Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 39, Shloka 41

एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma

Devanagari script

मुरजपणवमेघघोषवत्दशरथवेश्म बभूव यत्पुरा।विलपितपरिदेवनाकुलंव्यसनगतं तदभूत्सुदुःखितम्।।2.39.41।।

Transliteration

muraja-paṇava-megha-ghoṣavad daśaratha-veśma babhūva yat purā | vilapita-paridevanākulaṃ vyasana-gataṃ tad abhūt su-duḥkhitam || 2.39.41 ||

Translation

Le palais de Daśaratha, qui jadis retentissait comme un nuage d’orage des sons des mṛdaṅga et des paṇava, fut désormais, saisi par le malheur, accablé d’une profonde tristesse, rempli de pleurs et de lamentations.

Word by Word

• muraja-paṇava-megha-ghoṣa-vat: resounding like the sound of drums and cloud-rumble
• muraja-paṇava-megha-ghoṣa-vat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: muraja (प्रातिपदिक) + paṇava (प्रातिपदिक) + megha (प्रातिपदिक) + ghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित प्रत्यय)
• Form: Taddhitānta adjective (वत्), Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; used adverbially as a qualifier of the predicate sound/condition

• daśaratha-veśma: Daśaratha’s palace
• daśaratha-veśma: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśaratha (प्रातिपदिक) + veśman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘of Daśaratha’ + ‘palace’

• babhūva: became / was
• babhūva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (Aorist/लुङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• yat: which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; relative pronoun correlating with तत्

• purā: formerly / earlier
• purā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• vilapita-paridevana-ākulam: filled with wailing and lamentation
• vilapita-paridevana-ākulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vilapita (कृदन्त; विलप् धातु) + paridevana (प्रातिपदिक) + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; descriptive compound: ‘confused/filled’ (ākula) with ‘wailing and lamentation’

• vyasana-gatam: fallen into calamity
• vyasana-gatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyasana (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; गम् धातु)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; past passive participle (क्त) ‘gone into calamity’

• tat: that (palace)
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; correlative pronoun to यत्

• abhūt: became / was
• abhūt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (Aorist/लुङ्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• su-duḥkhitam: very sorrowful
• su-duḥkhitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + duḥkhita (कृदन्त; दुःख्/दुःख धातु/प्रातिपदिक-आधारित)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; intensifier सु + adjective ‘afflicted with sorrow’

Context

Regaining his senses in a moment, the king, with eyes filled with tears, said to Sumantra:

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Impermanence of worldly splendor: royal joy and celebration can swiftly turn to lament when dharma-driven events (exile, truth-keeping) unfold.

What is the narrative situation?

The sarga closes with a stark contrast: the once-festive palace becomes a place of collective mourning due to the exile crisis.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a single virtue, but the epic’s moral atmosphere: dharma’s weight transforms an entire community’s emotional state.