Valmiki Ramayana 2.42.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 4

द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः · दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः

Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments

Setting: Ayodhyā palace interior (Daśarathas chamber/near couch)Places named: Ayodhyā

Devanagari script

तस्य दक्षिणमन्वागात्कौसल्या बाहुमङ्गना ।

वामं चास्यान्वगात्पार्श्वं कैकेयी भरतप्रिया ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.42.4

Transliteration

tasya dakṣiṇam anvāgāt kauśalyā bāhum aṅganā |

vāmaṃ cāsyānvagāt pārśvaṃ kaikeyī bharatapriyā ||4||

Translation

कौसल्या, जो उनकी पत्नी थी, उनके दाएँ हाथ के पास आ गई। और कैकेयी, जो भरत को प्यारी थी, उनके बाएँ तरफ़ आ गई।

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Word by Word

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

• dakṣiṇam: right
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dakṣiṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with "bāhum"
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "bāhum"

• anvāgāt: went to; approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + √gā (गा)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• kausalyā: Kausalya
• Type: Noun
• Root: kausalyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) of "anvāgāt"

• bāhum: arm
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) of "anvāgāt"

• aṅganā: the lady; wife
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); apposition to "kausalyā"
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)

• vāmam: left
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग) or Masculine by ellipsis; Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); here agreeing with implied "pārśvam"/"bāhum"; taken with "pārśvam" in next pada
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "pārśvam"

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); conjunction
• Role: Sam uccaya (समुच्चय)

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

• anvagāt: went to; approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu + √gā (गा)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• pārśvam: side
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārśva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) of "anvagāt"

• kaikeyī: Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) of "anvagāt"

• bharata-priyā: beloved of Bharata
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक) + priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: "dear to Bharata"; epithet of Kaikeyi
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "kaikeyī"
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• dakṣiṇam + anvāgāt → dakṣiṇamanvāgāt
• vāmaṃ + ca + asya → vāmaṃ cāsya
• asya + anvagāt → asyānvagāt

Context

Kausalya reached for the right hand of Dasaratha (to raise him up) and Kaikeyi the beloved (mother) of Bharata reached for his left.

The teaching

In crisis, proximity does not equal unity; dharma tests relationships, revealing who supports and who destabilizes.

Duties in tension

• Kings impartiality among queens vs moral judgment of wrongdoing
• Gṛhastha harmony vs accountability for adharma

Ethical theme

Gṛhastha-dharma and nyāya (justice)

How it resolves

Confrontation-impending

For your practice

Reflection on discerning supportive vs harmful influences in ones inner court (mind/household) and choosing dharmic companionship.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Tense, attendant, fractured-household

Themes

• Itihasa
• Family
• Grief
• Royal household

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• Kaikeyī
• Bharata

FAQs

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

Dharma here appears as familial duty in crisis: queens attend the suffering king, reflecting care, responsibility, and the household’s obligation to support the ruler in distress.

What is the narrative situation?

After the upheaval surrounding Rāma’s departure, Daśaratha is physically and emotionally weakened; Kausalyā and Kaikeyī move to support him at his sides.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Attentive service and presence in suffering—especially Kausalyā’s supportive closeness; the verse also frames Kaikeyī’s proximity with irony given her role in the calamity.