Valmiki Ramayana 2.20.6: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 20, Shloka 6

अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः · Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile

Setting: Ayodhya inner palace (antaḥpura)

Devanagari script

इति सर्वा महिष्यस्ता विवत्सा इव धेनवः ।

पतिमाचुक्रुशुश्चैव सस्वरं चापि चुक्रुशुः ॥६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.20.6

Transliteration

iti sarvā mahiṣyas tā vivatsā iva dhenavaḥ |

patim ācukruśuś caiva sasvaraṃ cāpi cukruśuḥ ||6||

Translation

ఇలా ఆ ప్రధాన మహిషులందరూ—దూడలేని ఆవులవలె—తమ భర్తను ఉద్దేశించి పెద్ద స్వరంతో విలపిస్తూ, గట్టిగా ఆర్తనాదం చేశారు.

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Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; इति-शब्दः (quotative particle/marker of speech: “thus”)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्योपसंहार (discourse marker)

• सर्वाः: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (सर्व-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (feminine nominative plural)
• Role: कर्तृ (agent; qualifier of mahiṣyāḥ)

• महिष्याः: the queens / king's wives
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिषी (महिषी-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (feminine nominative plural)
• Role: कर्तृ (agent; subject)

• ताः: those (women)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (feminine nominative plural; pronoun)
• Role: कर्तृ (appositive to mahiṣyāḥ)

• विवत्साः: calfless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विवत्स (विवत्स-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (feminine nominative plural; used adjectivally)
• Role: कर्तृ (qualifier; in simile)

• इव: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (particle of comparison: “like/as”)
• Role: उपमान-सम्बन्ध (simile marker)

• धेनवः: cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु (धेनु-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति; बहुवचन (feminine nominative plural)
• Role: उपमान (standard of comparison)

• पतिम्: husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति (पति-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति; एकवचन (masculine accusative singular)
• Role: कर्म (object)

• आचुक्रुशुः: cried out to / lamented for
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + क्रुश् (धातु: क्रुश्; उपसर्ग: आ)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्सभूत/Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, perfect, parasmaipada)
• Role: क्रिया (verbal action)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction “and”)
• Role: समुच्चय (coordination)

• एव: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphatic particle: “indeed/just”)
• Role: अवधारण (emphasis)

• सस्वरम्: loudly / with a loud voice
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स + स्वर (स्वर-प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्गवत् ‘स-’ = ‘with’)
• Form: अव्ययभावेन प्रयुक्तं नपुंसकलिङ्ग-द्वितीया-एकवचन (adverbial accusative: “with voice/loudly”)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय-बोधक (conjunction “and”)
• Role: समुच्चय (coordination)

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अप्यर्थ (particle: “also/even”)
• Role: समुच्चय (addition)

• चुक्रुशुः: cried / wailed
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रुश् (धातु: क्रुश्)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (परोक्सभूत/Perfect); प्रथम-पुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद (3rd person plural, perfect, parasmaipada)
• Role: क्रिया (verbal action)

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution: महिष्यस्ता = महिष्याः + ताः
• पतिमाचुक्रुशुः = पतिम् + आचुक्रुशुः
• आचुक्रुशुश्चैव = आचुक्रुशुः + च + एव
• सस्वरं चापि = सस्वरम् + च + अपि. Meter punctuation normalized

Context

Thus all the queens like calfless cows cried loudly blaming their husband.

The teaching

Even in a dharmic polity, truth-keeping can precipitate intense human suffering; compassion must accompany duty.

Duties in tension

• King’s duty to keep boons/word vs duty to protect and enthrone the righteous heir
• Queens’ duty to support royal dharma vs maternal grief and protest

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma vs familial dharma

How it resolves

Emotional protest foregrounded

For your practice

Practice witnessing collective emotion without being swept away; cultivate karuṇā with steadiness.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Wailing, bereft, communal-grief

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Royal household
• Shoka (grief)
• Ethics

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Dasharatha (implied by pati)

FAQs

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

It shows the human cost that can accompany dharma-bound royal decisions: even when truth and vows are upheld, the household may be shaken by grief, revealing dharma’s severity as well as its necessity.

What is the narrative situation?

Within the palace, the queens collectively break into loud lamentation, comparing themselves to calfless cows amid the crisis surrounding Rama.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a single virtue but a shared emotional reality: the queens’ vulnerability and attachment, illustrating the epic’s compassionate portrayal of suffering.