Valmiki Ramayana 2.54.16: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 54, Shloka 16

भरद्वाजाश्रमप्राप्तिः

Arrival at Bharadvāja’s Hermitage and Counsel toward Citrakūṭa

Devanagari script

पित्रा नियुक्ता भगवन् प्रवेक्ष्यामस्तपोवनम्।धर्ममेव चरिष्याम स्तत्र मूलफलाशनाः।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.54.16

Transliteration

pitrā niyuktā bhagavan pravekṣyāmas tapovanam |

dharmam eva cariṣyāma statra mūlaphalāśanāḥ ||

Translation

„O ehrwürdiger Bhagavān, auf Geheiß meines Vaters werden wir in diesen Wald der Askese eintreten. Dort, von Wurzeln und Früchten lebend, werden wir allein dem Dharma folgen.“

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Word by Word

• pitrā: by father
• pitrā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• niyuktāḥ: ordered / commissioned
• niyuktāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√yuj (धातु) + ktā (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle, ktā), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; कर्तरि अर्थे 'having been ordered/appointed' (predicate of 'we')

• bhagavan: O venerable one
• bhagavan: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pravekṣyāmaḥ: we shall enter
• pravekṣyāmaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√viś (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन

• tapovanam: penance-grove
• tapovanam: Karma (कर्म/goal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष ('penance-grove'), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• dharmam: righteousness / duty
• dharmam: Karma (कर्म/object of practice)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• eva: only / indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-अव्यय (emphasis)

• cariṣyāma: we shall practice / observe
• cariṣyāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √car (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), परस्मैपदम्, उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• satra: there
• satra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (locative adverb)

• mūla-phala-āśanāḥ: subsisting on roots and fruits
• mūla-phala-āśanāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + phala (प्रातिपदिक) + āśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (upapada: 'eating roots and fruits'), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषण (of 'we')

Context

Sage Bharadwaja heard the words of sagacious Rama and offered a bull, water (for washing feet) and arghya (offering to a guest).

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Bharadvaja
• Tapovana

FAQs

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

Obedience aligned with righteousness: Rama accepts the father’s command and frames exile as a conscious practice of dharma—simple living, self-discipline, and moral steadiness.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama tells Bharadvaja that they are entering forest life by paternal command and will live austerely on forest produce.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Duty-bound self-restraint—Rama’s commitment to dharma through austerity and acceptance of hardship.