Valmiki Ramayana 2.76.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 76, Shloka 18

दशरथस्य अन्त्येष्टि

विधानम् · Dasaratha’s Funeral Rites and Ayodhya’s Mourning

Devanagari script

तदा हुताशनं हुत्वा जेपुस्तस्य तदृत्विजः ।

जगुश्च ते यथाशास्त्र तत्र सामानि सामगाः ॥१८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.76.18

Transliteration

tadā hutāśanaṃ hutvā jepus tasya tad-ṛtvijaḥ |

jaguś ca te yathāśāstra tatra sāmāni sāmagāḥ ||18||

Translation

അപ്പോൾ അവന്റെ ഋത്വിജന്മാർ പവിത്ര അഗ്നിയിൽ ഹവിസ് അർപ്പിച്ച് യഥാവിധി മന്ത്രജപം ചെയ്തു; സാമഗായകർ ശാസ്ത്രാനുസാരമായി അവിടെ സാമഗാനവും ആലപിച്ചു.

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Word by Word

• तदा: then
• तदा: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time: then)

• हुताशनम्: fire
• हुताशनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताशन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• हुत्वा: having offered oblations
• हुत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund: having offered/oblated)

• जेपुः: they recited (prayers)
• जेपुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: जप् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person plural)

• तस्य: of him (the king)
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (Genitive singular: of him/of that)

• तदृत्विजः: his priests
• तदृत्विजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + ऋत्विज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः (Masculine, Nominative, Plural: those priests of his)

• जगुः: they sang
• जगुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्शभूत/Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन, परस्मैपद (Perfect, 3rd person plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha/Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Pronoun; Masculine, Nominative, Plural: they/those)

• यथाशास्त्रम्: according to the scriptures
• यथाशास्त्रम्: Kriya-visheshana (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रिया-विशेषणम् (indeclinable compound: according to scripture)

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Desha-adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (there)

• सामानि: Sāman hymns
• सामानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Neuter, Accusative, Plural)

• सामगाः: Sāma-chanters
• सामगाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Plural)

Context

Then the priests offering oblations to the king's fire, intoned prayers. The reciters of Sama Veda sang the hymns in accordance with the sacred scriptures.

Characters & Entities

• sacred fire (hutāśana)
• priests (ṛtvij)
• śāstra

FAQs

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

Ritual duty as dharma: the community upholds sacred procedure even in grief, affirming continuity of order (śāstra-maryādā) amid loss.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha’s post-death rites are underway; priests perform fire-offerings and Vedic chants.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Collective fidelity to tradition—discipline, correctness, and reverence for sacred law.