Shloka 20

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चषष्टितमः सर्गः — Daśaratha’s Death Discovered in the Palace

Morning Rites Turn to Lament

Devanagari script

ततः प्रचुक्रुशुर्दीना स्सस्वरं ता वराङ्गनाः।करेणव इवारण्ये स्थानप्रच्युतयूथपाः।।।।

Transliteration

tataḥ pracukruśur dīnāḥ sasvaraṃ tā varāṅganāḥ | kareṇava ivāraṇye sthānapracyutayūthapāḥ ||

Translation

Maka para wanita mulia itu pun meratap dengan suara nyaring dalam dukacita, bagaikan gajah betina di rimba apabila ketua kawanan yang memimpin telah dihalau dari tempatnya.

Word by Word

• ततः: then
• ततः: सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, अनन्तरवाचक

• प्रचुक्रुशुः: wailed/cried out
• प्रचुक्रुशुः: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-क्रुश् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; अर्थ: 'cried out loudly/wailed'

• दीनाः: distressed
• दीनाः: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (वराङ्गनाः/ताः)

• सस्वरम्: loudly
• सस्वरम्: क्रिया-विशेषण (Manner adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स-स्वर (प्रातिपदिक; स + स्वर)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb) 'with voice/loudly'

• ताः: those
• ताः: कर्ता (Karta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• वराङ्गनाः: noble women
• वराङ्गनाः: कर्ता (Karta; apposition to ताः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-अङ्गना (प्रातिपदिक; वर + अङ्गना)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्मधारय (श्रेष्ठा अङ्गना = noble women)

• करेणवः: female elephants
• करेणवः: उपमान (Upamāna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: करेणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)

• इव: like
• इव: सम्बन्ध
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उपमा-निपात

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• अरण्ये: अधिकरण (Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन

• स्थानप्रच्युतयूथपाः: whose herd-leader has been driven from his place
• स्थानप्रच्युतयूथपाः: उपमान-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थान-प्रच्युत-यूथप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (स्थानात् प्रच्युतः यूथपः यस्याः/येषाम्—here qualifying करेणवः: whose herd-leader is displaced from his place)

Context

Then those women bewailed bitterly and loudly in distress like female elephants in the forest when their leader has fallen out of the herd.

Characters & Entities

• palace women (varāṅganāḥ)
• forest (araṇya)

FAQs

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

It underscores the fragility of worldly support: when the protector (king/leader) falls, dependents suffer. Dharma here is the implied duty of protection in kingship and the human cost when that support ends.

What is the narrative situation?

The palace women begin to cry out loudly after realizing the calamity in the royal household—Daśaratha’s passing and the ensuing shock.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a single virtue of one character, but the verse highlights the social role of a righteous ruler as a stabilizing center, analogous to a herd-leader.