Valmiki Ramayana 2.68.8: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 68, Shloka 8

दूतप्रेषणम् · Dispatch of Messengers to Kekaya

Bharata’s Recall

Devanagari script

मा चास्मै प्रोषितं रामं मा चास्मै पितरं मृतम् ।

भवन्त श्शंसिषुर्गत्वा राघवाणामिमं क्षयम् ॥८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.68.8

Transliteration

mā cāsmai proṣitaṃ rāmaṃ mā cāsmai pitaraṃ mṛtam |

bhavantaḥ śaṃsiṣur gatvā rāghavāṇām imaṃ kṣayam ||8||

Translation

Wenn ihr zu ihm gelangt, sagt ihm nicht, dass Rāma fortgeschickt wurde, und sagt ihm nicht, dass sein Vater gestorben ist; offenbart nicht dieses Unheil, das über das Haus der Rāghavas gekommen ist.

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Word by Word

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक

• अस्मै: to him
• अस्मै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• प्रोषितम्: gone away/exiled
• प्रोषितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + वस् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to Rāma)

• रामम्: Rāma
• रामम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of telling)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक

• अस्मै: to him
• अस्मै: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• पितरम्: father
• पितरम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of telling)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मृतम्: dead
• मृतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (to father)

• भवन्तः: you (gentlemen)
• भवन्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; आदरार्थ द्वितीयपुरुषार्थे (honorific ‘you’)

• शंसिषुः: should (not) tell/announce
• शंसिषुः: Vidhi (विधि/निषेधाज्ञा)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative) निषेधेन सह (prohibitive with mā), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive)

• राघवाणाम्: of the Rāghavas
• राघवाणाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• इमम्: this
• इमम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण

• क्षयम्: ruin/decline
• क्षयम्: Karma (कर्म/Object of telling)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Context

All of you go there and do not communicate (to Bharata) about the exile of Rama or the demise of his father and the disaster that has befallen the Raghus.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• Daśaratha (implied by 'father deceased')

FAQs

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

Dharma balances satya (truth) with ahiṃsā-like restraint: harsh truths may be withheld temporarily to prevent shock and enable orderly action in a fragile moment.

What is the narrative situation?

Vasiṣṭha instructs the envoys to summon Bharata without revealing the twin tragedies—Rāma’s exile and the king’s death.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Compassionate prudence—protecting Bharata from sudden emotional collapse while ensuring he returns promptly.