Valmiki Ramayana 2.34.29: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 34, Shloka 29

रामदर्शनार्थं दारानयनम् · The Queens Summoned; Rama’s Leave

Taking and Dasaratha’s Collapse

Spoken by Rama to DasharathaSetting: Ayodhyā (speech before departure)Places named: Vana (forest, generic)Pre-departure vow articulation; exile duration specified

Devanagari script

नव पञ्च च वर्षाणि वनवासे विहृत्य ते ।

पुनःपादौ ग्रहीष्यामि प्रतिज्ञान्ते नराधिप ॥२९॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.34.29

Transliteration

nava pañca ca varṣāṇi vanavāse vihṛtya te |

punaḥ pādau grahīṣyāmi pratijñānte narādhipa! ||29||

Translation

„Po spędzeniu dziewięciu i pięciu lat, czternastu, w lesie, i tak wypełniając ślubowanie, powrócę i ponownie uchwycę twoje stopy, o władco ludzi.”

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Word by Word

• nava: nine
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective, indeclinable-like in counting; here qualifying varṣāṇi
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• pañca: five
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective; with nava ... ca = 'and five'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• varṣāṇi: years
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, accusative (द्वितीया) plural; duration/extent (कालपरिमाण)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण/Duration)

• vanavāse: in forest-dwelling / in exile in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanavāsa (प्रातिपदिक; vana + vāsa)
• Form: Masculine, locative (सप्तमी) singular; tatpuruṣa compound
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• vihṛtya: having roamed / having spent (time)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), form vihṛtya; indeclinable; prior action
• Role: Purvakāla-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• te: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: Pronoun, genitive (षष्ठी) singular (enclitic)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)

• punaḥ: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb
• Role: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• pādau: (your) two feet
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, accusative (द्वितीया) dual
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)

• grahīṣyāmi: I will grasp
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ (लुट्, periphrastic future), parasmaipada, 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष) singular
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• pratijñānte: upon (your) vow being fulfilled
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-jñā (धातु) > pratijñānta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Locative (सप्तमी) singular of present active participle stem pratijñānta-; used as locative absolute with implied 'sati' = 'when the vow is fulfilled'
• Role: Saptamī-absolute (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध/अधिकरण)

• narādhipa: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara-adhipa (प्रातिपदिक; nara + adhipa)
• Form: Masculine, vocative (सम्बोधन) singular; tatpuruṣa compound
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• pratijñānte is taken as locative of participle (saptamī absolute sense)
• te is enclitic genitive

Context

Having fulfilled the vow on the completion of fourteen years of wandering in the forest I shall come back to touch your feet, O lord of men!

The teaching

A vow fulfilled in full restores harmony; patience and fidelity to commitment are dharma.

Duties in tension

• Obedience to father/royal command
• Duty to accept exile term without resentment
• Maintaining hope and reassurance to elder

Ethical theme

Vrata-dharma and filial piety

How it resolves

Vrata framed as time-bound duty with promised return

For your practice

Cultivating titikṣā and commitment; honoring elders; keeping time-bound vows.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Promissory, patient, poignant

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Maryada
• Filial Duty
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• vanavāsa (forest exile)
• fourteen years

FAQs

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

Faithfulness to a vow (pratijñā) is treated as dharma; Rāma frames exile as a time-bound duty to be completed without resentment.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma reassures Daśaratha that he will complete the fourteen-year exile and return, restoring the filial relationship through respectful homage.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness and reverence—Rāma’s commitment to keep the pledge and honor his father.