Valmiki Ramayana 2.78.9: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 78, Shloka 9

अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः · Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint

Mantharā Episode

Addressed to ŚatrughnaSetting: Ayodhyā palace gate/guard areaPlaces named: vana (forest, as destination of exile)

Devanagari script

यस्याः कृते वने रामो न्यस्तदेहश्च वः पिता ।

सेयं पापा नृशंसा च तस्याः कुरु यथामति ॥९॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.78.9

Transliteration

yasyāḥ kṛte vane rāmo nyastadehaś ca vaḥ pitā |

seyaṃ pāpā nṛśaṃsā ca tasyāḥ kuru yathāmati ||9||

Translation

“เพราะนางผู้นี้ พระรามจึงต้องอยู่ในป่า และพระบิดาของท่านก็ได้ละสังขารแล้ว นี่แหละหญิงผู้บาปหนาและโหดร้าย—ท่านจงกระทำแก่นางตามที่ทรงเห็นสมควรเถิด”

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• यस्याः: of whom/whose
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Feminine, Genitive, Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)

• कृते: for the sake (of)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतौ सप्तमी/निमित्ते (kṛte used as postposition-like indeclinable: 'for the sake of')
• Role: हेतु (Cause/हेतु)

• वने: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (Location/अधिकरण)

• रामः: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)

• न्यस्तदेहः: one who has laid down his body (died)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि + अस् (धातु) + देह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular); समास: न्यस्तः देहः यस्य सः (बहुव्रीहि)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (Connector/समुच्चय)

• वः: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Genitive, Plural)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitival relation/सम्बन्ध)

• पिता: father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)

• सा: she
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Agent/कर्ता)

• इयम्: this (woman)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: अपादान-निर्देश/सम्बोधन (Deictic apposition)

• पापा: sinful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)

• नृशंसा: cruel
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Feminine, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: समुच्चय (Connector/समुच्चय)

• तस्याः: to her
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, एकवचन; अत्र चतुर्थी-अर्थे (Dative sense: 'to her')
• Role: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)

• कुरु: do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (2nd person singular, Imperative)
• Role: क्रिया (Predicate/क्रिया)

• यथामति: as you think/as you please
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + मति (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास: यथा मति (according to (your) mind); अव्यय (adverb)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (Adverbial modifier/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

Sandhi Notes

• न्यस्तदेहश्च = न्यस्तदेहः च
• सेयं = सा इयम्

Context

Here is that sinful, cruel woman on whose account Rama is in the forest and your father has forsaken his body. Do with her as it pleases you.

The teaching

Grief seeks retribution, but dharma demands measured response; authority must temper anger with justice.

Duties in tension

• Vengeance for family suffering vs compassion and proportional justice
• Upholding dharma through punishment vs avoiding cruelty toward a dependent servant
• Acting swiftly to restore moral order vs ensuring fair judgment

Ethical theme

Daṇḍanīti / kṣamā-viveka

How it resolves

Delegated discretion (‘yathāmati’)—decision placed on Śatrughna’s prudence

For your practice

When wronged, offer grief into disciplined action: protect dharma without hatred; contemplate impermanence to cool vengeance.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Accusatory, grief-stricken, vengeful

Themes

• Ethics
• Dharma
• Retribution
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha (your father)
• Mantharā
• Forest (vana)
• Śatrughna

FAQs

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

It raises the dharmic tension between righteous justice and uncontrolled vengeance: wrongs are acknowledged, but dharma ultimately requires measured response under authority, not rage.

What is the narrative situation?

The guards present Mantharā to Śatrughna and accuse her of causing Rāma’s exile and Daśaratha’s death, urging Śatrughna to decide her fate.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Responsibility in judgment: Śatrughna is positioned as one who must choose restraint and lawful action over impulsive punishment.