Ayodhya Kanda Sarga 55 Shloka 23 - Valmiki Ramayana | Sanskrit | Vedapath

Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 55, Shloka 23

चित्रकूटमार्गोपदेशः

Instructions for the Chitrakuta Route and the Yamuna Crossing

Devanagari script

ते तीर्णाः प्लवमुत्सृज्य प्रस्थाय यमुनावनात्।श्यामं न्यग्रोध मासेदु श्शीतलं हरितच्छदम्।।।।

Transliteration

te tīrṇāḥ plavam utsṛjya prasthāya yamunāvanāt | śyāmaṃ nyagrodham āsēduḥ śītalaṃ haritacchadam ||

Translation

ते तीर्णाः प्लवमुत्सृज्य यमुनावनात् प्रस्थाय श्यामं शीतलं हरितच्छदं न्यग्रोधमासेदुः।

Word by Word

तेthey

तीर्णाःhaving crossed

प्लवम्the raft

उत्सृज्यhaving left behind

प्रस्थायhaving set out

यमुना-वनात्from the Yamunā-forest

श्यामम्dark

न्यग्रोधम्banyan tree

आसेदुःthey reached

शीतलम्cool

हरित-च्छदम्green-leaved

Context

They crossed the swift-flowing river Yamuna, daughter of the Sun-god, full of waves and with trees growing thick on her banks.

Characters & Entities

Yamunā

Nyagrodha (banyan tree)

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

Dharma includes measured living: they take what is needed for passage, then move on without possessiveness—leaving the raft and proceeding simply.

What is the narrative situation?

Having crossed the Yamunā, the group enters the riverside forest and reaches a cool banyan tree.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Simplicity and non-attachment (aparigraha), reflected in moving onward after use.