Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 34

प्रयाणवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

रुदिताश्रुपरिद्यूनं हाहाकृतमचेतनम्।प्रयाणे राघवस्यासीत्पुरं परमपीडितम्।।।।

Transliteration

ruditāśruparidyūnaṃ hāhākṛtam acetanam | prayāṇe rāghavasyāsīt puraṃ paramapīḍitam ||

Translation

राघवाच्या प्रयाणाने नगर अत्यंत पीडित झाले—रडण्याच्या अश्रूंनी भिजलेले, ‘हाय हाय’च्या आर्तनादाने दुमदुमलेले, जणू चेतनाहीन।

Word by Word

• ruditāśruparidyūnam: worn out with weeping and tears
• ruditāśruparidyūnam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rudita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + aśru (प्रातिपदिक) + paridyūna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास (तत्पुरुष-प्रायः; ‘रुदितेन अश्रुणा परिद्यूनम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (of puram)

• hāhākṛtam: filled with cries of ‘alas’
• hāhākṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hāhā (अव्यय-ध्वनि) + kṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘हाहा’ इति कृतम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• acetanam: insensate, stunned
• acetanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-cetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• prayāṇe: at the departure
• prayāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/time)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• rāghavasya: of Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन

• āsīt: was
• āsīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• puram: the city
• puram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (subject)

• paramapīḍitam: extremely afflicted
• paramapīḍitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक) + pīḍita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of puram)

Context

At the time of Rama's departure, the insensate city was drenched with tears of the deeply afflicted people crying, 'Alas, Alas'.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Ayodhyā (implied by “puram”, the city)

FAQs

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

The verse underscores the social cost of dharma: righteous adherence to vows and truth can cause widespread pain, yet dharma remains the stabilizing ideal even amid collective lamentation.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma’s departure triggers a citywide breakdown—people weep and cry out so intensely that the city is described as stunned and overwhelmed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s gravity as a moral center: the city’s reaction shows how deeply his righteousness supports the community’s sense of order.