Valmiki Ramayana 2.72.41 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 72, Shloka 41

भरतस्य मातृसदनगमनं कैकेय्या दारुणवृत्तान्तकथनं च

Bharata in Kaikeyi’s apartments: revelation of Daśaratha’s death and Rāma’s exile

Devanagari script

तथा पृष्टा यथातत्त्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे।मातास्य सुमहद्वाक्यं विप्रियं प्रियशङ्कया।।2.72.41।।

Transliteration

tathā pṛṣṭā yathātattvam ākhyātum upacakrame | mātāsya sumahadvākyaṃ vipriyaṃ priyaśaṅkayā || 2.72.41 ||

Translation

So befragt, begann seine Mutter die Sache wahrheitsgemäß zu berichten: eine gewichtige, schmerzliche Botschaft, obgleich sie fürchtete, er erwarte etwas Erfreuliches.

Word by Word

• तथा: thus
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय (adverb: thus)

• पृष्टा: (she) being asked
• पृष्टा: कर्ता (logical subject: mother)
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having been asked’

• यथातत्त्वम्: as it truly was
• यथातत्त्वम्: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; अव्ययवत् प्रयोगः (adverbial: according to the truth)

• आख्यातुम्: to relate
• आख्यातुम्: प्रयोजन (purpose)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + ख्या (धातु) + तुमुन् (कृदन्त)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त infinitive; ‘to tell/relate’

• उपचक्रमे: began
• उपचक्रमे: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘began/commenced’

• माता: mother
• माता: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अस्य: of him (his)
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• सुमहत्: very great
• सुमहत्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies ‘वाक्यम्’)

• वाक्यम्: statement, words
• वाक्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• विप्रियम्: unpleasant, grievous
• विप्रियम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विप्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifies ‘वाक्यम्’)

• प्रियशङ्कया: from the supposition it was pleasant
• प्रियशङ्कया: हेतु (cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रिय + शङ्का (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; समासः प्रियस्य शङ्कया (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः); हेतौ तृतीया (instrumental of cause)

Context

Thus questioned, his mother started relating the exact events, presuming them to be pleasant tidings (for Bharata).

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kausalyā

FAQs

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

Satya is upheld with sensitivity: truth must be spoken “as it is,” yet delivered with awareness of the hearer’s emotional state.

What is the narrative situation?

After Bharata’s questioning, his mother begins to narrate the true events, though the news is grievous.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Integrity in speech: the mother commits to factual truth (yathātattvam) despite its painful consequences.