dharmavatsalaḥ vanapraveśe kṛtabuddhiniścayaḥ | sa rāghavaḥ prekṣya sumantram abravīn: nivēdayasva āgamanaṃ nṛpāya me ||

Translation

But Rāghava, devoted to dharma and firmly resolved to enter the forest in obedience to his father’s command, seeing Sumantra, said: “Inform the king of my arrival.”

Word by Word

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• निदेशेन: by the command
• निदेशेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नि-देश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; ‘by/through the command’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• धर्म-वत्सलः: devoted to righteousness
• धर्म-वत्सलः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + वत्सल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘fond of dharma’)

• वन-प्रवेशे: in (the matter of) entering the forest
• वन-प्रवेशे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (अधिकरण), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘in the entering of the forest’)

• कृत-बुद्धि-निश्चयः: having made a firm decision
• कृत-बुद्धि-निश्चयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृदन्त) + बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक) + निश्चय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (‘one whose resolve of mind is made/firm’)

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• प्रेक्ष्य: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund)

• सुमन्त्रम्: Sumantra
• सुमन्त्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अब्रवीत्: said
• अब्रवीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• निवेदयस्व: inform
• निवेदयस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-विद्/वेद् (धातु) (causative sense ‘to inform’)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद; ‘inform!’

• आगमनम्: arrival
• आगमनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आ-गमन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• नृपाय: to the king
• नृपाय: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन (enclitic); here षष्ठी ‘my’

Context

Whenever Rama went out, powerful army of four divisions used to follow him. Today he is walking alone followed by Lakshmana and Sita.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Sumantra
• Daśaratha (the king, implied)
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Filial obedience grounded in dharma and satya: Rāma accepts the father’s command as binding and acts with orderly propriety.

What is the narrative situation?

At the palace entrance, Rāma instructs Sumantra to announce him to King Daśaratha, as he is resolved to depart for the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dharma-vātsalya (love of righteousness) and niścaya (firm resolve) in Rāma.