Valmiki Ramayana 2.67.3 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 67, Shloka 3

अयोध्यायां शोक-रात्रिः तथा अराजक-राष्ट्रस्य नीतिविचारः

The Night of Lamentation in Ayodhya and the Political Ethics of a Kingless Realm

Devanagari script

मार्कण्डेयोऽथ मौद्गल्यो वामदेवश्च काश्यपः।कात्यायनो गौतमश्च जाबालिश्च महायशाः।।।।एते द्विजा स्सहामात्यैः पृथग्वा च मुदीरयन्।वसिष्ठमेवाभिमुखाः श्रेष्ठं राजपुरोहितम्।।।।

Transliteration

mārkaṇḍeyo 'tha maudgalyo vāmadevaś ca kāśyapaḥ | kātyāyano gautamaś ca jābāliś ca mahāyaśāḥ ||

ete dvijāḥ sahāmātyaiḥ pṛthag vā ca mudīrayan | vasiṣṭham evābhimukhāḥ śreṣṭhaṃ rājapurohitam ||

Translation

ครั้นแล้ว มารกัณฑेयะ โมทคัลยะ วามเทวะ กาศยปะ กาตยายนะ โคตมะ และชาบาลีผู้มีเกียรติยศ—พราหมณ์ทวิชเหล่านี้ พร้อมด้วยอำมาตย์ทั้งหลาย หรือแยกกัน—ได้เข้าไปเฝ้าวสิษฐะ ปุโรหิตหลวงผู้ประเสริฐ แล้วกล่าวถ้อยคำตามทัศนะของตน

Word by Word

• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Markandeya
• mārkaṇḍeyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārkaṇḍeya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (Masculine/पुंलिङ्ग), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative/प्रथमा), Ekavacana (Singular/एकवचन)

• atha: and/then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya/anuvṛtti-artha particle (indeclinable connective: 'and/then')

• maudgalyaḥ: Maudgalya
• maudgalyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: maudgalya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• vāmadevaḥ: Vamadeva
• vāmadevaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāmadeva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (conjunction 'and')

• kāśyapaḥ: Kashyapa
• kāśyapaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśyapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• kātyāyanaḥ: Katyayana
• kātyāyanaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kātyāyana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• gautamaḥ: Gautama
• gautamaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gautama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (conjunction 'and')

• jābāliḥ: Jabali
• jābāliḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jābāli (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (conjunction 'and')

• mahāyaśāḥ: of great renown
• mahāyaśāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā-yaśas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; karmadhāraya-samāsa: mahā + yaśas (great + fame)

• ete: these
• ete: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana (Plural/बहुवचन); sarvanāma (pronoun) used adjectivally

• dvijāḥ: brahmins (twice-born)
• dvijāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; sahārtha (prepositional indeclinable 'together with'); governs Tṛtīyā (instrumental)

• amātyaiḥ: with ministers
• amātyaiḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amātya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (Instrumental/तृतीया), Bahuvacana

• pṛthak: separately
• pṛthak: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pṛthak (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; kriyāviśeṣaṇa (adverb: 'separately/individually')

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; vikalpa (disjunctive particle 'or')

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; samuccaya (conjunction 'and')

• mudīrayan: uttering/expressing
• mudīrayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-īr (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kāla kṛdanta; Śatṛ-pratyaya (present active participle/शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; upasarga: mud-/ud- (here: 'utter/express')

• vasiṣṭham: Vasistha
• vasiṣṭham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vasiṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/द्वितीया), Ekavacana

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; avadhāraṇa (emphatic particle 'indeed/only')

• abhimukhāḥ: facing/towards
• abhimukhāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: abhimukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; viśeṣaṇa of dvijāḥ (facing/towards)

• śreṣṭham: the best/chief
• śreṣṭham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śreṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; viśeṣaṇa of rājapurohitam/vasiṣṭham

• rāja-purohitam: the king's priest
• rāja-purohitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan + purohita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: rājñaḥ purohitaḥ (king's priest)

Context

Markandeya, Maudgalya, Kasyapa, Katyayana, Gautama, Jabali of great renown accompanied by ministers and brahmins approached Vasistha, the chief priest of the king and expressed different opinions (on the investiture).

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Vāmadeva
• Kāśyapa
• Kātyāyana
• Gautama
• Jābāli
• Vasiṣṭha
• amātya (ministers)

FAQs

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

Dharma is approached through deliberation: qualified elders and ministers consult the chief preceptor, showing that righteous action in statecraft should arise from counsel, not impulse.

What is the narrative situation?

A council of eminent brahmins and ministers gathers and approaches Vasiṣṭha to present views connected with governance and succession in Ayodhya.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Wisdom through consultation—respect for learned authority (guru/purohita) and collective reasoning in moments of political uncertainty.