Valmiki Ramayana 1.2.29: Bala Kanda, Sarga 2, Shloka 29

द्वितीयः सर्गः · श्लोकप्रादुर्भावः

The Manifestation of the Śloka

Setting: Tamasā riverbank (episode setting implied)Places named: Tamasā (implied)

Devanagari script

शोचन्नेव मुहुः क्रौञ्चीमुपश्लोकमिमं पुनः ।

जगावन्तर्गतमना भूत्वा शोकपरायणः ॥२९॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.2.29

Transliteration

śocann eva muhuḥ krauñcīm upaślokaṃ imaṃ punaḥ |

jagāv antargata-manā bhūtvā śokaparāyaṇaḥ ||29||

Translation

वो बार-बार उस क्रौञ्च बर्ड के लिए रोया। दिल में उतर के, सिर्फ दर्द में डूबा हुआ। और उसने यह नया श्लोक बोला, जो ऐसे ही निकला था।

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Word by Word

• शोचन्: lamenting
• Type: Verb
• Root: शुच् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘lamenting’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)

• मुहुः: again and again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मुहुः (अव्यय)
• Form: आवृत्ति-अव्यय (adverb: repeatedly)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• क्रौञ्चीम्: the female krauñca
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रौञ्ची (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object of lamenting; topic)

• उपश्लोकम्: a verse
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपश्लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object of reciting)

• इमम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of ‘उपश्लोकम्’)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• पुनः: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरावृत्ति-अव्यय (again)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• जगौ: sang/recited
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया/Main verb)

• अन्तर्गतमनाḥ: with mind turned inward
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तर्गत + मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि (antargataṃ manaḥ yasya saḥ)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• भूत्वा: having become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive); ‘having become’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• शोकपरायणः: absorbed in grief
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोक + परायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (śoke parāyaṇaḥ)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• शोचन्नेव = शोचन् + एव
• क्रौञ्चीमुपश्लोकमिमं = क्रौञ्चीम् + उपश्लोकम् + इमम्
• जगावन्तर्गतमना = जगौ + अन्तर्गतमनाः

Context

Grief-stricken, Valmiki having become introspective and lamenting the plight of the female krauncha again and again, recited this sloka.

The teaching

Do not suppress compassion; refine it into truthful speech that guides the world.

Duties in tension

• Compassionate response to suffering
• Ascetic equanimity/śama expected of a muni

Ethical theme

Compassion ethics; right expression (satya-vāk)

How it resolves

Sublimation—grief expressed as dharmic poetry rather than impulsive action

For your practice

Shows how mindful witnessing of suffering can be transformed into constructive, dharmic expression (japa-like repetition of inspired verse).

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Heartbroken, repetitive, inward

Themes

• Dharma
• Compassion
• Satya (truthful utterance arising from experience)
• Origins of poetry (kāvya)
• Ethics

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Vālmīki
• krauñcī (female krauñca bird)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as compassion toward suffering beings; grief becomes a morally charged response to adharma (cruelty), and that truthful emotion gives birth to sacred speech.

What is the narrative situation?

After witnessing the krauñca pair’s tragedy, Vālmīki, overcome with sorrow, keeps repeating the spontaneous verse that arose from his lament.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Karunā (compassion) and inner reflection—Vālmīki’s sensitivity to injustice and his contemplative mind.