Valmiki Ramayana 2.80.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 80, Shloka 7

मर्गनिर्माणम्

Roadworks and the Royal Route Prepared for Bharata

Devanagari script

अवृक्षेषु च देशेषु केचिद्वृक्षानरोपयन्।केचित्कुठारैष्टङ्कैश्च दात्रैश्चिन्दन्क्वचित्क्वचित्।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.80.7

Transliteration

avṛkṣeṣu ca deśeṣu kecid vṛkṣān aropayan | kecit kuṭhāraiṣ ṭaṅkaiś ca dātraiś chindan kvacit kvacit ||

Translation

Les uns plantaient de jeunes arbres dans les lieux dépourvus de bois; d’autres, çà et là, retranchaient les pousses gênantes à coups de haches, d’herminettes et de faucilles.

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Word by Word

• avṛkṣeṣu: in treeless (places)
• avṛkṣeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vṛkṣa (अवृक्ष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Bahuvacana; nañ-tatpuruṣa sense 'without trees'; used adjectivally with deśeṣu

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• deśeṣu: in places
• deśeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (देश-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Bahuvacana

• kecit: some (people)
• kecit: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cit (किम्-प्रातिपदिक + चित्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; indefinite pronoun (अनिश्चित सर्वनाम)

• vṛkṣān: trees / saplings
• vṛkṣān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (वृक्ष-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• aropayan: planted
• aropayan: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √ruh (रुह्, to grow; causative)
• Form: Laṅ lakāra (Imperfect), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana; causative (णिच्) stem āropay-; parasmaipada

• kecit: some (others)
• kecit: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim + cit (किम् + चित्)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• kuṭhāraiḥ: with axes
• kuṭhāraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuṭhāra (कुठार-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• iṣṭaṅkaiḥ: with hatchets
• iṣṭaṅkaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: iṣṭaṅka (इष्टङ्क-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• dātraiḥ: with sickles
• dātraiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dātra (दात्र-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana

• chindan: cutting
• chindan: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √chid (छिद्)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle (छिन्दन्), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; agreeing with kecit

• kvacit: somewhere / here and there
• kvacit: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb (देशवाचक)

• kvacit: in some places
• kvacit: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kvacit (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; repetition for distributive sense

Context

Some of them, planted saplings in places where there were none, while some others severed trees here and there with axes, hatchets and sickles.

FAQs

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

Dharma appears as responsible stewardship: improving common spaces by planting where needed and clearing what obstructs safe passage, emphasizing public welfare over private ease.

What is the narrative situation?

People are engaged in preparations—landscaping and clearing—so that movement and travel can proceed smoothly.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Collective diligence and civic-mindedness (lokahita): coordinated labor undertaken for the benefit of all.