Valmiki Ramayana 2.73.1 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 1

भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः

Bharata’s Rebuke of Kaikeyi and Affirmation of Ikshvaku Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

सश्रूत्वा तु पितरं वृत्तं भ्रातरौ च विवासितौ।भरतो दुःखसन्तप्त इदं वचनमब्रवीत्।।।।

Transliteration

sa śrutvā tu pitaraṃ vṛttaṃ bhrātarau ca vivāsitau | bharato duḥkha-santapta idaṃ vacanam abravīt || 2.73.1 ||

Translation

Als er hörte, dass sein Vater dahingegangen und seine beiden Brüder ins Exil gesandt worden waren, sprach Bharata, von Kummer verzehrt, diese Worte.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathama, Ekavacana; pronoun referring to Bharata

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śru (श्रु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वान्त), avyaya; ‘having heard’

• tu: then/indeed
• tu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात)

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• vṛttam: (as) having passed away / occurred
• vṛttam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛtta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √vṛt वृत् + kta)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; ‘happened/occurred’; here in sense ‘(that he had) passed away’ qualifying pitaram (semantic)

• bhrātarau: the two brothers
• bhrātarau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā (2/द्वितीया), Dvivacana (द्विवचन)

• ca: and
• ca: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• vivāsitau: exiled
• vivāsitau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√vas (वस्) causative?; vivāsita (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Dvitīyā, Dvivacana; past participle ‘banished/exiled’ qualifying bhrātarau

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathama, Ekavacana

• duḥkha-santaptaḥ: tormented by grief
• duḥkha-santaptaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + santapta (कृदन्त; sam-√tap तप् + kta)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathama, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: duḥkhena santaptaḥ (tormented by sorrow)

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; demonstrative qualifying vacanam

• vacanam: speech/words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (ब्रू)
• Form: Laṅ (लङ्), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada

Context

On hearing about the demise of the father and his two brothers sent in exile, Bharata overtaken by sorrow spoke thus:

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Daśaratha (father, implied)
• Rāma (implied as brother in exile)
• Lakṣmaṇa (implied as brother in exile)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is the immediate moral awakening to familial and royal responsibility: hearing of injustice (exile) and loss (death), Bharata is moved to respond, not remain indifferent.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata receives the shocking news: Daśaratha has died and Rāma (with Lakṣmaṇa) has been exiled; this sets the stage for Bharata’s ensuing speech.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Compassionate integrity—Bharata’s grief signals love and moral seriousness, anticipating his refusal to benefit from wrongdoing.