Valmiki Ramayana 2.99.42 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 99, Shloka 42

चित्रकूटप्राप्तिः

Bharata Reaches Chitrakuta and Beholds Rama

Devanagari script

तान्पार्थिवान्वारणयूथपाभान्समागतां स्तत्र महत्यरण्ये।वनौकसस्तेऽपि समीक्ष्य सर्वेऽप्यश्रूण्यमुञ्चन्प्रविहाय हर्षम्।।2.99.42।।

Transliteration

tān pārthivān vāraṇa-yūthapābhān samāgatāṁs tatra mahaty araṇye |

vanaukasaḥ te ’pi samīkṣya sarve ’py aśrūṇy amuñcan pravihāya harṣam || 2.99.42 ||

Translation

ครั้นเห็นเหล่าเจ้าชายกษัตริย์มาชุมนุมกันในพงไพรอันไพศาล งามสง่าดุจจ่าฝูงช้าง แม้ชาวป่าทั้งหลายก็ละความยินดี แล้วหลั่งน้ำตาแต่เพียงนั้น

Word by Word

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• pārthivān: kings
• pārthivān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pārthiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• vāraṇa-yūthapa-ābhān: radiant like elephant-herd leaders
• vāraṇa-yūthapa-ābhān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + yūthapa (प्रातिपदिक) + ābha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'वरण-यूथपानाम् आभा इव येषाम्' (having the splendor like leaders of elephant herds)

• samāgatān: assembled; come together
• samāgatān: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √gam (धातु) + sam- (उपसर्ग); samāgata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP), पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन; विशेषण

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• mahati: great
• mahati: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; विशेषण

• araṇye: in the forest
• araṇye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: araṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन

• vanaukasaḥ: forest-dwellers
• vanaukasaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः: 'वने ओकः येषाम्' (forest-dwellers)

• te: they
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनाम

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय (also)

• samīkṣya: having seen
• samīkṣya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √īkṣ (धातु) + sam- (उपसर्ग); samīkṣya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): 'having seen'

• sarve: all
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; सर्वनामवत्

• api: also
• api: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अपि-कारार्थक-अव्यय

• aśrūṇi: tears
• aśrūṇi: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aśru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), बहुवचन

• amuñcan: shed; released
• amuñcan: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• pravihāya: having abandoned
• pravihāya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hā (धातु) + pra- (उपसर्ग) + vi- (उपसर्ग); pravihāya (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): 'having abandoned'

• harṣam: joy
• harṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: harṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Context

We must have reached the region about which Bharadwaja had spoken. I think river Mandakini is not far from here.

Characters & Entities

• forest-dwellers (vanaukasaḥ)
• great forest (mahat araṇya)

FAQs

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

Shared humanity as dharma: even outsiders (forest-dwellers) respond with compassion to righteous suffering, showing that virtue evokes empathy beyond social boundaries.

What is the narrative situation?

At the sarga’s close, the gathering of the princes in the forest moves the local inhabitants to tears rather than celebration.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Compassion and sensitivity—grief is not weakness here; it is an ethical response to the injustice and pain surrounding dharmic exile.