Valmiki Ramayana 2.95.15: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 95, Shloka 15

मन्दाकिनीनदीदर्शनम्

The Vision of the Mandākinī at Citrakūṭa

Devanagari script

त्वं पौरजनवद्व्यालानयोध्यामिव पर्वतम् ।

मन्यस्व वनिते नित्यं सरयूवदिमां नदीम् ॥१५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.95.15

Transliteration

tvaṃ paurajanavad vyālān ayodhyām iva parvatam |

manyasva vanite nityaṃ sarayūvad imāṃ nadīm ||15||

Translation

सीताजी, इन जंगल के जानवर को तुम शहर के लोग समझो। यह पहाड़ अयोध्या जैसा है और यह नदी सरयू जैसी है, ऐसे ही सोचो।

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Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), एकवचन (Singular), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative)

• पौरजनवत्: like the townspeople (of Ayodhya)
• पौरजनवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पौरजन + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तुल्योपमा-अर्थे (in the sense of comparison ‘like’), वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (vat-suffix form used adverbially)

• व्यालान्: wild beasts
• व्यालान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), बहुवचन (Plural), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• अयोध्याम्: Ayodhya
• अयोध्याम्: Upamana (उपमान/Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), एकवचन (Singular), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय (comparative particle)

• पर्वतम्: the mountain
• पर्वतम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), एकवचन (Singular), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• मन्यस्व: consider; think of
• मन्यस्व: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (Singular), आत्मनेपद (Ātmanepada)

• वनिते: O lady
• वनिते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनिता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), एकवचन (Singular), सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative)

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावेन क्रियाविशेषणवत् (used adverbially), नपुंसकलिङ्ग एकवचन द्वितीया (neuter accusative singular used as adverb)

• सरयूवत्: like the Sarayu
• सरयूवत्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial qualifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सरयू + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), तुल्योपमा-अर्थे (in the sense of comparison ‘like’), वत्-प्रत्ययान्त (vat-suffix form used adverbially)

• इमाम्: this
• इमाम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun used adjectivally), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), एकवचन (Singular), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

• नदीम्: river
• नदीम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), एकवचन (Singular), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative)

Context

O my lovely lady! Always think this river Mandakini as Sarayu and this mount Chitrakuta as Ayodhya and these wild animals as its inhabitants.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Ayodhyā
• Citrakūṭa (mountain, implied)
• Mandākinī (river, implied)
• Sarayū

FAQs

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

Dharma is cultivating contentment (santoṣa) and non-attachment: by reimagining exile as home, one keeps righteousness steady despite changed circumstances.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma counsels Sītā to emotionally settle in the forest by treating Citrakūṭa and Mandākinī as equivalents of Ayodhyā and the Sarayū.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Practical wisdom and emotional steadiness—Rāma teaches a disciplined way to endure exile without bitterness.