Valmiki Ramayana 2.103.19 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 103, Shloka 19

पिण्डदानदर्शनम्

The Queens Behold Rama’s Śrāddha Offering

Devanagari script

ताः पाणिभि स्सुखस्पर्शैर्मृद्वङ्गुलितलै श्शुभैः।प्रममार्जू रजः पृष्ठाद्रामस्यायतलोचनाः।।2.103.19।।

Transliteration

tāḥ pāṇibhiḥ sukhasparśair mṛdvaṅgulitalaiḥ śubhaiḥ | pramamārju rajaḥ pṛṣṭhād rāmasyāyatalocanāḥ ||

Translation

വലിയ കണ്ണുകളുള്ള രാജ്ഞിമാർ സുഖസ്പർശമുള്ള, മൃദുവായ വിരലുകളുള്ള ശുഭഹസ്തങ്ങളാൽ രാമന്റെ പുറത്ത് പതിഞ്ഞ പൊടി സ്നേഹത്തോടെ തുടച്ചു നീക്കി.

Word by Word

• tāḥ: they (the mothers)
• tāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Bahuvacana

• pāṇibhiḥ: with hands
• pāṇibhiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāṇi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Bahuvacana

• sukhasparśaiḥ: of pleasant touch
• sukhasparśaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha-sparśa (प्रातिपदिक; सुख + स्पर्श)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Bahuvacana; qualifies pāṇibhiḥ

• mṛdu-aṅgulitalaiḥ: with soft-fingered palms
• mṛdu-aṅgulitalaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mṛdu-aṅguli-tala (प्रातिपदिक; मृदु + अङ्गुलि + तल)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Bahuvacana; qualifies pāṇibhiḥ

• śubhaiḥ: auspicious
• śubhaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Bahuvacana; qualifies pāṇibhiḥ

• pramamārjuḥ: wiped off
• pramamārjuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-marj (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• rajaḥ: dust
• rajaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• pṛṣṭhāt: from (his) back
• pṛṣṭhāt: Apādāna (अपादान; source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• rāmasya: of Rāma
• rāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• āyatalocanāḥ: the long-eyed women
• āyatalocanāḥ: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āyata-locana (प्रातिपदिक; आयत + लोचन)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Bahuvacana; bahuvrīhi epithet of tāḥ (those having long eyes)

Context

Those large-eyed queens, their palms with delicate fingers and with auspicious hands with a pleasant touch, wiped the dust from the back of his body.

Characters & Entities

• Rama

FAQs

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

Dharma is expressed as seva (loving service): the queens’ act embodies care and respect, meeting austerity not with complaint but with compassionate tending.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rama pays reverence, the queens respond with maternal affection, physically cleaning the dust of forest life from him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The queens’ nurturing compassion; Rama’s patience in hardship is implied by the dust of exile.