Valmiki Ramayana 2.94.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 94, Shloka 21

चित्रकूटवर्णनम् (Description of Chitrakūṭa) / Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta

Spoken by Rama to SitaSetting: Citrakūṭa mountain (Chitrakuta)Places named: CitrakūṭaNight-time at the Citrakūṭa halt

Devanagari script

निशिभान्त्यचलेन्द्रस्य हुताशनशिखा इव ।

ओषध्यः स्वप्रभालक्ष्म्या भ्राजमाना स्सहस्रशः ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.94.21

Transliteration

niśi bhānty acalendrasya hutāśanaśikhā iva |

oṣadhyaḥ svaprabhālakṣmyā bhrājamānāḥ sahasraśaḥ ||21||

Translation

रात को इस पहाड़ पर हज़ारों जड़ी-बूटी चमकने लगती हैं। उनकी अपनी रोशनी है। देखो जैसे आग की लप्पी हो।

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Word by Word

• niśi: at night
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)

• bhānti: shine
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (भाति) (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथम), Bahuvacana (बहुवचन)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• acalendrasya: of the lord of mountains
• Type: Noun
• Root: acala (प्रातिपदिक) + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय: acalānām indraḥ); Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• hutāśana-śikhāḥ: flames of fire
• Type: Noun
• Root: hutāśana (प्रातिपदिक) + śikhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: hutāśanasya śikhāḥ); Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of comparison (उपमावाचक अव्यय)
• Role: Upamāna-marker (उपमान-सूचक)

• oṣadhyaḥ: herbs
• Type: Noun
• Root: oṣadhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• sva-prabhā-lakṣmyā: by their own radiance-splendor
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: svāyāḥ prabhāyāḥ lakṣmyā (by the splendor of their own radiance); Feminine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• bhrājamānāḥ: shining
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √bhrāj (भ्राजते) (धातु)
• Form: Śānac-pratyaya present participle (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन), agreeing with oṣadhyaḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• sahasraśaḥ: by thousands
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasraśaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (परिमाणवाचक अव्यय)
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

Sandhi Notes

• niśibhāntyacalendrasya → niśi bhānti acalendrasya
• hutāśanaśikhā iva → hutāśana-śikhāḥ iva
• bhrājamānā ssahasraśaḥ → bhrājamānāḥ sahasraśaḥ

Context

Herbs in thousands on this king of the hills shine in the night with the splendour of their own lustre, like flames of fire.

The teaching

Even in hardship, the world offers signs of inner light; cultivate steadiness by attending to what uplifts.

Ethical theme

Sādhāraṇa-dharma (resilience, gratitude)

For your practice

Meditative support: contemplate ‘svaprabha’ as a cue for inner tejas; suitable for night japa/dhyāna.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Nocturnal, mystic, radiant

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Vanavasa
• Nature Description
• Wonder (Adbhuta)
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Citrakūṭa (context)
• oṣadhi (luminous herbs)

FAQs

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

Dharma is aligned with reverence for creation: seeing nature’s marvels cultivates humility and truthfulness of perception, supporting a life of restraint and gratitude in exile.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma describes the night-time beauty of the mountain, where countless herbs appear to emit their own light.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverent attentiveness—Rāma notices subtle beauty and shares it to uplift Sītā.