Valmiki Ramayana 2.58.5 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 58, Shloka 5

अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः (Sarga 58)

Daśaratha Questions Sumantra; Messages from the Forest Threshold

Devanagari script

क्वनु वत्स्यति धर्मात्मा वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रितः।सोऽत्यन्तसुखित स्सूत किमशिष्यति राघवः।।।।

Transliteration

kvanu vatsyati dharmātmā vṛkṣamūlam upāśritaḥ |

so ’tyantasukhitaḥ sūta kimaśiṣyati rāghavaḥ ||

Translation

‘వృక్షమూలాన్ని ఆశ్రయించి ఆ ధర్మాత్ముడు ఎక్కడ నివసించును? హే సూతా, పరమ సుఖంలో పెరిగిన ఆ రాఘవుడు ఏమి భుజించును?’

Word by Word

• kva: where
• kva: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; interrogative adverb (place)

• nu: indeed/now (question particle)
• nu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; interrogative/emphatic particle

• vatsyati: will dwell/live
• vatsyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Periphrastic Future), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• dharmātmā: the righteous one
• dharmātmā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: bahuvrīhi (‘whose self is dharma’ = righteous); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom/1st), Ekavacana

• vṛkṣa-mūlam: the foot/root of a tree
• vṛkṣa-mūlam: Ādhāra/Deśa (अधिकरण/Locative sense as goal with upāśritaḥ)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Samāsa: tatpuruṣa (vṛkṣasya mūlam); Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana

• upāśritaḥ: having taken refuge (at)
• upāśritaḥ: Karta (कर्ता-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: upa-ā-√śri (धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Kta (PPP), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nom/1st), Ekavacana; predicate/qualifier of dharmātmā

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• atyanta-sukhitaḥ: extremely comforted/used to luxury
• atyanta-sukhitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता-viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + sukhita (कृदन्त/PPP of √sukh)
• Form: Samāsa: karmadhāraya (‘utterly happy/accustomed to great comfort’); Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of saḥ/rāghavaḥ

• sūta: O charioteer
• sūta: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (Vocative), Ekavacana

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā (Acc/2nd), Ekavacana; used adverbially ‘what?’

• aśiṣyati: will eat
• aśiṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √aś (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (Periphrastic Future), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava (Rama)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to saḥ/dharmātmā

Context

'How can anyone in this world be pleased with you for deserting Rama, the beloved of all, and ever devoted to their welfare?

Characters & Entities

• Dasharatha
• Sumantra
• Rama

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as costly: the righteous may accept hardship for truth and duty, while loved ones feel the pain of that sacrifice.

What is the narrative situation?

Dasharatha anxiously imagines Rama’s forest life—shelter and food—after his banishment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s dharmic steadfastness (implied), contrasted with Dasharatha’s parental concern.