Valmiki Ramayana 2.33.30: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 33, Shloka 30

त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः · Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha

Setting: Ayodhyā (royal precincts/approach to palace road)Places named: vana (forest)Departure threshold before forest-exile begins

Devanagari script

तत्पूर्वमैक्ष्वाकसुतो महात्मा रामो गमिष्यन्वनमार्तरूपम् ।

व्यतिष्ठत प्रेक्ष्य तदा सुमन्त्रं पितुर्महात्मा प्रतिहारणार्थम् ॥३०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.33.30

Transliteration

tatpūrvam aikṣvākasuto mahātmā rāmo gamiṣyan vanam ārtarūpam |

vyatiṣṭhata prekṣya tadā sumantraṃ pitur mahātmā pratihāraṇārtham ||30||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ ഇക്ഷ്വാകുവംശജനായ മഹാത്മാ ശ്രീരാമൻ, വനത്തിലേക്കു പോകുവാൻ ഒരുങ്ങി ദുഃഖച്ഛായയുള്ള മുഖത്തോടെ, സുമന്ത്രനെ കണ്ടു നിമിഷം നിന്നു—പിതാവായ മഹാരാജനോട് തന്റെ വരവ് അറിയിപ്പാൻ വേണ്ടി.

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Word by Word

• तत्-पूर्वम्: previously/before that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव समास, अव्यय; ‘before that/for the first time’
• Role: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

• ऐक्ष्वाक-सुतः: the son of Ikshvaku lineage
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐक्ष्वाक (प्रातिपदिक) + सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘Ikṣvāku’s son’)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• महात्मा: great-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रामस्य)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• रामः: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• गमिष्यन्: about to depart
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (future active participle from लृट्-भाव), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘about to go’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• वनम्: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• आर्त-रूपम्: with a sorrowful look
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आर्त (प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (‘sorrowful in appearance’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• व्यतिष्ठत: stood
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-अव-स्था (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; ‘stood’
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• प्रेक्ष्य: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (Gerund), ‘having seen’
• Role: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तदा: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय
• Role: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)

• सुमन्त्रम्: Sumantra
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• महात्मा: great-souled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (रामस्य), पुनरुक्ति-प्रयोग
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• प्रतिहारण-अर्थम्: for conveying (the message)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रतिहारण (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रयोजनार्थक ‘for the purpose of informing/announcing’
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• तत्पूर्वम् = तत् + पूर्वम्
• ऐक्ष्वाकसुतः = ऐक्ष्वाक + सुतः
• गमिष्यन्वनम् = गमिष्यन् + वनम्

Context

Seeing Sumantra stricken with grief for the first time the magnanimous Rama, scion of the Ikshvaku dynasty, on the way to the forest waited there for his father to be informed of his arrival.

The teaching

Even at the brink of renunciation, one completes rightful obligations with composure and respect.

Duties in tension

• Personal grief and urgency to depart vs duty to inform and honor the father-king
• Private resolve vs public royal protocol (message through Sumantra)

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma and pitṛ-dharma

How it resolves

Procedural dharma upheld before renunciation

For your practice

Practice of mindful restraint: pause, align intention with dharma, then act; useful for vrata/niyama observance.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Heavy-hearted, restrained, dutiful

Themes

• Dharma
• Maryada
• Itihasa
• Obedience
• Court protocol

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sumantra
• Daśaratha (implied)
• Ikṣvāku dynasty
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes proper communication and respect for elders: Rāma follows courtly propriety by having his arrival announced before meeting his father.

What is the narrative situation?

On the verge of the forest-exile, Rāma pauses after noticing Sumantra, arranging for Daśaratha to be informed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s humility and discipline—he does not rush in but proceeds according to accepted duty and decorum.