Valmiki Ramayana 2.52.43: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 52, Shloka 43

गङ्गातरणम्, सुमन्त्र-प्रतिनिवर्तनम्, जटाधारणम्

Crossing the Gaṅgā; Sumantra’s Return; Adoption of Ascetic Signs

Spoken by Sumantra to RamaSetting: On the return route after Rāma's departure point (implied)Places named: AyodhyāBharata speaking to Rāma after meeting him; recalling Ayodhyā at the moment of departure

Devanagari script

दृष्टं तद्धि त्वया राम यादृशं त्वत्प्रवासने ।

प्रजानां सङ्कुलं वृत्तं त्वच्छोकक्लान्तचेतसाम् ॥४३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.52.43

Transliteration

dṛṣṭaṃ tad dhi tvayā rāma yādṛśaṃ tvat-pravāsane |

prajānāṃ saṅkulaṃ vṛttaṃ tvac-choka-klānta-cetasām ||43||

Translation

राम, तुमने खुद देखा था जब तुम जा रहे थे। लोगों का क्या हाल था, सब परेशान थे, तुम्हारे लिए दुखी थे, उनका दिमाग चक्कर गया था।

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Word by Word

• dṛṣṭam: seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, √dṛś)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त); Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; used predicatively ‘seen’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया; भूत)

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; subject of implied ‘asti’ with dṛṣṭam
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात) = ‘indeed’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)

• tvayā: by you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता; in passive construction)

• rāma: O Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• yādṛśam: what kind (of)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yādṛśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; correlates with tat; ‘of what kind’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• tvat-pravāsane: at your exile/departure
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvat (युष्मद्-षष्ठी-समास-आधार) + pravāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) = ‘your going abroad/exile’; Neuter, Locative (7th), Singular
• Role: Kāla/Hetu-adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; occasion/cause)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• prajānām: of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: prajā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural
• Role: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)

• saṅkulam: confused, tumultuous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṅkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; qualifies vṛttam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• vṛttam: the event/condition
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त, √vṛt)
• Form: Past participle used as noun; Neuter, Accusative, Singular; ‘what happened/occurred’
• Role: Karma (कर्म; object of implied ‘jñātam/dṛṣṭam’)

• tvat-śoka-klānta-cetasām: of (people) whose minds are exhausted by grief for you
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tvat (युष्मद्) + śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + klānta (कृदन्त, √klam) + cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Multi-member Tatpuruṣa; Genitive (6th), Plural; qualifies prajānām: ‘of those whose minds are wearied by grief for you’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण; षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• तद्धि = तत् + हि
• त्वत्प्रवासने = त्वत् + प्रवासने
• त्वच्छोकक्लान्तचेतसाम् = त्वत् + शोक + क्लान्त + चेतसाम् (त् + श → च्छ)

Context

At the time of your departure, O Rama, you have seen all that happened, the hearts of the people exhausted with grief.

The teaching

Dharma may demand personal and public loss; the righteous endure exile to uphold truth, even when society grieves.

Duties in tension

• Rāma's duty to obey father's command (pitƵ-vacana)
• Rāma's duty to protect/steady the people (rājadharma)

Ethical theme

Dharma-saƴ5kaṭa (conflict of duties)

How it resolves

Sacrifice/renunciation in favor of obedience and truth

Devotion and practice

Contemplation on steadfastness amid others' sorrow; cultivating karuƴ7ā without abandoning dharma.

Deity praised

Rāma

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Bewildered, anguished, exhausted

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Compassion
• Itihasa
• Ethics

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• prajāḥ (people of Ayodhyā)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as relational and compassionate: a dhārmic person’s choices affect the emotional and social order of the community, creating a moral responsibility to consider collective suffering.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumantra reminds Rāma that he has already witnessed the people’s grief at the moment he left Ayodhyā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The people’s fidelity and love for a righteous heir, and Rāma’s awareness of public suffering.