Valmiki Ramayana 2.106.34: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 106, Shloka 34
भरतवाक्यं · रामस्य पुनरायोध्यागमननिषेधः
Bharata’s Plea and Rama’s Refusal to Return
Setting: Citrakūṭa region (assembly around Rama)Places named: AyodhyāAfter Rama’s refusal; public reaction
तदद्भुतं स्थैर्यमवेक्ष्य राघवे समं जनो हर्षमवाप दुःखितः ।
न यात्ययोध्यामिति दुःखितोऽभवत् स्थिरप्रतिज्ञत्वमवेक्ष्य हर्षितः ॥३४॥
tad adbhutaṃ sthairyam avekṣya rāghave samaṃ jano harṣam avāpa duḥkhitaḥ |
na yāty ayodhyām iti duḥkhito ’bhavat sthira-pratijñatvam avekṣya harṣitaḥ ||34||
लोगों ने देखा कि राम कितने स्ट्रांग हैं अपनी बात पे। सब लोग एक तरफ से दुखी थे कि राम अयोध्या नहीं आ रहे। दूसरी तरफ से खुश थे कि राम अपनी बात से हिलता नहीं है। दोनों फीलिंग्स एक साथ थे।
Sandhi Notes
- tadadbhutam→tad adbhutam
- sthairyamavekṣya→sthairyam avekṣya
- yātyayodhyām→yāti ayodhyām
- duḥkhito’bhavat→duḥkhitaḥ abhavat
- sthirapratijñatvamavekṣya→sthirapratijñatvam avekṣya
Having seen the wonderful deternmination of Rama, people were, at once, anguished and delighted, anguished because he would not return to Ayodhya, and delighted because he was firm in his resolve.
The teaching
True virtue can wound the heart while elevating it; dharma may demand sacrifice that inspires awe even in loss.
Duties in tension
- Public welfare/desire for Rama’s return
- Moral admiration for vow-keeping even at personal/social cost
- Ethical theme
- Pratijñā-dharma and public ethics
- How it resolves
- Acceptance of dharma’s cost (emotional reconciliation)
For your practice
Contemplation on rejoicing in righteousness even when outcomes are painful; cultivates equanimity and reverence for satya.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Awe, bittersweet, reverent
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Public emotion
- Vow-keeping
- Ethics
The coexistence of opposing emotions points to the layered nature of experience (dvandva) and the higher appreciation of dharma beyond personal preference.
Endurance of dualities (sukha-duḥkha) while honoring truth echoes the discipline of titikṣā praised in later Vedāntic ethics.
- People and Rama
- Subjects witnessing king’s virtue; mixed affect (mixed)
- People and Ayodhya
- Collective attachment to capital and rightful ruler (longing)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.105-2.107 (public and elders reacting to Rama’s stance)
Rāmacaritamānasa: citizens’ grief at separation and praise of Rama’s dharma (Ayodhyākāṇḍa parallels)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: repeated ‘na yāti Ayodhyām’ motif and public lament
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Narrative
Gentle oscillation between madhyama and pañcama to reflect mixed joy-grief
FAQs
True dharma can be painful in outcome yet revered in principle: society mourns the loss, but honors unwavering truth and vow-keeping.
The narrator reports the crowd’s mixed response to Rama’s refusal to return—sorrow for separation, admiration for his integrity.
Rama’s steadfast commitment to satya and promise-keeping.
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