Valmiki Ramayana 2.102.9 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 102, Shloka 9

पितृमरणश्रवणं जलक्रिया च

Hearing of Daśaratha’s death and the libation rites at Mandākinī

Devanagari script

किं नु तस्य मया कार्यं दुर्जातेन महात्मनः।यो मृतो मम शोकेन मया चापि न संस्कृतः।।।।

Transliteration

kiṁ nu tasya mayā kāryaṁ durjātena mahātmanaḥ |

yo mṛto mama śokena mayā cāpi na saṁskṛtaḥ || 2.102.9 ||

Translation

ఆ మహాత్మునికి నా వంటి దురదృష్టుడి వల్ల ఏమి ప్రయోజనం? నా శోకమే కారణమై ఆయన మరణించాడు; ఆయనకు యథావిధిగా అంత్యేష్టి-సంస్కారమును కూడా నేను చేయలేకపోయాను.

Word by Word

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; interrogative

• नु: indeed/then
• नु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), प्रश्न/अनुनयार्थक (interrogative/emphatic)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; masculine/neuter context-dependent

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• कार्यम्: duty/use
• कार्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य (प्रातिपदिक; कृ-धातु से)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; ‘to be done/need’

• दुर्जातेन: by ill-born/unlucky (me)
• दुर्जातेन: Karana (करण/तृतीया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्जात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier) of ‘मया’

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• मृतः: (has) died / is dead
• मृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकालिक क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘dead’

• मम: my
• मम: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• शोकेन: by/through grief
• शोकेन: Hetu (हेतु/निमित्त)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• अपि: also/even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि = ‘also/even’ (emphatic/additive)

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation)

• संस्कृतः: (was) duly performed/cremated (with rites)
• संस्कृतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + कृ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘properly performed/treated (with rites)’

Context

I could not even perform the last rites of that magnanimous one who died of grief on account of me. What use is my life with an unlucky birth?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Bharata

FAQs

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

Filial dharma and ritual responsibility: Rāma grieves that he could not fulfil the final rites, showing the moral weight given to duties toward parents.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma laments that Daśaratha died grieving for him and that Rāma was absent for the funeral rites.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Accountability and remorse—Rāma judges himself harshly, revealing sincerity rather than self-justification.