Valmiki Ramayana 2.48.12: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 12

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्

Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation

Setting: forest landscape along vanavāsa route (general)Places named: forest (implied)Moving through blossoming groves during exile

Devanagari script

विचित्रकुसुमापीडा बहुमञ्जरि धारिणः ।

राघवं दर्शयिष्यन्ति नगा भ्रमरशालिनः ॥१२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.48.12

Transliteration

vicitra-kusumāpīḍā bahu-mañjarī-dhāriṇaḥ |

rāghavaṃ darśayiṣyanti nagā bhramara-śālinaḥ ||12||

Translation

पेड़ों पर कितने रंग के फूल खिले हैं। फूलों की माला जैसे बनी है। भौंरे वहाँ गुंजन रहे हैं। यह सब राम को देख के जैसे अपनी तरफ बुला रहे हो।

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Word by Word

• vicitra-kusuma-āpīḍāḥ: with varied flower-clusters
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vicitra + kusuma + āpīḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying nagāḥ; 'having garlands/crowns of variegated flowers'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• bahu-mañjari-dhāriṇaḥ: bearing many flower-bunches
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu + mañjarī + dhārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying nagāḥ; 'bearing many blossoms'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• rāghavam: Rāghava (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• darśayiṣyanti: will show; will present
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु) [causative: darśay-]
• Form: Future (लृट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Plural; causative (णिच्)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• nagāḥ: trees
• Type: Noun
• Root: naga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; here 'trees' (also 'mountains' in other contexts)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• bhramara-śālinaḥ: filled with bees
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhramara + śālin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; qualifying nagāḥ; 'abounding in bees'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

Sandhi Notes

• Compounds are written as single padas: विचित्रकुसुमापीडाः, बहुमञ्जरिधारिणः, भ्रमरशालिनः

Context

Trees with bunches of cololurful flowers and clusters of blossoms hovering over with black bees will present themselves to the son of the Raghus (Rama).

The teaching

Even in exile, beauty and auspiciousness gather around the dharmic; the world responds to virtue with spontaneous offering.

Ethical theme

Aesthetic dharma / harmony with nature

Devotion and practice

Supports bhakti through contemplating Rāma’s presence as sanctifying; encourages seeing offerings in everyday nature (puṣpa-bhāva).

Deity praised

Rāma

Form of praise

Stuti (implicit praise)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Shringara (love)

Mood

Fragrant, festive, tender

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Nature imagery
• Vanavāsa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama (Rāghava)
• trees (nagāḥ)
• bees (bhramara)

FAQs

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

Dharma is portrayed as harmonizing with the cosmos: a righteous person’s presence evokes beauty and order, symbolized by nature’s ‘welcome.’

What is the narrative situation?

The speakers describe how the forest itself will appear festive and welcoming to Rama during exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s auspiciousness and moral radiance—his arrival is imagined to draw forth natural abundance.