Valmiki Ramayana 2.57.11 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 57, Shloka 11

सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः

Sumantra’s Return to Ayodhya and the Palace’s Lament

Devanagari script

ते तीर्णा इति विज्ञाय बाष्पपूर्णमुखा जनाः।अहो धिगिति निश्श्वस्य हा रामेति च चुक्रुशुः।।।।

Transliteration

te tīrṇā iti vijñāya bāṣpa-pūrṇa-mukhā janāḥ | aho dhig iti niśśvasya hā rāmeti ca cukruśuḥ ||

Translation

ครั้นประชาชนรู้ว่า “พระองค์ทั้งหลายข้ามฟากแล้ว” ต่างมีใบหน้าเอ่อด้วยน้ำตา ถอนใจแล้วร้องว่า “โอ้ น่าละอายแก่เรา!” และ “โอ้ พระราม!”

Word by Word

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा 1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• तीर्णाः: (having) crossed
• तीर्णाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा 1), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘having crossed’

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative marker

• विज्ञाय: having learned
• विज्ञाय: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (पूर्वकालिकक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi√jñā (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having known/understood’

• बाष्प-पूर्ण-मुखाः: with tear-filled faces
• बाष्प-पूर्ण-मुखाः: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृविशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṣpa (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + mukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा 1), Plural (बहुवचन); बहुव्रीहिः ‘बाष्पेण पूर्णं मुखं येषाम्’ = whose faces are full of tears

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा 1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• अहो: alas! oh!
• अहो: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, exclamation/interjection (विस्मयादि-निपात)

• धिक्: fie! shame!
• धिक्: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhik (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, imprecatory particle/interjection (निन्दार्थक-निपात)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative marker

• निःश्वस्य: sighing
• निःश्वस्य: Kriya-samānādhikaraṇa (पूर्वकालिकक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niḥ√śvas (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having sighed’

• हा: alas!
• हा: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/interjection)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, lamentation interjection (शोक-निपात)

• राम: O Rama
• राम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधनम्/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, quotative marker

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction (समुच्चय)

• चुक्रुशुः: cried out
• चुक्रुशुः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kruś (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

Context

Hearing that they had (the trio) crossed the river Ganga, the people, with their faces filled with tears sighed and saying 'Fie upon us! Alas, Rama!' cried out aloud.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• people of Ayodhyā
• Gaṅgā (implied)

FAQs

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

Collective moral awakening: the people’s remorse implies recognition of a dharmic loss—when the righteous are driven away, society feels its own failure and suffering.

What is the narrative situation?

News spreads that Rāma and companions have crossed the river, and the citizens respond with grief and self-reproach.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bhakti-like devotion and moral sensitivity in the populace: their tears show how deeply they value Rāma’s righteousness.