Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 57, Shloka 12

सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः

Sumantra’s Return to Ayodhya and the Palace’s Lament

Devanagari script

शुश्राव च वचस्तेषां बृन्दं बृन्दं च तिष्ठताम्।हतास्म खलु ये नेह पश्याम इति राघवम्।।।।

Transliteration

śuśrāva ca vacas teṣāṃ bṛndaṃ bṛndaṃ ca tiṣṭhatām | hatā sma khalu ye neha paśyāma iti rāghavam ||

Translation

ਉਹ ਜਦੋਂ ਟੋਲੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਖੜੇ ਸਨ, ਉਸ ਨੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੇ ਬਚਨ ਵੀ ਸੁਣੇ— ‘ਅਸੀਂ ਤਾਂ ਨਿਸਚਿਤ ਹੀ ਨਾਸ ਹੋ ਗਏ; ਹੁਣ ਇੱਥੇ ਰਾਘਵ ਨੂੰ ਨਹੀਂ ਦੇਖਾਂਗੇ।’

Word by Word

• शुश्राव: heard
• शुश्राव: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• वचः: words; speech
• वचः: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया 2), Singular (एकवचन); collective ‘speech/words’

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (षष्ठी 6), Plural (बहुवचन)

• बृन्दम्: in a group
• बृन्दम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛnda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (द्वितीया 2), Singular (एकवचन); used adverbially ‘in a group’

• बृन्दम्: group after group
• बृन्दम्: Kriya-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛnda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular; repetition for distributive sense

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• तिष्ठताम्: of (those) standing
• तिष्ठताम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/qualifier of teṣām)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ) in Genitive plural (षष्ठी बहुवचन) ‘of those standing’; used as dependent genitive with तेषाम्

• हताः: ruined; lost
• हताः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √han (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा 1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• स्म: indeed; (past marker)
• स्म: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle used with past sense/emphasis (स्म-निपात)

• खलु: indeed
• खलु: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक-निपात)

• ये: we who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेधः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, negation particle

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्/locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb of place

• पश्यामः: see
• पश्यामः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative marker

• राघवम्: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Context

He saw them gathering in groups, saying, Henceforth we will not be able to see Rama and without him, we are lost indeed.

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• people of Ayodhyā

FAQs

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

A society’s well-being is tied to righteous leadership: their despair reflects the dharmic idea that the presence of a just person sustains communal confidence and order.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumantra (or the returning party) hears citizens lamenting in groups that they will no longer see Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s loka-saṃgraha (upholding the people): the people’s reaction implies his protective, morally stabilizing influence.