Valmiki Ramayana 2.40.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 23

प्रयाणवर्णनम्

Departure from Ayodhya; Civic Lament and the Chariot’s Urgency

Setting: Ayodhya (as news/vision of departure spreads)Places named: vana (forest)Departure contemplation as Rama goes to forest

Devanagari script

आयसं हृदयं नूनं राममातुरसंशयम् ।

यद्देवगर्भप्रतिमे वनं याति न भिद्यते ॥२३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.40.23

Transliteration

āyasaṃ hṛdayaṃ nūnaṃ rāmamātur asaṃśayam |

yad devagarbha-pratime vanaṃ yāti na bhidyate ||23||

Translation

നിശ്ചയം—സംശയമില്ല—രാമന്റെ മാതാവിന്റെ ഹൃദയം ഇരുമ്പായിരിക്കണം; ദേവഗർഭസമനായ രാമൻ വനത്തിലേക്കു പോകുമ്പോഴും അത് പൊട്ടുന്നില്ല.

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Word by Word

• āyasam: made of iron
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective of hṛdayam)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• hṛdayam: heart
• Type: Noun
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• nūnam: surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nūnam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चयार्थक (certainly)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• rāmamātuḥ: of Rama's mother
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāmamātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• asaṃśayam: without doubt
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: asaṃśaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाववत् निपात-प्रयोगः; अर्थे: न संशयः (without doubt)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• yat: because/that (for which reason)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative pronoun)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• devagarbha-pratime: in/with (one) like a divine child
• Type: Adjective
• Root: devagarbha + pratima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (devagarbhasya pratima = like a divine offspring); अत्र सप्तमी-सम्बन्धे (with reference to/when such a one)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• vanam: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• yāti: goes
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध-निपात (negation)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• bhidyate: breaks/is broken
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhid (भिद्)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive sense): is broken
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• राममातुरसंशयम् → rāmamātuḥ asaṃśayam
• यद्देवगर्भप्रतिमे → yat devagarbhapratime

Context

Alas, the heart of Kausalya whose son, Rama, resembles the offspring of the gods, does not break even though he is going to the forest! Undoubtedly it must be made of iron.

The teaching

Strength is not absence of love, but the capacity to endure dharma’s demands without breaking.

Duties in tension

• Maternal affection and protection
• Acceptance of son’s dharma-bound exile

Ethical theme

Titikṣā and kula-dharma under rāja-dharma

How it resolves

Fortitude/forbearance (titikṣā) as idealized response

For your practice

Meditation on forbearance and surrender when loved ones follow duty; seeing Rama’s radiance as divine purpose beyond personal loss.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Astonished, piercing, lamenting

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Śoka (grief)
• Mātṛbhakti
• Tyāga (renunciation)

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kauśalyā
• vana (forest)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is endurance and self-restraint in suffering: Kauśalyā bears unbearable grief without collapsing, embodying dignified steadiness amid a righteous but painful exile.

What is the narrative situation?

As Rāma departs for the forest, observers marvel that his mother Kauśalyā does not break down, even though her divine-like son is being sent away.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kauśalyā’s fortitude (dhairya) and maternal nobility—strength that holds firm even under profound loss.