Valmiki Ramayana 2.40.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 40, Shloka 7

प्रयाणवर्णनम्

Departure from Ayodhya; Civic Lament and the Chariot’s Urgency

Spoken by Sumitra to LakṣmaṇaSetting: Ayodhyā (implied, royal household context)

Devanagari script

इदं हि वृत्तमुचितं कुलस्यास्य सनातनम् ।

दानं दीक्षा च यज्ञेषु तनुत्यागो मृधेषु च ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.40.7

Transliteration

idaṁ hi vṛttam ucitaṁ kulasyāsya sanātanam |

dānaṁ dīkṣā ca yajñeṣu tanutyāgo mṛdheṣu ca ||7||

Translation

इदं हि कुलस्यास्य सनातनं वृत्तमुचितम्—दानं दीक्षा च यज्ञेषु, मृधेषु च तनुत्यागः॥

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Word by Word

• idam: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (emphasis/causal nuance)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• vṛttam: custom/practice
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त; वृत्/वृत्त् धातु)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; PPP used substantively: ‘practice/observance’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ucitam: proper/befitting
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ucita (कृदन्त; वच्/उच् धातु in sense ‘be fitting’)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; agreeing with vṛttam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• kulasya: of the family
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• asya: of this
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; demonstrative ‘of this’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• sanātanam: ancient/eternal
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular; agreeing with vṛttam
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• dānam: charity
• Type: Noun
• Root: dāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; appositional listing of the custom
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• dīkṣā: initiation/consecration
• Type: Noun
• Root: dīkṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• yajñeṣu: in sacrifices
• Type: Noun
• Root: yajña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• tanu-tyāgaḥ: sacrifice of one’s body
• Type: Noun
• Root: tanu (प्रातिपदिक) + tyāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘giving up the body’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• mṛdheṣu: in battles
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛdha (प्रातिपदik)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Plural
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

Sandhi Notes

• vṛttamucitam → vṛttam ucitam
• kulasyāsya → kulasya asya

Context

Charity, initiation at sacrifices and yielding life in battles are the befitting ancient traditions prevailing in your race.

The teaching

Kula-ācāra is preserved by dāna, yajña-dīkṣā, and readiness to sacrifice oneself for righteous battle.

Duties in tension

• Familial attachment (mother’s desire to keep son safe) vs kṣātra-dharma and service to elder brother
• Personal safety vs self-offering for righteous cause

Ethical theme

Duty/virtue ethics (kṣatriya-dharma, communal tradition)

How it resolves

Affirmation of kuladharma and duty as higher imperative

For your practice

Practice tyāga-buddhi: treat duty, giving, and hardship as offerings; cultivate steadiness in dharma under pressure.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Resolute, ancestral, steadfast

Themes

• Dharma
• Kshatriya Dharma
• Maryada
• Sacrifice
• Tradition

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma (contextually linked)
• kula (royal lineage)

FAQs

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

Dharma is continuity with righteous lineage-traditions: giving, ritual discipline, and courageous self-sacrifice when duty demands.

What is the narrative situation?

Sumitrā frames Lakṣmaṇa’s impending hardship as consistent with the long-standing ideals of their royal house.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-sacrifice and steadfastness: the verse elevates giving and readiness to endure suffering for duty.