Valmiki Ramayana 2.48.27 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 27

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्

Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation

Devanagari script

ते विषं पिबतालोड्य क्षीणपुण्या स्सुदुर्गताः।राघवं वानुगच्छध्वमश्रुतिं वापि गच्छत।।2.48.27।।

Transliteration

te viṣaṁ pibatāloḍya kṣīṇapuṇyāḥ sudurgatāḥ |

rāghavaṁ vā ’nugacchadhvam aśrutiṁ vāpi gacchata || 2.48.27 ||

Translation

ക്ഷീണപുണ്യരായി ദുരവസ്ഥയിൽ പതിച്ചവരേ! ഇച്ഛിച്ചാൽ വിഷം കുടിക്കുവിൻ; അല്ലെങ്കിൽ രാഘവനെ അനുഗമിക്കുവിൻ; അതല്ലെങ്കിൽ അജ്ഞാതസ്ഥാനത്തേക്ക് പോകുവിൻ.

Word by Word

• te: you (all)
• te: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nom), बहुवचन; संबोधनार्थे (addressing 'you all')

• viṣam: poison
• viṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Acc), एकवचन

• pibata: drink!
• pibata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √pā (धातु; पिब)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• āloḍya: having considered/after reflecting
• āloḍya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ā-√luḍ/√luṭ (धातु; आलोड्य)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund/absolutive), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया (having considered/after churning up)

• kṣīṇapuṇyāḥ: whose merit is exhausted
• kṣīṇapuṇyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣīṇa + puṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (kṣīṇaṃ puṇyaṃ yeṣām) अर्थे बहुव्रीहिवत्-विशेषणप्रयोगः

• sudurgatāḥ: in great distress
• sudurgatāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + durgata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; 'su' उपसर्गेण तीव्रता

• rāghavam: Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात (disjunctive particle)

• anugacchadhvam: follow!
• anugacchadhvam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• aśrutim: an unknown place
• aśrutim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśruti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'unheard-of/unknown place'

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक निपात

• api: also/even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-कार (also/even)

• gacchata: go!
• gacchata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

Context

Where you are in deep trouble with merits exhausted, it is better to take poison, or follow Rama or walk into the unknown.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Poison (viṣa)

FAQs

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

It shows the psychological collapse that follows perceived adharma; the implied dharmic counterpoint is that following the righteous (Rāma) is the only meaningful path amid moral chaos.

What is the narrative situation?

The citizens, overwhelmed after Rāma’s exile, speak in extreme terms—death, departure, or following Rāma—revealing the depth of civic despair.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma as the moral refuge: even in hopelessness, he remains the axis of trust and righteousness for the people.