Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 85, Shloka 20

भरत-गुहसंवादः

Bharata and Guha: Trust, Hospitality, and the Burden of Grief

Devanagari script

ध्याननिर्धरशैलेन विनिश्श्वसितधातुना।दैन्यपादपसंघेन शोकायासाधिशृङ्गिणा।।2.85.19।।प्रमोहानन्तसत्त्वेन सन्तापौषधिवेणुना।आक्रान्तो दुःखशैलेन महता कैकयीसुतः।।2.85.20।।

Transliteration

dhyānanirdharaśailena viniśśvasitadhātunā |

dainyapādapasaṅghena śokāyāsādhiśṛṅgiṇā ||2.85.19||

pramohānantasattvena santāpauṣadhiveṇunā |

ākrānto duḥkhaśailena mahatā kaikayīsutaḥ ||2.85.20||

Translation

Kaikeyī’s son was overwhelmed by a vast mountain of sorrow: its unbroken rocks were his brooding thoughts, its ores were his heavy sighs, its thickets of trees were his dejection, its lofty peaks were grief and weariness, its countless creatures were stupor, and its bamboo and healing plants were burning anguish.

Word by Word

• प्रमोहानन्तसत्त्वेन: by the countless creatures of stupor
• प्रमोहानन्तसत्त्वेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमोह-अनन्त-सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक; प्रमोह + अनन्त + सत्त्व)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (प्रमोहे अनन्तानि सत्त्वानि)

• सन्तापौषधिवेणुना: by the bamboo (like) medicinal herb of torment
• सन्तापौषधिवेणुना: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सन्ताप-औषधि-वेणु (प्रातिपदिक; सन्ताप + औषधि + वेणु)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (सन्तापस्य औषधिः इव वेणुः / औषधिरूपः वेणुः)

• आक्रान्तः: was overpowered/assailed
• आक्रान्तः: कर्मणि-भावः; कर्तृस्थाने (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थः—‘आक्रान्तः’ = overpowered/assailed

• दुःखशैलेन: by the mountain of grief
• दुःखशैलेन: करण (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुःख-शैल (प्रातिपदिक; दुःख + शैल)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (दुःखस्य शैलः)

• महता: great, huge
• महता: विशेषण (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (करण), एकवचन; विशेषणम्—दुःखशैलेन इत्यस्य

• कैकयीसुतः: Kaikeyi's son (Bharata)
• कैकयीसुतः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकयी-सुत (प्रातिपदिक; कैकयी + सुत)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/Subject), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (कैकय्याः सुतः)

Context

O dear friend of my elder brother, your desire to extend hospitality to this large army all alone is indeed noble.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata (Kaikeyī-suta)
• Kaikeyī
• grief (śoka)

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates how devotion to dharma can produce profound inner turmoil when one is linked to adharma (Kaikeyī’s actions); Bharata suffers because he cannot accept unrighteous gain.

What is the narrative situation?

As night deepens, the narration turns inward to Bharata’s state: he is mentally overrun by grief, described through an elaborate mountain-metaphor.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral sensitivity and remorse without guilt: though not the doer of wrong, Bharata feels crushed by the consequences and seeks to restore truth and right order.