Valmiki Ramayana 2.40.35 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 35

प्रयाणवर्णनम्

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

Devanagari script

सुस्राव नयनैः स्त्रीणामस्रमायाससम्भवम्।मीनसङ्क्षोभचलितै स्सलिलं पङ्कजैरिव।।।।

Transliteration

susrāva nayanaiḥ strīṇām aśram āyāsasambhavam | mīnasaṅkṣobhacalitaiḥ salilaṃ paṅkajair iva ||

Translation

स्त्रियांच्या नेत्रांतून कष्टजन्य अश्रू वाहू लागले; जसे माशांच्या हालचालीने हललेल्या कमळांवरून जलकण गळतात।

Word by Word

• susrāva: flowed forth
• susrāva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sru (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• nayanaiḥ: from the eyes
• nayanaiḥ: Apādāna (अपादान/source; from the eyes)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• strīṇām: of women
• strīṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• asram: tears
• asram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (subject)

• āyāsasambhavam: born of anguish
• āyāsasambhavam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + sambhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (‘आयासात् सम्भवम्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of asram)

• mīnasaṅkṣobhacalitaiḥ: shaken by the agitation of fish
• mīnasaṅkṣobhacalitaiḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mīna (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkṣobha (प्रातिपदिक) + calita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of paṅkajaiḥ)

• salilam: water
• salilam: Upameya (उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: salila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमेय-रूपेण (compared object)

• paṅkajaiḥ: by lotuses
• paṅkajaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण/instrument in simile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: paṅkaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle)

Context

Tears born of anguish fell from the eyes of women just as water-drops fall from lotuses shaken by the movements of fishes.

Characters & Entities

• lotuses (paṅkaja)
• fish (mīna)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is reflected through compassion and shared suffering: the community emotionally participates in the righteous one’s hardship, showing that dharma is not merely law but lived feeling and moral solidarity.

What is the narrative situation?

Women in the city weep intensely as Rāma leaves, and the poet describes their tears through a vivid nature simile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The people’s bhakti-like devotion and tenderness toward Rāma, responding to his dharmic exile with empathetic grief.