Valmiki Ramayana 2.75.26 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 75, Shloka 26

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः

Sarga 75: Bharata and Kausalya—Reproach, Oaths, and Reconciliation

Devanagari script

संश्रुत्य च तपस्विभ्यस्सत्रे वै यज्ञदक्षिणाम्।तां विप्रलपतां पापं यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।।।

Transliteration

saṁśrutya ca tapasvibhyaḥ satre vai yajña-dakṣiṇām |

tāṁ vipralapatāṁ pāpaṁ yasyāryo 'numate gataḥ ||

Translation

Möge Sünde auf den fallen, durch dessen Rat mein edler Bruder verbannt wurde—wie die Sünde dessen, der bei einem Sattrayajña den Asketen die Opfergabe (dakṣiṇā) verheißt und sie dann trügerisch vorenthält.

Word by Word

• संश्रुत्य: having promised
• संश्रुत्य: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√श्रु (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (gerund); ‘having promised’

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

• तपस्विभ्यः: to ascetics
• तपस्विभ्यः: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), बहुवचन; dative plural ‘to ascetics’

• सत्रे: at the sacrifice
• सत्रे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular ‘at the sacrificial session’

• वै: indeed
• वै: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; emphatic particle ‘indeed’

• यज्ञदक्षिणाम्: sacrificial fee; offering
• यज्ञदक्षिणाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ + दक्षिणा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (यज्ञस्य दक्षिणा); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular

• ताम्: that (fee)
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; pronoun referring to ‘yajñadakṣiṇām’

• विप्रलपताम्: let them deny/renege
• विप्रलपताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-प्र-√लप् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (आज्ञार्थ), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; imperative ‘let them speak falsely/deny’ (context: those who renege)

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• आर्यः: the noble one (Rāma)
• आर्यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अनुमते: with approval
• अनुमते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• गतः: gone; exiled
• गतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the sin in the same way as a person acquires for having promised the ascetics the required offering at a sacrifice and later denies them!

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma (ārya)
• tapasvins (ascetics)
• yajña
• dakṣiṇā

FAQs

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

Satya and fidelity to promises—especially in sacred contexts—are dharma; reneging on vowed gifts is a serious moral fault.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata likens the counsel behind Rāma’s exile to religious deceit: making vows and then denying them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for truth and ritual integrity—Bharata treats broken promises as spiritually corrosive.