Valmiki Ramayana 2.42.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 42, Shloka 2

द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः · दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः

Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments

Setting: Ayodhyā (approach/within royal environs)Returning toward the city after seeing Rāma depart

Devanagari script

यावद्राजा प्रियं पुत्रं पश्यत्यत्यन्तधार्मिकम् ।

तावद्व्यवर्धते वास्य धरण्यां पुत्रदर्शने ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.42.2

Transliteration

yāvad rājā priyaṃ putraṃ paśyaty atyantadhārmikam |

tāvad vyavardhate vāsyā dharaṇyāṃ putradarśane ||2||

Translation

جب تک راجا اپنے نہایت دھارمک، محبوب پتر کو دیکھتا رہا، تب تک اسے یوں لگتا تھا گویا وہ دھرتی سے اٹھتا چلا جا رہا ہو، بیٹے کے درشن کی آرزو میں۔

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Word by Word

• yāvat: as long as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); temporal correlator
• Role: Kāla-sambandha (काल-सम्बन्ध)

• rājā: the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) of "paśyati"

• priyam: beloved
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); agreeing with "putram"
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "putram"

• putram: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म) of "paśyati"

• paśyati: sees
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (पश्)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• atyanta-dhārmikam: exceedingly righteous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: atyanta (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक) + dhārmika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: "exceedingly" + "virtuous"; agreeing with "putram"
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of "putram"
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• tāvat: so long
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tāvat (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); correlative temporal particle
• Role: Kāla-sambandha (काल-सम्बन्ध)

• vyavardhate: kept increasing; seemed to grow
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + ā + √vṛdh (वृध्)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• vā: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Indeclinable (अव्यय); particle (often "indeed/also" in context)
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध)

• asya: of him
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• dharaṇyām: on the ground
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharaṇī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• putra-darśane: in the sight of (his) son
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + darśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: "in the seeing of the son"
• Role: Nimitta/Adhikaraṇa (निमित्त/अधिकरण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• yāvat + rājā → yāvadrājā
• paśyati + atyanta- → paśyatyatyanta-
• tāvat + vyavardhate → tāvadvyavardhate
• vā + asya → vāsya

Context

So long as king Dasaratha was able to see his exceedingly virtuous and beloved son (Rama), it appeared that his body kept rising from the earth to have a sight of his son.

The teaching

Even the righteous are tested where dharma intersects with attachment; sight of virtue can steady a collapsing mind, but cannot annul the law of consequence.

Duties in tension

• King+cs duty to uphold the exile decree vs father+cs attachment to son
• Acceptance of fate vs desire to retain Rāma near

Ethical theme

Dharma-saŇkaṭa / rājadharma vs gṛhadharma

How it resolves

Endurance without inner resolution (conflict intensifies)

For your practice

Contemplation on Rāma as dharma-incarnate: darśana (sight) of the ideal steadies the heart; useful for bhakti-smaraŇa in grief.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Tender, foreboding, yearning

Themes

• Dharma
• Pitr̥bhakti
• Viraha
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse frames Rāma as ‘atyantadhārmika’—a benchmark of righteousness—showing how dharma inspires reverence and longing even in those left behind.

What is the narrative situation?

While Rāma is still within sight, Daśaratha strains upward as if physically lifted from the ground, desperate to keep seeing him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s exemplary dharma is foregrounded; Daśaratha’s intense paternal love is shown through bodily imagery.