Valmiki Ramayana 2.16.41: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 16, Shloka 41

सुमन्त्रदर्शनम् तथा रामस्य राजदर्शनाय प्रस्थानम्

Sumantra Meets Rama; Rama Departs to See the King

Setting: Ayodhya (implied, palace/city setting of onlookers)

Devanagari script

तया सुचरितं देव्या पुरा नूनं महत्तपः ॥४१॥

रोहिणीव शशाङ्केन रामसंयोगमाप या ।

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.16.41

Transliteration

tayā sucaritaṃ devyā purā nūnaṃ mahattapaḥ ||41||

rohiṇīva śaśāṅkena rāmasaṃyogam āpa yā |

Translation

നിശ്ചയം, ആ ദേവി പൂർവ്വകാലത്ത് മഹത്തായ തപസ്സു അനുഷ്ഠിച്ചിരിക്കണം; അതിനാലാണ് അവൾ രാമസംഗമം പ്രാപിച്ചത്—ചന്ദ്രനോടു രോഹിണി ചേർന്നതുപോലെ.

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Word by Word

• tayā: by her (by that lady)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः (करण/हेतु), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम-रूपम् (Instrumental singular, feminine)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• sucaritam: good conduct / well-performed (deeds)
• Type: Noun
• Root: su-carita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक; √car (धातु) + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं (past participial noun/adjective used substantively)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• devyā: by the lady (the princess)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• purā: formerly / in the past
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• nūnam: surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle of certainty)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/भाव)

• mahat: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; तपः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (agreeing with tapaḥ)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• tapaḥ: austerity
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Nom/Acc sg)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• rohiṇī: Rohiṇī
• Type: Noun
• Root: rohiṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (subject of implied comparison)
• Role: Upamāna (उपमान)

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/भाव)

• śaśāṅkena: with the moon
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśāṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular)
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• rāma-saṃyogam: union with Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (rāmasya saṃyogaḥ)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• āpa: obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: √āp (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकारः (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• yā: she who
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्ययः (relative pronoun: 'she who')
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• रोहिणीव = रोहिणी + इव
• रामसंयोगमाप = रामसंयोगम् + आप
• सुचरितं = सु + चरितम् (कर्मधारय-समास/उपसर्गयुक्त कृदन्त)

Context

Sita was united with Rama like Rohini with the Moon surely because of her great austerities performed in the past. (They observed).

The teaching

Auspicious relationships are seen as fruits of prior discipline and virtue (tapas/puṇya).

Ethical theme

Karma-phala and gṛhastha-ideal

Devotion and practice

Encourages tapas and purity as inner preparation for auspicious outcomes; supports bhakti through seeing divine order in life events.

Deity praised

Rama (implicitly)

Form of praise

Stuti (a hymn of praise)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shringara (love), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Admiring, auspicious, tender

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Karma

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sita
• Rama
• Rohini
• Moon (Śaśāṅka)

FAQs

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

The verse reflects the karmic-ethical idea that virtue and self-discipline (tapas) bear fitting results—here, the ‘deserved’ companionship of a righteous spouse.

What is the narrative situation?

Ayodhya’s women interpret Sītā’s good fortune—her union with Rama—as the fruit of past austerities, using a celestial simile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sītā’s spiritual merit and disciplined virtue (tapas), understood as the foundation of her auspicious destiny.