Valmiki Ramayana 2.33.22 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 33, Shloka 22

त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha

Devanagari script

वनं नगरमेवास्तु येन गच्छति राघवः।अस्माभिश्च परित्यक्तं पुरं सम्पद्यतां वनम्।।।।

Transliteration

vanaṃ nagaram evāstu yena gacchati rāghavaḥ |

asmābhiś ca parityaktaṃ puraṃ sampadyatāṃ vanam ||

Translation

രാഘവൻ പോകുന്നിടത്തെ വനമേ നമ്മുടെ നഗരമാകട്ടെ; ഞങ്ങൾ ഉപേക്ഷിക്കുന്ന ഈ നഗരം വനമായി മാറട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• वनम्: forest
• वनम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate-nominative

• नगरम्: city
• नगरम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate-nominative

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/अवधारण-अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• अस्तु: let it be
• अस्तु: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• येन: whereby/where
• येन: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, तृतीया, एकवचन; relative pronoun; 'by which/whereby'

• गच्छति: goes
• गच्छति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राघवः: Rama (scion of Raghu)
• राघवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्माभिः: by us
• अस्माभिः: Kartṛ (कर्ता) (agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• परित्यक्तम्: abandoned
• परित्यक्तम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), विशेषण (puram)

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; subject of sampadyatām

• सम्पद्यताम्: may it become
• सम्पद्यताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-पद् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• वनम्: a forest
• वनम्: Kartṛ-samānādhikaraṇa (कर्ता-समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate-nominative

Context

The pair of dazzling weapons held (by Rama and Lakshmana) looked splendid decorated with flower garlands by Sita.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• forest (vana)
• Ayodhyā (implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma-centered belonging: the “right place” is where righteousness is, not where comfort or infrastructure is.

What is the narrative situation?

Citizens invert values—forest becomes preferable to Ayodhyā if Rāma is absent—expressing intent to accompany him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s moral centrality: his presence sanctifies even wilderness as civic, safe, and meaningful.