Valmiki Ramayana 2.78.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 78, Shloka 2

अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः · Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint

Mantharā Episode

Spoken by Śatrughna to BharataSetting: AyodhyaPlaces named: vana (forest)Pre-departure; exile decree leading toward Dandaka forest

Devanagari script

गतिर्य स्सर्वभूतानां दुःखे किं पुनरात्मनः ।

स राम स्सत्त्वसम्पन्नः स्त्रिया प्रव्राजितो वनम् ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.78.2

Transliteration

gatir yaḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ duḥkhe kiṁ punar ātmanaḥ |

sa rāmaḥ sattvasampannaḥ striyā pravrājito vanam ||2||

Translation

गतिर्यः सर्वभूतानां दुःखे किं पुनरात्मनः। स रामः सत्त्वसम्पन्नः स्त्रिया प्रव्राजितो वनम्॥

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Word by Word

• गतिः: refuge/goal
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)

• यः: who
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धक (relative pronoun)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां भूतानाम्)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• दुःखे: in distress
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन
• Role: अधिकरण (Locative/अधिकरण)

• किम्: what (need to say)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Interrogative adverbial/प्रश्न)

• पुनः: again/further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; पुनरुक्ति/अधिक्य (again/further)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)

• सः: he
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)

• रामः: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)

• सत्त्वसम्पन्नः: endowed with strength/virtue
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्पन्न (कृदन्त; सम्+√पद्, क्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (सत्त्वेन सम्पन्नः)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Subject qualifier/कर्तृविशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• स्त्रिया: by a woman
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन
• Role: करण (Instrument/करण)

• प्रव्राजितः: exiled
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+√व्रज् (धातु) णिच् (causative) + क्त
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थतः ‘exiled’
• Role: क्रिया-विशेषण/विधेय (Predicative participle)

• वनम्: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन
• Role: गति/कर्म (Goal as object/कर्म)

Sandhi Notes

• गतिर्यः = गतिः + यः
• किं पुनरात्मनः = किम् + पुनः + आत्मनः
• स रामः = सः + रामः

Context

Couldn't the mighty Rama who is the ultimate refuge of all beings protect himself in his own distress? That Rama has been exiled to the forest by a woman.

The teaching

Even the ‘refuge of all’ accepts personal suffering to preserve social order; yet rulers must guard against being led into adharma by partiality.

Duties in tension

• King’s duty to uphold justice vs obligation to honor boons/promises
• Son’s duty of obedience vs duty to protect family/kingdom from adharma

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma and kula-dharma

How it resolves

Tragic compliance (dharma upheld formally, welfare harmed)

Devotion and practice

Contemplation on Rāma as śaraṇa (refuge) amid worldly reversals; cultivating endurance and dharmic steadiness.

Deity praised

Rama

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Lamenting, indignant, bewildered

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Royal duty
• Grief
• Gendered power
• Exile

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the tension between moral authority and personal suffering: even the one who shelters others (Rāma) endures hardship without abandoning dharma, implying that righteousness is proven under adversity.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rāma’s exile, emotions flare in the royal household; Śatrughna expresses shock and indignation that Rāma has been sent to the forest due to Kaikeyī’s influence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s sattva (steadfast moral strength): he remains the ‘refuge of beings’ even while personally afflicted, suggesting inner integrity rather than mere power.