Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 115, Shloka 14

पादुकाभिषेकः

The Consecration of Rama’s Sandals and Bharata’s Trusteeship at Nandigrama

Devanagari script

एतद्राज्यं मम भ्रात्रा दत्तं सन्नयासवत्स्वयम्।योगक्षेमवहे चेमे पादुके हेमभूषिते।।।।

Transliteration

etad rājyaṃ mama bhrātrā dattaṃ sannyāsavat svayam | yogakṣemavahe ceme pāduke hemabhūṣite ||

Translation

My brother himself entrusted this kingdom to me as a deposit. And these gold-adorned sandals, bearing the charge of the realm’s security and welfare, were also given to me.

Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; अत्र 'rājyam' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; 'dattam' इत्यस्य कर्म

• mama: to me/of me
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन (genitive pronoun)

• bhrātrā: by (my) brother
• bhrātrā: Kartṛ (कर्ता/agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन (instrumental/agent)

• dattam: given
• dattam: Kriyā (क्रिया/ppp)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; rājyam इत्यनेन सह

• sannyāsavat: as a trust/deposit
• sannyāsavat: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sannyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + vat (तद्धित)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (like/as; -वत् used adverbially)

• svayam: himself
• svayam: Karta-nirdeśa (कर्तृनिर्देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: स्वयम्-शब्दः, अव्यय (by himself)

• yogakṣema-vahe: bringing welfare and security
• yogakṣema-vahe: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣema (प्रातिपदिक) + vaha (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (योगक्षेमं वहतः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; pāduke इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

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

• ime: these
• ime: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; pāduke इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• pāduke: two sandals
• pāduke: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन

• hema-bhūṣite: adorned with gold
• hema-bhūṣite: Karma-anvaya (कर्म-विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (हेमेन भूषिते); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन; pāduke इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Context

My brother gave me this kingdom as a trust. He gave me the sandals decorated with gold for securing the prosperity and security (of the kingdom).

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rama
• kingdom of Ayodhya (implied)
• pādukā (Rama’s sandals)

FAQs

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

Trusteeship in governance: Bharata frames rule not as personal ownership but as a sacred trust held on behalf of Rama, aligning political power with dharma rather than desire.

What is the narrative situation?

After receiving Rama’s sandals, Bharata explains to the public that the kingdom and the sandals are entrusted to him only temporarily, for the realm’s protection and welfare.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Integrity and self-restraint: Bharata refuses to treat kingship as a prize and instead accepts it as a duty-bound deposit.