Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 20, Shloka 31

अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः

Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile

Devanagari script

स षट्चाष्टौ च वर्षाणि वत्स्यामि विजने वने।आसेवमानो वन्यानि फलमूलैश्च वर्तयन्।।।।

Transliteration

sa ṣaṭ cāṣṭau ca varṣāṇi vatsyāmi vijane vane | āsevamāno vanyāni phalamūlaiś ca vartayan ||

Translation

Así, durante catorce años habitaré en el bosque desierto, sosteniéndome con el alimento del bosque—frutos y raíces—tomando sólo lo que la selva concede.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he/I
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; self-reference ‘I/he’

• ṣaṭ: six
• ṣaṭ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral, indeclinable-stem; part of count qualifying varṣāṇi

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक)

• aṣṭau: eight
• aṣṭau: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral, Masculine, Nominative/Accusative Dual (प्रथमा/द्वितीया द्विवचन) used in counting; with ṣaṭ ... ca aṣṭau ... ca = fourteen

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• varṣāṇi: years
• varṣāṇi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural; duration (कालाधिकरणार्थे द्वितीया)

• vatsyāmi: I shall dwell
• vatsyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (periphrastic future), 1st person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• vijane: in a lonely (place)
• vijane: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vijana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular; qualifying vane

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular

• āsevamānaḥ: partaking of
• āsevamānaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √sev (धातु)
• Form: Śāna-pratyaya present middle participle (शानच्), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘partaking/using’

• vanyāni: forest-produce
• vanyāni: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Plural; object of āsevamānaḥ

• phalamūlaiḥ: with fruits and roots
• phalamūlaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: phala + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd), Plural; itaretara-dvandva ‘with fruits and roots’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha/Avyaya (अव्यय-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• vartayan: maintaining (myself)
• vartayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛt (धातु, causative)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ṇijanta (causative) sense ‘maintaining (life)’

Context

Living on things available in the forest, on fruits and roots, I am to dwell in the uninhabited jungle for fourteen years.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Steadfast commitment to a vowed path: Rama frames exile as a disciplined life sustained by minimal means, showing dharma as lived practice rather than mere declaration.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama repeats the duration (fourteen years) and the practical regimen of subsistence in the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dhṛti (fortitude) and simplicity.