Valmiki Ramayana 2.76.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 76, Shloka 2

दशरथस्य अन्त्येष्टि

विधानम् · Dasaratha’s Funeral Rites and Ayodhya’s Mourning

Spoken by Vasistha to BharataSetting: अयोध्या (royal setting for funeral rites)

Devanagari script

अलं शोकेन भद्रं ते राजपुत्र महायशः ।

प्राप्तकालं नरपतेः कुरु संयानमुत्तमम् ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.76.2

Transliteration

alaṃ śokena bhadraṃ te rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ |

prāptakālaṃ narapateḥ kuru saṃyānam uttamam ||2||

Translation

Basta de luto; sê abençoado, ó príncipe ilustre de grande fama. Chegou o tempo: realiza os ritos fúnebres do rei da melhor e mais correta maneira.

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Word by Word

• अलम्: enough (of)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: alam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेधार्थ/पर्याप्त्यर्थ-निपात (enough!)
• Role: Discourse particle (निपात)

• शोकेन: with grief
• Type: Noun
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• भद्रम्: good fortune, blessing
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhadra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; आशीर्वादार्थक प्रयोग (benedictive nominal)
• Role: Prayojana/Discourse (आशीः)

• ते: to you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन
• Role: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)

• राजपुत्र: O prince
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (राज्ञः पुत्रः); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• महायशः: O greatly renowned one
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (महद् यशः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• प्राप्तकालम्: timely, whose time has come
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prāpta + kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (प्राप्तः कालः यस्य/यत्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संयानम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) / Karma-viśeṣaṇa
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• नरपतेः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (नराणां पतिः); पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• कुरु: do, perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative); परस्मैपद; मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• संयानम्: funeral rites, last rites
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃyāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• उत्तमम्: best, excellent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (संयानम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) / Karma-viśeṣaṇa

Sandhi Notes

• संयानमुत्तमम् → संयानम् उत्तमम्

Context

O prince of great renown, may God bless you! It is not proper on your part to grieve. It is time to perform the funeral rites of the king in the best way possible.

The teaching

Grief is natural, but the timely performance of prescribed rites is the prince’s foremost obligation.

Duties in tension

• पुत्र-शोक (personal grief)
• पितृ-ऋण/अन्त्येष्टि-कर्तव्य (funeral duty to father and king)

Ethical theme

पितृधर्म / राजधर्म

How it resolves

Guru-guided prioritization of immediate dharmic rite

For your practice

Practice of steadiness: acknowledging grief yet acting rightly at the proper time (kāla-dharma).

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Consoling, urgent, duty-bound

Themes

• Dharma
• Antyeṣṭi (funeral rites)
• Rājadharma
• Śoka (grief)
• Satya
• Itihasa
• Ethics

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Daśaratha
• Vasiṣṭha

FAQs

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

Dharma requires that personal grief be restrained when duty demands timely action—here, the son must complete the father’s last rites as an obligation of filial and social order.

What is the narrative situation?

After Daśaratha’s death and Bharata’s return, Vasiṣṭha consoles Bharata and urges him to proceed with the king’s funeral rites without delay.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness in duty (dharma-niṣṭhā): Bharata is guided to transform sorrow into responsible action.