Valmiki Ramayana 2.65.20: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 65, Shloka 20

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चषष्टितमः सर्गः · Daśaratha’s Death Discovered in the Palace

Morning Rites Turn to Lament

Setting: Ayodhyā palace (inner apartments)Places named: araƴ7ya (forest)

Devanagari script

ततः प्रचुक्रुशुर्दीना स्सस्वरं ता वराङ्गनाः ।

करेणव इवारण्ये स्थानप्रच्युतयूथपाः ॥२०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.65.20

Transliteration

tataḥ pracukruśur dīnāḥ sasvaraṃ tā varāṅganāḥ |

kareṇava ivāraṇye sthānapracyutayūthapāḥ ||20||

Translation

फिर वो सब औरतें दर्द में ज़ोर से रोने लगी। जैसे जंगल में हाथी की मादा अपने ग्रुप के सरदार को खो के रोए, वैसे ही वो भी रोई।

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Word by Word

• ततः: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरवाचक
• Role: सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण

• प्रचुक्रुशुः: wailed/cried out
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्रुश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: 'cried out loudly/wailed'
• Role: क्रिया

• दीनाः: distressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (वराङ्गनाः/ताः)
• Role: कर्ता-विशेषण

• सस्वरम्: loudly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-स्वर (प्रातिपदिक; स + स्वर)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) 'with voice/loudly'
• Role: क्रिया-विशेषण (Manner adverb)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

• ताः: those
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta)

• वराङ्गनाः: noble women
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक; वर + अङ्गना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठा अङ्गना = noble women)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to ताः)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• करेणवः: female elephants
• Type: Noun
• Root: करेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)
• Role: उपमान (Upamāna)

• इव: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमा-निपात
• Role: सम्बन्ध

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन
• Role: अधिकरण (Location)

• स्थानप्रच्युतयूथपाः: whose herd-leader has been driven from his place
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थान-प्रच्युत-यूथप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (स्थानात् प्रच्युतः यूथपः यस्याः/येषाम्—here qualifying करेणवः: whose herd-leader is displaced from his place)
• Role: उपमान-विशेषण
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• दीनाः + सस्वरम् → दीनास्सस्वरम् (व्यञ्जन-सन्धि)
• ताः + वराङ्गनाः → ता वराङ्गनाः (स्वर-सन्धि/दीर्घ)
• करेणवः + इव → करेणव इव (विसर्ग-लोप/पदच्छेद)

Context

Then those women bewailed bitterly and loudly in distress like female elephants in the forest when their leader has fallen out of the herd.

The teaching

Even royal prosperity is fragile; when the protector falls, the protected are shaken.

Ethical theme

Anityatā/saƴ3sāra-duḥkha

For your practice

Cultivates vairāgya and karuƴ7ā through contemplation of impermanence and shared suffering.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Piercing, bewildered, lamenting

Themes

• Itihasa
• Śoka
• Dharma
• Rajadharma
• Impermanence

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• palace women (varāṅganāḥ)
• forest (araṇya)

FAQs

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

It underscores the fragility of worldly support: when the protector (king/leader) falls, dependents suffer. Dharma here is the implied duty of protection in kingship and the human cost when that support ends.

What is the narrative situation?

The palace women begin to cry out loudly after realizing the calamity in the royal household—Daśaratha’s passing and the ensuing shock.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a single virtue of one character, but the verse highlights the social role of a righteous ruler as a stabilizing center, analogous to a herd-leader.