Valmiki Ramayana 2.47.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 47, Shloka 4

अयोध्यायाः पौरविलापः

Lament of the Citizens of Ayodhya on Rama’s Absence

Spoken by Citizens of AyodhyaSetting: Ayodhya

Devanagari script

धिगस्तु खलु निद्रां तां ययाऽपहृतचेतसः ।

नाद्य पश्यामहे रामं पृथूरस्कं महाभुजम् ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.47.4

Transliteration

dhig astu khalu nidrāṃ tāṃ yayā ’pahṛtacetasaḥ |

na adya paśyāmahe rāmaṃ pṛthūraskaṃ mahābhujam ||4||

Translation

น่าติเตียนนักหนาแก่ความหลับนั้น ที่ได้ลักเอาสติของเราไป; วันนี้เรามิได้เห็นพระราม ผู้ทรงอุระกว้างและพระกรอันเกรียงไกร

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Word by Word

• dhik: fie! shame!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhik (अव्यय)
• Form: निन्दार्थक-अव्यय (indeclinable interjection of censure)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• astu: let it be
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (अस् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• khalu: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/अव्यय (particle of emphasis)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• nidrām: sleep
• Type: Noun
• Root: nidrā (निद्रा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tām: that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; विशेषणम् (demonstrative)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)

• yayā: by which
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (यद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), एकवचनम्; सम्बन्धे हेतौ/करणे (by which)
• Role: Karana (करण)

• apahṛtacetasaḥ: whose minds are stolen away
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apahṛta (अप-हृ धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय) + cetas (चेतस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष-प्रायः (अपहृतं चेतः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम्
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपातः (negation)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• adya: today/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• paśyāmahe: we see
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), बहुवचनम्; आत्मनेपदम्
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• rāmam: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (राम प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• pṛthūraskam: broad-chested
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pṛthu (पृथु प्रातिपदिक) + uras (उरस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: कर्मधारयः (पृथु उरः यस्य/पृथु-उरस्कः); पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; रामम् इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• mahābhujam: mighty-armed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (महा प्रातिपदिक) + bhuja (भुज प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः: कर्मधारयः (महान्तौ भुजौ यस्य); पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम्; रामम् इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

Sandhi Notes

• धिगस्तु = धिक् + अस्तु
• ययाऽपहृतचेतसः = यया + अपहृतचेतसः
• नाद्य = न + अद्य

Context

Fie on this sleep which robbed us of our senses. We are unable to see (now) that broad-chested and mighty-armed Rama.

The teaching

Pramāda makes one miss the moment of dharma; wakefulness and readiness are forms of devotion and civic responsibility.

Duties in tension

• Personal comfort (sleep) vs. civic devotion/vigilance toward the righteous prince
• Ordinary routine vs. timely support of dharma in crisis

Ethical theme

Apramāda (vigilance) / civic duty

How it resolves

Self-reproach leading to renewed vigilance/commitment

Devotion and practice

Encourages wakeful remembrance and promptness in service (sevā) rather than tamasic delay.

Deity praised

Rama (implicitly)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Self-reproach, restless, aching

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Regret
• Loss of vigilance

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Ayodhyā (implied)

FAQs

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

It warns against negligence: failing in vigilance can lead to irreversible loss, especially when one’s duty is to uphold and support dhārmic order.

What is the narrative situation?

The citizens reproach their own sleep/heedlessness as they realize Rāma has gone and they can no longer see him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s heroic strength is highlighted (broad-chested, mighty-armed), underscoring why his absence feels unbearable.