Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 2

द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः

Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments

Devanagari script

यावद्राजा प्रियं पुत्रं पश्यत्यत्यन्तधार्मिकम्।तावद्व्यवर्धते वास्य धरण्यां पुत्रदर्शने।।।।

Transliteration

yāvad rājā priyaṃ putraṃ paśyaty atyantadhārmikam | tāvad vyavardhate vāsyā dharaṇyāṃ putradarśane ||

Translation

Tant que le roi pouvait encore voir son fils bien-aimé, d’une droiture parfaite, il semblait se redresser de la terre, avide de le contempler.

Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as
• yāvat: Kāla-sambandha (काल-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); temporal correlator

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता) of "paśyati"
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• priyam: beloved
• priyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "putram"
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with "putram"

• putram: son
• putram: Karma (कर्म) of "paśyati"
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• paśyati: sees
• paśyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• atyanta-dhārmikam: exceedingly righteous
• atyanta-dhārmikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "putram"
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: "exceedingly" + "virtuous"; agreeing with "putram"

• tāvat: so long
• tāvat: Kāla-sambandha (काल-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); correlative temporal particle

• vyavardhate: kept increasing; seemed to grow
• vyavardhate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + ā + √vṛdh (वृध्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada

• vā: indeed/also
• vā: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); particle (often "indeed/also" in context)

• asya: of him
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• dharaṇyām: on the ground
• dharaṇyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• putra-darśane: in the sight of (his) son
• putra-darśane: Nimitta/Adhikaraṇa (निमित्त/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: "in the seeing of the son"

Context

So long as king Dasaratha was able to see his exceedingly virtuous and beloved son (Rama), it appeared that his body kept rising from the earth to have a sight of his son.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse frames Rāma as ‘atyantadhārmika’—a benchmark of righteousness—showing how dharma inspires reverence and longing even in those left behind.

What is the narrative situation?

While Rāma is still within sight, Daśaratha strains upward as if physically lifted from the ground, desperate to keep seeing him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s exemplary dharma is foregrounded; Daśaratha’s intense paternal love is shown through bodily imagery.