Valmiki Ramayana 2.80.1-3: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 80, Shlokas 1-3
मर्गनिर्माणम्
Roadworks and the Royal Route Prepared for Bharata
Narrated by ValmikiSetting: Route/forest-edge (implied)Advance preparations for the travel route (purataḥ pratastire)
अथ भूमिप्रदेशज्ञास्सूत्रकर्मविशारदाः ।
स्वकर्माभिरताश्शूराः खनका यन्त्रकास्तथा ॥१॥
कर्मान्तिकाः स्थपतयः पुरुष यन्त्रकोविदाः ।
तथा वार्धकयश्चैव मार्गिणो वृक्षतक्षकाः ॥२॥
कूपकारास्सुधाकारार्वंशकर्मकृतस्तथा ।
समर्था ये च द्रष्टारः पुरतस्ते प्रतस्थिरे ॥३॥
atha bhūmipradeśajñāḥ sūtrakarmaviśāradāḥ |
svakarmābhiratāḥ śūrāḥ khanakā yantrakās tathā ||1||
karmāntikāḥ sthapatayaḥ puruṣā yantrakovidāḥ |
tathā vārdhakayaś caiva mārgiṇo vṛkṣatakṣakāḥ ||2||
kūpakārāḥ sudhākārā vaṅśakarmakṛtas tathā |
samarthā ye ca draṣṭāraḥ puratas te pratasthire ||3||
Następnie wyruszyli naprzód mierniczy ziem i eksperci od pomiarów, odważni mężowie oddani swoim zadaniom: wykopywacze i inżynierowie, wykwalifikowani rzemieślnicy, architekci i mechanicy; stolarze, budowniczowie dróg i ścinacze drzew; kopacze studni, tynkarze i bielicze, pracownicy bambusowi oraz kompetentni nadzorcy, posuwając się na czele.
Sandhi Notes
- भूमिप्रदेशज्ञास् = भूमिप्रदेशज्ञाः (visarga before s)
- सूत्रकर्मविशारदाः (compound)
- स्वकर्माभिरताश्शूराः = स्वकर्माभिरताः + शूराः (visarga sandhi)
Then surveyors, experts in measurment, energetic and zealous labourers, excavators, engineers, skilled workers, architects, craftsmen, carpenters, road-levellers, wood-cutters, well-diggers, whitewashers, basket-makers, competent supervisors were sent in advance.
The teaching
धर्मयात्रायाः सिद्ध्यर्थं सामूहिक-कर्मकौशलं—राज्ये लोकहित-कार्याणि अग्रे नियोज्यन्ते।
- Ethical theme
- राजधर्म/लोककल्याण
For your practice
Inspires seva-bhāva: many roles, one purpose; mindfulness in one’s craft as worship through competence.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)
- Mood
- Industrious, organized, forward-moving
Themes
- Dharma
- Rajadharma
- Public Administration
- Itihasa
- Maryada
Karma-yoga motif: many svadharmas coordinated toward a single dharmic end; action as offering when aligned with a higher purpose.
The idea of ordered functions (like prāṇas/indriyas) working in concert for a goal echoes Upaniṣadic imagery of coordinated faculties under a guiding principle.
महाभारत: राजमार्ग-सेतु-निर्माण वर्णन in various tīrtha-yātrā/raja-sevā contexts (general parallel); राघवयात्रा-मार्ग-सम्भार वर्णन in later retellings (e.g., Rāmacaritamānasa forest-journey preparations, thematic parallel)
अर्थशास्त्रीय राज्यकर्म-व्यवस्था (public works, surveying, engineering)
अयोध्याकाण्ड 2.79-2.81: मार्ग-सम्भार/यात्रा-व्यवस्था sequence around these verses
अनुष्टुप् (mixed pāda-length due to listing; recited as narrative anuṣṭup flow)
Narrative
Steady madhyama-gati with clear pauses for enumerations
FAQs
Rajadharma as responsible governance: organizing skilled labor and supervision to ensure safe travel and orderly public works, reflecting duty of the state toward people and royal missions.
As Bharata is to travel, a large team of specialists and overseers is dispatched ahead to prepare the route and necessary facilities.
Administrative competence and foresight—planning in advance, assigning qualified personnel, and ensuring accountability through supervisors.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
