Valmiki Ramayana 2.103.32: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 103, Shloka 32

पिण्डदानदर्शनम् · The Queens Behold Rama’s Śrāddha Offering

Setting: ForestMeeting-assembly at Rama’s forest abode (Citrakuta episode context)

Devanagari script

स राघव स्सत्यधृति श्च लक्ष्मणो महानुभावो भरत श्च धार्मिकः ।

वृताः सुहृद्भि श्च विरेजुरध्वरे यथा सदस्यै स्सहितास्त्रयोऽग्नयः ॥३२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.103.32

Transliteration

sa rāghavaḥ satyadhṛtiś ca lakṣmaṇo mahānubhāvo bharataś ca dhārmikaḥ |

vṛtāḥ suhṛdbhiś ca virējur adhvare yathā sadasyaiḥ sahitās trayo 'gnayaḥ ||32||

Translation

رام، جو سچ میں ثابت قدم تھے، عظیم الشان لکشمن، اور دھرم پر قائم بھرَت—اپنے خیرخواہوں سے گھِرے ہوئے—اُس یَجْن میں یوں جگمگائے جیسے یَجْن کے آچاریوں کے ساتھ تین اگنی۔

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Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• satyadhṛtiḥ: steadfast in truth
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satya + dhṛti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सत्ये धृतिः/सत्यस्य धृतिः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेषण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakṣmaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mahānubhāvaḥ: of great dignity
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā + anubhāva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महान् अनुभावः यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• dhārmikaḥ: righteous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; गुणवाचक-विशेषण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• vṛtāḥ: surrounded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛ (धातु) > vṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘√वृ’ (to cover/surround); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; कर्तृसम्बन्धे (they, being surrounded)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• suhṛdbhiḥ: by friends
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• virejuḥ: shone, were resplendent
• Type: Verb
• Root: virāj (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• adhvare: in the sacrifice
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• yathā: as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय
• Role: Upamana-marker (उपमान-सूचक)

• sadasyaiḥ: by the officiating priests
• Type: Noun
• Root: sadasya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• sahitāḥ: accompanied, together with
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sah (धातु) > sahita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘√सह्’ (to accompany); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘सह’ अर्थे
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• trayaḥ: three
• Type: Adjective
• Root: traya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; संख्यावाचक-विशेषण
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• agnayaḥ: fires
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• rāghava ssatyadhṛtiś ca = rāghavaḥ + satyadhṛtiḥ + ca
• bharataś ca = bharataḥ + ca
• virejuradhvare = virejuḥ + adhvare
• sadasyai ssahitāḥ = sadasyaiḥ + sahitāḥ
• trayo 'gnayaḥ = trayaḥ + agnayaḥ

Context

Rama who was steadfast in truth, Lakshmana of great dignity and righteous Bharata surrounded by their friends were as resplendent as three sacrificial fires encircled by officiating priests.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē tyruttaraśatatamassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the one hundredthird sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

The teaching

When truth and righteousness guide leaders, their unity becomes a ‘sacrifice’ sustaining society; harmony is itself dharma.

Duties in tension

• Personal emotion and suspicion vs duty to maintain fraternal unity
• Rājadharma (succession) vs vrata-dharma (Rama’s exile vow)

Ethical theme

Dharma as yajña / social ethics

How it resolves

Sacralization of unity—seeing the meeting as a yajña-like order

For your practice

Contemplation on ‘inner yajña’: aligning truth, restraint, and righteous action; supports practices of reconciliation and integrity.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Radiant, ritualistic, harmonious

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Maryada
• Ritual
• Fraternal duty
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Bharata
• suhṛt (friends/well-wishers)
• adhvara (sacrificial rite)

FAQs

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

Dharma is presented as radiant when grounded in satya (truth) and upheld through right conduct and supportive community; the brothers’ virtues make them shine like sacred fire within a rite.

What is the narrative situation?

At the close of the sarga, the text describes Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and Bharata—surrounded by allies—appearing resplendent during a solemn ritual context, using a sacrificial-fire simile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s satyadhṛti (truth-steady resolve) and Bharata’s dhārmikatva (righteousness) are foregrounded, while Lakṣmaṇa is praised as mahānubhāva (great-souled).