Valmiki Ramayana 2.20.52 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 20, Shloka 52

अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः

Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile

Devanagari script

इदं हि दुःखं यदनर्थकानि मेव्रतानि दानानि च संयमाश्च हि।तपश्च तप्तं यदपत्यकारणात्सुनिष्फलं बीजमिवोप्तमूषरे।।।।

Transliteration

idaṃ hi duḥkhaṃ yad anarthakāni me vratāni dānāni ca saṃyamāś ca hi | tapaś ca taptaṃ yad apatyakāraṇāt suniṣphalaṃ bījam ivoptam ūṣare ||

Translation

นี่แลคือความโศกของเรา: วรตะของเรา ทานของเรา และสังยามะคือการสำรวมตน ล้วนกลับไร้ความหมาย แม้ตบะที่เราบำเพ็ญเพื่อหวังได้บุตรก็มิได้ผล ดุจเมล็ดพืชหว่านลงในดินกันดาร

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: कर्तृ/विषयः (subject/topic of statement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.)

• हि: indeed, for
• हि: सम्बन्ध/प्रयोग-निपातः (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/पदार्थ-प्रबोधकः (particle; emphatic/causal nuance)

• दुःखम्: sorrow, regret
• दुःखम्: कर्तृ/विषयः (predicate-noun with इदम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.)

• यत्: that which
• यत्: सम्बन्धः (relative link to इदम् दुःखम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.; relative pronoun introducing clause)

• अनर्थकानि: meaningless, futile
• अनर्थकानि: विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्थक (प्रातिपदिक; अ- + अर्थक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Nom. pl. neut.; agrees with व्रतानि/दानानि/संयमाः as predicative adj.)

• मे: my
• मे: सम्बन्धः (possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Gen. sg.; enclitic form)

• व्रतानि: vows, observances
• व्रतानि: कर्तृ/विषयः (items being described as futile)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Nom. pl. neut.)

• दानानि: gifts, charities
• दानानि: कर्तृ/विषयः (co-listed item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Nom. pl. neut.)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चयः (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• संयमाः: restraints, self-control
• संयमाः: कर्तृ/विषयः (co-listed item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संयम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः बहुवचनम् (Nom. pl. masc.)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चयः (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध/प्रयोग-निपातः (discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (particle; emphasis)

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: कर्तृ/विषयः (additional item in list)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चयः (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपातः (conjunction)

• तप्तम्: performed, practised
• तप्तम्: विशेषणम् (qualifier of तपः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय) = तप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं कृदन्तम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (PPP; Nom. sg. neut.; agrees with तपः)

• यत्: which
• यत्: सम्बन्धः (relative link; repeats for second clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.; relative pronoun)

• अपत्यकारणात्: from/for the cause of progeny
• अपत्यकारणात्: हेतुः (cause/purpose: for the sake of progeny)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य + कारण (प्रातिपदिक-द्वय) + तसिल्/तसि (ablative) = अपत्यकारण (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (अपत्यस्य कारणम्); नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Abl. sg. neut.; हेतौ/कारणे)

• सुनिष्फलम्: utterly fruitless
• सुनिष्फलम्: विशेषणम् (predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + निष्फल (प्रातिपदिक; उपसर्ग/उपपद-पूर्वक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.; predicate adj. to तपः/बीजम्-उपमा)

• बीजम्: seed
• बीजम्: उपमानम् (standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बीज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nom. sg. neut.)

• इव: like, as
• इव: उपमा-सूचकः (marks simile)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)

• उप्तम्: sown
• उप्तम्: विशेषणम् (qualifier of बीजम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वप् (धातु) + क्त (कृत्-प्रत्यय) = उप्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त-प्रत्ययान्तं कृदन्तम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (PPP; Nom. sg. neut.; agrees with बीजम्)

• ऊषरे: in barren land
• ऊषरे: अधिकरणम् (locus: where sown)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऊषर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे सप्तमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Loc. sg. neut.)

Context

My regret is that all my mortifications, gifts of charity and penances are of no avail. Even the asceticism which I practised for the sake of progeny was fruitless like a seed sown in a barren land.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

It raises the classic dharmic question of effort versus outcome: righteous acts may not yield visible rewards, yet their moral worth lies in sincerity and adherence to truth.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā reflects on the religious disciplines she undertook to obtain a son, lamenting that the present calamity makes those spiritual labors feel wasted.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Spiritual striving—she had lived with vows, charity, and restraint, showing commitment to religious duty even before the crisis.