Valmiki Ramayana 2.26.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 26, Shloka 7

अयोध्याकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः · Rama’s Departure and Sita’s Questions; Disclosure of Exile and Counsel on Courtly Conduct

Setting: Ayodhyā (palace interior)

Devanagari script

तां दृष्ट्वा स हि धर्मात्मा न शशाक मनोगतम् ।

तं शोकं राघवः सोढुं ततो विवृततां गतः ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.26.7

Transliteration

tāṃ dṛṣṭvā sa hi dharmātmā na śaśāka manogatam |

taṃ śokaṃ rāghavaḥ soḍhuṃ tato vivṛtatāṃ gataḥ ||7||

Translation

Melihatnya, Rāghava yang berjiwa dharma tidak mampu menanggung dukacita yang terpendam di hati; maka kesedihan itu pun pecah keluar, nyata kelihatan.

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Word by Word

• tām: her
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘her’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘having seen’
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘he’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: indeed/for)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• dharmātmā: the righteous-souled one
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: धर्मः आत्मा यस्य सः (one whose nature is righteous)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)
• Role: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)

• śaśāka: was able
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śak (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; सामर्थ्ये (was able)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• manogatam: what was in (his) mind
• Type: Adjective
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक) + gata (कृदन्त; गम् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; (understood as ‘what was in his mind’); समासः: मनसि गतं (gone into the mind)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• tam: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• śokam: sorrow
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• rāghavaḥ: Raghava (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• soḍhum: to endure
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sah (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; ‘to endure/bear’
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)

• tataḥ: therefore
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: अपादान/हेतुवाचक अव्यय (therefore/from that reason)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• vivṛtatām: manifestation/openness
• Type: Noun
• Root: vivṛtatā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘manifestation/openness’ (as object of gataḥ: attained)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• gataḥ: became/attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle used finitely), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having gone/attained’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• soḍhuṃ (infinitive) from √sah
• vivṛtatāṃ gataḥ = ‘attained openness/manifested’ (idiomatic)

Context

On seeing her, virtuous Rama could not contain the sorrow in his mind which manifested (through his external appearance).

The teaching

Righteousness does not erase feeling; sincerity and endurance coexist in the dharmic life.

Duties in tension

• Maintaining royal/dharmic composure
• Honest expression of human sorrow
• Protecting Sītā from distress vs sharing truth

Ethical theme

Integrity/authenticity (ārjava)

How it resolves

Emotional disclosure (inevitable overflow)

For your practice

Bhakti lens: the Lord’s līlā includes human-like sorrow, inviting empathy and surrender; contemplative reading for softening the heart.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Breaking, tender, heavy

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Emotional restraint
• Truthfulness
• Satya

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Sītā
• Rāma (Rāghava)

FAQs

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

Dharma is linked with satya (truthfulness): even a dharmic person may not conceal profound suffering; inner truth can surface outwardly, prompting honest confrontation of duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma’s attempt to contain his grief fails when Sītā appears, and his sorrow becomes evident in his demeanor.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s dharmic seriousness: his sorrow arises from moral conflict and duty, not personal pettiness.