Valmiki Ramayana 2.44.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 44, Shloka 2

सुमित्रोपदेशः · Sumitra’s Consolation to Kausalya

Spoken by Sumitra to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhyā palace quarters (Kausalyā’s apartments implied)Places named: Ayodhyā (implied)

Devanagari script

तवार्ये सद्गुणैर्युक्तः पुत्र स्स पुरुषोत्तमः ।

किं ते विलपितेनैवं कृपणं रुदितेन वा ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.44.2

Transliteration

tavārye sadguṇair yuktaḥ putraḥ sa puruṣottamaḥ |

kiṃ te vilapitenaivaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ ruditena vā ||2||

Translation

देवी, आपका बेटा सबसे बड़ा है। उसमें सब अच्छी बातें हैं। ऐसे क्यों रो रही हो? यह रोना क्यों? इससे क्या होगा?

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Word by Word

• तव: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन (Singular), सर्वनाम (Pronoun)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• आर्ये: O noble lady
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• सद्गुणैः: with good qualities
• Type: Noun
• Root: सद्गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः सद्+गुण (कर्मधारय)
• Role: Karana (करण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• युक्तः: endowed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: युज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past Passive Participle/कृत्), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; अर्थः ‘endowed/connected’
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• पुत्रः: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• सः: that/he
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (Pronoun)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• पुरुषोत्तमः: best of men
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष+उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (पुरुषाणाम् उत्तमः)
• Role: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• किम्: what (use)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative)
• Role: Prayojana/Hetu-prashna (प्रयोजन-प्रश्न)

• ते: for you/to you
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)

• विलपितेन: by lamentation
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलपित (प्रातिपदिक; विलप्-धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक (act of lamenting)
• Role: Karana (करण)

• एवम्: thus/in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• कृपणम्: piteously
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (adverbial accusative/अव्ययवत् प्रयोग); अर्थः ‘piteously’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• रुदितेन: by weeping
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुदित (प्रातिपदिक; रुद्-धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; भाववाचक (weeping)
• Role: Karana (करण)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle ‘or’)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

Sandhi Notes

• तवार्ये = तव + आर्ये
• सद्गुणैर्युक्तः = सद्गुणैः + युक्तः
• पुत्र स्स = पुत्रः + सः
• किं ते = किम् + ते
• विलपितेनैवं = विलपितेन + एवम्
• (कृपणं adverbial use)
• रुदितेन वा = रुदितेन + वा

Context

My venerable lady, your son Rama is the greatest among men and is endowed with every virtue. Why do you lament in this way? Why do you weep bitterly?

The teaching

Lamentation does not change dharma’s course; recollection of the virtuous one steadies the heart.

Ethical theme

Śoka-nivāraṇa, dhairya (fortitude)

How it resolves

Counsel toward emotional restraint grounded in virtue

Devotion and practice

Practice of smaraṇa: replacing agitation with remembrance of the ideal’s virtues.

Deity praised

Rāma (as puruṣottama)

Form of praise

Vandana (salutation)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Consoling, measured, admonitory

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Consolation
• Stoicism
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Kausalya
• Sumitra (implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes emotional discipline: grief is natural, but one should not collapse into despair when the righteous remain protected by virtue and truth.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalya mourns after Rama’s exile; Sumitra (or an elder) counsels her to restrain excessive lamentation by recalling Rama’s excellence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sadguṇa-yoga (possession of virtues) in Rama, and dhairya (steadfastness) urged in Kausalya.