Valmiki Ramayana 2.46.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 46, Shloka 2

तमसातीरवासः · Night on the Bank of the Tamasa and the Stratagem to Elude the Citizens

Spoken by Rama to LakshmanaSetting: Forest (destination; exile begun)Beginning of vanavāsa; first night after being sent to the forest

Devanagari script

इयमद्य निशा पूर्वा सौमित्रे प्रहिता वनम् ।

वनवासस्य भद्रं ते स नोत्कण्ठितुमर्हसि ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.46.2

Transliteration

iyam adya niśā pūrvā saumitre prahitā vanam |

vana-vāsasya bhadraṁ te sa notkaṇṭhitum arhasi ||2||

Translation

ಹೇ ಸೌಮಿತ್ರೇ, ಇಂದು ವನವಾಸಕ್ಕೆ ಕಳುಹಿಸಲ್ಪಟ್ಟ ನಂತರದ ಮೊದಲ ರಾತ್ರಿಯಿದು; ನಿನಗೆ ಮಂಗಳವಾಗಲಿ—ವನವಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ನೀನು ವ್ಯಾಕುಲತೆಯನ್ನಾಗಲಿ ವಿರಹವನ್ನಾಗಲಿ ಹೊಂದಬೇಡ.

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Word by Word

• iyam: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Strīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject) (of implied 'is')

• adya: today
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kāla-avyaya (today)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)

• niśā: night
• Type: Noun
• Root: niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Apposition to iyam (samānādhikaraṇa)

• pūrvā: first/earlier
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (Feminine), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular); agrees with niśā
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• saumitre: O Saumitri (Lakṣmaṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Addressee)

• prahitā: sent
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√hi (धातु)
• Form: Kta (past passive participle) feminine nominative singular; 'sent/commissioned' (agreeing with niśā as 'night (is) sent')
• Role: Predicate participle (vidheya)

• vanam: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Dvitīyā (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (Singular)
• Role: Gati-karma (गतिकर्म/goal) with prahitā

• vana-vāsasya: of forest-dwelling (exile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th), Ekavacana (Singular); samāsa: vane vāsaḥ (dwelling in the forest)
• Role: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Genitive)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• bhadram: well-being/good fortune
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (Neuter), Prathamā/Dvitīyā (Nom/Acc) Ekavacana; used as benedictive expression (āśīḥ)
• Role: Āśīḥ (आशीः/benediction)

• te: to you/for you
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive/6th) or Caturthī (Dative/4th) Ekavacana; here dative sense 'to you/for you'
• Role: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative beneficiary)

• saḥ: you (that one)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga (Masculine), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana (Singular); refers to Lakṣmaṇa ('you')
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject) of arhasi

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध/negation)

• utkaṇṭhitum: to feel longing/anxiety
• Type: Verb
• Root: ut√kaṇṭh (धातु)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive) indeclinable; 'to long for/to be anxious'
• Role: Karma (कर्म) of arhasi (what you ought not to do)

• arhasi: ought/should
• Type: Verb
• Root: √arh (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present), Madhyama puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana (Singular), Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• notkaṇṭhitum = na + utkaṇṭhitum

Context

O Lakshmana, this happens to be the first night of our exile. You should not have any longing in your mind. Wish you well!

The teaching

The first step in hardship is mastery of longing; hold steady and let duty, not emotion, govern action.

Duties in tension

• Personal grief/attachment to home and comfort
• Duty to accept exile as obedience to dharma and royal/paternal word

Ethical theme

Dharma-niṣṭhā / kṣānti

How it resolves

Inner discipline (consolation and restraint of longing)

For your practice

A practical upadeśa for daily life: when circumstances change, restrain craving and grief; cultivate equanimity as a sadhana.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Consoling, steadfast, first-night

Themes

• Dharma
• Fortitude
• Maryada
• Ethics

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana (Saumitri)
• forest (vana)
• exile (vanavāsa)

FAQs

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

Dharma as endurance with clarity: Rama counsels Lakshmana to meet exile without inner agitation, showing that righteous conduct includes mastery over grief and longing.

What is the narrative situation?

During the first night of exile, Rama addresses Lakshmana, preparing him mentally for forest-life.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadiness (dhairya): Rama’s guidance emphasizes emotional discipline in adversity.