Valmiki Ramayana 2.33.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 33, Shloka 4

त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः · Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha

Setting: AyodhyaPlaces named: rathyāḥ (streets), prāsāda (mansions/palaces)Exile procession viewed by immobilized crowds

Devanagari script

न हि रथ्याः स्म शक्यन्ते गन्तुं बहुजनाकुलाः ।

आरुह्य तस्मात्प्रासादान् दीनाः पश्यन्ति राघवम् ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.33.4

Transliteration

na hi rathyāḥ sma śakyante gantuṃ bahujanākulāḥ |

āruhya tasmāt prāsādān dīnāḥ paśyanti rāghavam ||4||

Translation

Kerana jalan-jalan telah sesak oleh orang ramai hingga tidak dapat dilalui, maka rakyat yang dirundung duka naik ke rumah-rumah besar dan memandang Rāghava.

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Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय
• Role: निषेध

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (particle)

• रथ्याः: streets
• Type: Noun
• Root: रथ्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन (Nominative Plural)
• Role: कर्ता (subject of passive)

• स्म: (in the past)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (past-habitual marker)
• Role: काल/वृत्त (aspect marker)

• शक्यन्ते: were possible/able
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शक् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive sense): ‘are able/possible’
• Role: क्रिया

• गन्तुम्: to go/walk
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुनन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (infinitive)
• Role: प्रयोजन/अन्वय (complement of śakyante)

• बहुजनाकुलाः: crowded with many people
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु + जन + आकुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; रथ्याः इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्; समासः तत्पुरुषः (‘crowded with many people’)
• Role: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• आरुह्य: having climbed
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√रुह् (धातु) + ल्यप् (कृदन्त)
• Form: ल्यबन्त-अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund)
• Role: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (ablative of reason)
• Role: अपादान/हेतु (cause)

• प्रासादान्: palaces/terraces
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रासाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन
• Role: कर्म (object of āruhya)

• दीनाः: distressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; जनाः (understood) इति विशेषणम्
• Role: कर्ता-विशेषण

• पश्यन्ति: see/look at
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
• Role: क्रिया

• राघवम्: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म

Sandhi Notes

• ‘रथ्याः स्म’ is syntactic (sm as particle)

Context

The streets were so thronged with multitudes of citizens that they were impassable. Therefore, people felt miserable and ascended their mansions and gazed at Rama.

The teaching

When closeness is impossible, devotion finds a way to see—grief turns into steadfast attention.

Ethical theme

Bhakti/saṅga (devotional attachment to the righteous)

For your practice

Darśana-bhāva: training the mind to hold the chosen ideal even amid obstruction and crowding of thoughts.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Crowded, yearning, tearful

Themes

• Itihasa
• Dharma
• Public grief
• Ethics
• Kingship

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Ayodhyā (implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as a public reality: the people’s sorrow signals that the righteous order of the kingdom is felt collectively, not privately.

What is the narrative situation?

Ayodhyā’s streets are jammed with anxious citizens; unable to approach, they climb buildings to see Rāma as he passes.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The citizens’ devotion and concern for the righteous prince—an ethical bond between ruler (or heir) and the ruled.