Valmiki Ramayana 2.88.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 88, Shloka 22

रामशय्यादर्शनम् · Bharata Beholds Rama’s Forest Bed

Devanagari script

आकर्णधारा पृथिवी नौः इव प्रतिभाति मा ।

गते दशरथे स्वर्गं रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.88.22

Transliteration

ākarṇadhārā pṛthivī nauḥ iva pratibhāti mā |

gate daśarathe svargaṃ rāme cāraṇyam āśrite ||22||

Translation

เมื่อท้าวทศรถเสด็จสู่สวรรค์ และพระรามทรงอาศัยอยู่ในป่าแล้ว แผ่นดินทั้งผืนนี้ปรากฏแก่ข้าพเจ้าดุจเรือที่ไร้ผู้ถือหางเสือ

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Word by Word

• आकर्ण-धारा: rudderless / without a helmsman
• आकर्ण-धारा: कर्तृ-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ (उपसर्ग) + कर्ण (प्रातिपदिक) + धारा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण; 'आकर्णधारा' = कर्णधारा-रहित (rudderless/without helmsman) (usage as bahuvrihi in sense, but form as tatpurusha)

• पृथिवी: the earth
• पृथिवी: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नौः: a ship
• नौः: उपमान (comparison base)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नौ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमाव्यय (comparative particle)

• प्रतिभाति: appears
• प्रतिभाति: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति√भा (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मे: to me
• मे: सम्प्रदान (Dative experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन रूप (gen./dat. sg. enclitic); here दत्तिवाचक (to me)

• गते: when (he) had gone
• गते: सति-सप्तमी (circumstantial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (locative absolute)

• दशरथे: (when) Daśaratha
• दशरथे: सति-सप्तमी
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• स्वर्गम्: to heaven
• स्वर्गम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (goal)

• रामे: when Rāma (was)
• रामे: सति-सप्तमी
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक निपात (conjunction)

• अरण्यम्: the forest
• अरण्यम्: कर्म/गति-लक्ष्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; गत्यर्थकर्म (goal)

• आश्रिते: having taken refuge (in)
• आश्रिते: सति-सप्तमी
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√श्रि (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP, क्त); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; सति-सप्तमी (having resorted to)

Context

King Dasaratha having ascended to heaven and Rama taken shelter in the forest, this kingdom appears to me like a ship without a helmsman.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• heaven (svarga)
• forest (araṇya)

FAQs

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

Rāja-dharma: a kingdom requires righteous leadership; without a dharmic king, society becomes directionless and vulnerable.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha has died; Rāma is in exile—creating a leadership vacuum felt as instability in the state.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The speaker’s sense of responsibility and clear-eyed recognition that governance must be anchored in dharma.