Shloka 14

भरतस्य दुःस्वप्नदर्शनम्

Bharata’s Ominous Dream

Devanagari script

पीठे कार्ष्णायसे चैनं निषण्णं कृष्णवाससम्।प्रहसन्ति स्म राजानं प्रमदाः कृष्णपिङ्गलाः।।।।

Transliteration

pīṭhe kārṣṇāyase cainaṃ niṣaṇṇaṃ kṛṣṇavāsasam | prahasanti sma rājānaṃ pramadāḥ kṛṣṇapiṅgalāḥ ||

Translation

মই ৰজাক লোহাৰ পীঠত বহি থকা, ক’লা বস্ত্ৰ পৰিধান কৰা দেখিলোঁ; আৰু কৃষ্ণ-পিঙ্গল বৰ্ণৰ প্ৰমদাসকলে তেওঁক উপহাস কৰি হাঁহিছিল—ৰাজমৰ্যাদা অপমানিত হোৱাৰ দৰ্শন।

Word by Word

• prahasantī: laughing, mocking
• prahasantī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: has (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present active participle) स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘rākṣasī/pramadā’)

• iva: as if
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-अव्यय

• rājānam: the king
• rājānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pramadā: a woman
• pramadā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pramadā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• raktavāsinī: clad in red
• raktavāsinī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: rakta (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘रक्तं वासः यस्याः/या’ (wearing red); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘pramadā’)

• prakarṣantī: dragging
• prakarṣantī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛṣ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त; उपसर्ग: pra-; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘rākṣasī’)

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे कर्तृवाचक (agent in passive)

• dṛṣṭā: was seen
• dṛṣṭā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (PPP): ‘दृष्ट’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगः

• rākṣasī: demoness
• rākṣasī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rākṣasī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• vikṛta-ānanā: ugly-faced
• vikṛta-ānanā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vikṛta (कृदन्त; vi-√kṛ धातु, क्त) + ānana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास: ‘विकृतम् आननं यस्याः’ (having a deformed face); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘rākṣasī’)

Context

In the dream, I beheld my father clad in black clothes and resting on a seat made of iron and the women in dark and brownish complexion laughing at him.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• rājā (Daśaratha, implied)

FAQs

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

The verse implies that royal dignity is tied to dharma; when the king is seen dishonored, it signals a rupture in righteous governance and protection. It urges the hearer toward truthful assessment and corrective duty to uphold the moral legitimacy of rule.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata describes a dream-vision where the king (implicitly Daśaratha) appears in inauspicious clothing and setting, and is mocked—heightening Bharata’s fear that disaster has struck the royal house.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for rightful authority and moral order: Bharata is shaken not merely by loss, but by the sign that the king’s honor and stability are imperiled.