Valmiki Ramayana 2.70.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 70, Shloka 4

भरतस्य दूतसमागमः तथा केकयराजनः अनुज्ञा

Bharata Meets the Messengers; Kekaya King Grants Leave

Addressed to BharataSetting: Kekaya palaceFinal etiquette and gift-exchange before departure

Devanagari script

इमानि च महार्हाणि वस्त्राण्याभरणानि च ।

प्रतिगृह्य विशालक्ष मातुलस्य च दापय ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.70.4

Transliteration

imāni ca mahārhāṇi vastrāṇy ābharaṇāni ca |

pratigṛhya viśālākṣa mātulasya ca dāpaya ||4||

Translation

يا واسع العينين، تقبّل هذه الثياب النفيسة وهذه الحُليّ الكريمة، واجعلها تُقدَّم أيضًا إلى خالك.

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Word by Word

• imāni: these
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक; conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• mahārhāṇi: very precious
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahārha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; adjective to वस्त्राणि/आभरणानि
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• vastrāṇi: garments
• Type: Noun
• Root: vastra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; accusative plural as object of ‘accept’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ābharaṇāni: ornaments
• Type: Noun
• Root: ābharaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, बहुवचन; accusative plural
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक; conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• pratigṛhya: having accepted
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-grah (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund), पूर्वकाले; indeclinable
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• viśālakṣa: O large-eyed one
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśāla (प्रातिपदिक) + akṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (विशालाक्षी यस्य सः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Compound: Bahuvrihi

• mātulasya: to the maternal uncle
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; dative singular
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)

• ca: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक; conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• dāpaya: have (them) given / give
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु) + ṇic (प्रत्यय)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरणार्थक (causative) धातु; लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपदी; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• वस्त्राण्याभरणानि = वस्त्राणि आभरणानि
• विशालक्ष = विशालाक्ष (सम्बोधन-एकवचन)

Context

Oh large-eyed one (Bharata)! you are asked to take these excellent raiments and precious ornaments and bestow them on your maternal uncle (said the messengers).

The teaching

Accepting and redistributing gifts with propriety sustains kinship bonds and social order.

Ethical theme

Sadācāra / gṛhastha-dharma

For your practice

Practice of gratitude and courteous reciprocity; offering mindset in everyday exchanges.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Shringara (love)

Mood

Courteous, auspicious, refined

Themes

• Dharma
• Dana (gift-giving)
• Family duty
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Satya

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata

FAQs

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

Dharma appears as proper honoring of kin and elders through respectful gifting and formal courtesies, sustaining social harmony and gratitude.

What is the narrative situation?

As Bharata prepares to leave Kekaya, the messengers instruct him regarding valuable items to be accepted and appropriately presented within his maternal family.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courtesy and familial propriety—Bharata is expected to maintain respectful relations through appropriate conduct and gifts.