Valmiki Ramayana 2.77.12: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 77, Shloka 12

और्ध्वदैहिकक्रिया-शोकविलापः

Obsequies for Daśaratha and the Brothers’ Lament

Setting: अयोध्या (palace precincts, implied)

Devanagari script

उन्मत्त इव निश्चेता विललाप सुदुःखितः ॥१२॥

स्मृत्वा पितुर्गुणाङ्गानि तानि तानि तथा तथा ।

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.77.12

Transliteration

unmatta iva niścetā vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ ||12||

smṛtvā pitur guṇāṅgāni tāni tāni tathā tathā |

Translation

അത്യന്തം ദുഃഖിതനായി, ഉന്മത്തനെന്നപോലെ ചിത്തം അസ്ഥിരമായി അവൻ വിലപിച്ചു; പിതാവിന്റെ അനവധി ഗുണങ്ങളെ വീണ്ടും വീണ്ടും സ്മരിച്ചു.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• unmattaḥ: mad, distraught
• Type: Adjective
• Root: unmatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa (adjectival)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• iva: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (particle of comparison/उपमाव्यय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• niścetā: one without composure; mentally unsteady person
• Type: Noun
• Root: niścetṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• vilalāpa: lamented
• Type: Verb
• Root: √lap (लप्) (धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (Imperfect/Past/लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person/प्रथमपुरुष), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• suduḥkhitaḥ: deeply sorrowful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + duḥkhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन); viśeṣaṇa
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ) (धातु)
• Form: Ktvā-pratyaya (Absolutive/Gerund/क्त्वा), pūrvakāla-kriyā (prior action)
• Role: Hetu/Anubandha (हेतु/अनुबन्ध)

• pituḥ: of (his) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (पितृ) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/षष्ठी), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• guṇāṅgāni: aspects/limbs of virtues
• Type: Noun
• Root: guṇa + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसक), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (genitive determinative): guṇānām aṅgāni
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• tāni: those
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसक), Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); sarvanāma
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tāni: those (each and every)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्) (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter/नपुंसक), Dvitīyā (Accusative/द्वितीया), Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); punarukti (repetition for emphasis)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tathā: thus, in that way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable adverb/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• tathā: again and again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable adverb/क्रियाविशेषण); punarukti (again and again)
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

Sandhi Notes

• piturguṇāṅgāni = pituḥ + guṇāṅgāni
• verse punctuation removed. guṇāṅgāni treated as ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (guṇānām aṅgāni)

Context

Recollecting the many virtues of his father again and again, like a madman, Satrughna,mentally unsteady, lamented in profound sorrow.

The teaching

Remembering the good of the departed is noble, yet grief can unseat the mind; dharma requires returning to steadiness after lament.

Duties in tension

• धैर्य (composure expected of a prince)
• शोक-प्रकटीकरण (natural expression of grief and filial love)

Ethical theme

Emotional regulation within duty

How it resolves

Emotional catharsis preceding composure

For your practice

Practice of smṛti: transforming remembrance into gratitude rather than destabilizing sorrow; supports śama and titikṣā.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Wailing, unhinged, yearning

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Filial piety
• Memory of virtue
• Itihasa
• Ethics

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Śatrughna
• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Remembering and honoring virtue is itself dharmic: the verse frames moral excellence (guṇa) as worthy of continual recollection, shaping the living toward righteousness and truth.

What is the narrative situation?

Śatrughna grieves intensely, repeatedly recalling Daśaratha’s qualities.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s accumulated virtues (guṇas) are foregrounded as the cause of heartfelt reverence.