Valmiki Ramayana 2.69.11 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 69, Shloka 11

भरतस्य दुःस्वप्नदर्शनम्

Bharata’s Ominous Dream

Devanagari script

स्वप्नेऽपि सागरं शुष्कं चन्द्रं च पतितं भवि।उपरुद्धां च जगतीं तमसेव समावृताम्।।।।औपवाह्यस्य नागस्य विषाणं शकलीकृतम्।सहसाचापि संशान्तं ज्वलितं जातवेदसम्।।।।अवतीर्णां च पृथिवीं शुष्कां श्च विविधान् द्रुमान्।अहं पश्यामि विध्वस्तान् सधूमांश्चापि पर्वतान्।।।।

Transliteration

svapne 'pi sāgaraṃ śuṣkaṃ candraṃ ca patitaṃ bhuvi | uparuddhāṃ ca jagatīṃ tamaseva samāvṛtām ||

aupavāhyasya nāgasya viṣāṇaṃ śakalīkṛtam | sahasā cāpi saṃśāntaṃ jvalitaṃ jātavedasam ||

avatīrṇāṃ ca pṛthivīṃ śuṣkāṃś ca vividhān drumān | ahaṃ paśyāmi vidhvastān sa-dhūmāṃś cāpi parvatān || 2.69.11 ||

Translation

Selbst im Traum sah ich das Meer ausgetrocknet und den Mond zur Erde gestürzt; die Welt schien bedrängt und von Finsternis umhüllt. Ich sah den Stoßzahn des königlichen Reitelefanten zersplittert; ich sah das lodernde Feuer plötzlich erlöschen; ich sah die Erde aufgerissen, vielerlei Bäume verdorrt und die Berge verwüstet und rauchend.

Word by Word

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; सप्तमी-अर्थे ‘in dream’

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• sāgaram: sea
• sāgaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sāgara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śuṣkam: dried up
• śuṣkam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘sāgaram’)

• candram: moon
• candram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• patitam: fallen
• patitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (Past participle): ‘पतित’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘candram’)

• bhuvi: on the ground
• bhuvi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhūmi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• uparuddhām: obstructed/covered
• uparuddhām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uparuddha (कृदन्त; upa+√rudh धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘jagatīm’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• jagatīm: the earth/world
• jagatīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tamasā: with darkness
• tamasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tamas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

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

• samāvṛtām: enveloped
• samāvṛtām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: samāvṛta (कृदन्त; sam-ā-√vṛ धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘jagatīm’)

• aupavāhyasya: of the ride-worthy
• aupavāhyasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: aupavāhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘nāgasya’): ‘fit to be ridden/used for carrying’

• nāgasya: of the elephant
• nāgasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• viṣāṇam: tusk
• viṣāṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śakalīkṛtam: broken into pieces
• śakalīkṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakalīkṛta (कृदन्त; śakala + √kṛ धातु, क्त with denominal)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘viṣāṇam’)

• sahasā: suddenly
• sahasā: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sahasā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• saṃśāntam: extinguished, calmed
• saṃśāntam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṃśānta (कृदन्त; sam-√śam धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘jātavedasam’)

• jvalitam: blazing
• jvalitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jvalita (कृदन्त; √jval धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘jātavedasam’)

• jātavedasam: fire
• jātavedasam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jātavedas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘fire’ (Agni)

• avatīrṇām: sunk down
• avatīrṇām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avatīrṇa (कृदन्त; ava-√tṝ धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘pṛthivīm’); अर्थ: ‘sunk down/collapsed’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• pṛthivīm: earth
• pṛthivīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pṛthivī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• śuṣkān: dried
• śuṣkān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuṣka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘drumān’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• vividhān: various
• vividhān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vividha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘drumān’)

• drumān: trees
• drumān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: druma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थे; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• paśyāmi: see
• paśyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; धातु: √दृश् (paśyati)

• vidhvastān: destroyed
• vidhvastān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidhvasta (कृदन्त; vi-√dhvaṃs धातु, क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘parvatān’)

• sa-dhūmān: smoke-filled
• sa-dhūmān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत् ‘with’) + dhūma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सह-समास): ‘धूमेन सह’ (with smoke); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘parvatān’)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle)

• parvatān: mountains
• parvatān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

Context

In that dream I beheld the sea being dried up and the Moon fallen onto the ground. I saw the earth as though enveloped by darkness and obscured, the tusk of an elephant worthy of a ride by the monarch broken into pieces, a blazing fire extinguished suddenly, the earth split open, various trees dried up and mountains crumbled and covered with smoke.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• sāgara (sea)
• candra (moon)
• nāga (elephant)
• druma (trees)

FAQs

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

The imagery portrays a world out of joint—symbolizing that when dharma is violated at the center of the kingdom, nature and society appear to collapse; it presses the need to restore truth and righteous order.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata’s dream intensifies with cosmic and royal symbols (moon, sea, elephant, fire) turning inauspicious, foreshadowing Daśaratha’s death and the rupture in Ayodhyā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truth-oriented discernment—Bharata is prepared (psychologically and ethically) to confront painful realities and act to re-establish righteousness.