Valmiki Ramayana 2.75.39 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 75, Shloka 39

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः

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

Devanagari script

सङ्ग्रमे समुपोढे स्म शत्रुपक्षभयङ्करे।पलायामानो वध्येत यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।।।

Transliteration

saṅgrame samupoḍhe sma śatrupakṣabhayaṅkare | palāyamāno vadhyeta yasyāryo ’numate gataḥ ||

Translation

Möge der Mann, durch dessen Einwilligung mein edler Bruder verbannt wurde, das Los eines Kriegers erleiden, der, dem Feind furchtbar, doch erschlagen wird, während er flieht, wenn die Schlacht ihren Höhepunkt erreicht.

Word by Word

• saṅgrame: in battle
• saṅgrame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• samupoḍhe: when it has reached its height
• samupoḍhe: Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa (अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-uh (सम्-उप-ऊह्/वह्, धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; agrees with saṅgrame: ‘when (battle) has come to a climax’

• sma: indeed/then (particle)
• sma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle, often with past narration/emphasis)

• śatrupakṣabhayaṅkare: terrifying to the enemy side
• śatrupakṣabhayaṅkare: Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa (अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhayaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘शत्रु-पक्षस्य भयङ्करः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; qualifies saṅgrame

• palāyāmānaḥ: fleeing
• palāyāmānaḥ: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: palāy (पलाय्, धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ, कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (saḥ) ‘fleeing’

• vadhyeta: may he be slain
• vadhyeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vadh (वध्, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• āryaḥ: the noble one
• āryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• anumate: with consent
• anumate: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anumati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• gataḥ: gone; exiled
• gataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्, धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the same sin like a warrior, dreadful to the enemy side who will be slain while fleeing from the war at its peak!

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma
• Battle (saṅgrāma)

FAQs

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

For a kṣatriya, dharma includes steadfastness in crisis; fleeing at the decisive moment is dishonorable and invites ruin.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata uses a martial analogy to portray the instigator’s moral failure as cowardice at the peak of duty.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage and steadfastness—qualities Bharata implicitly associates with Rāma’s righteous path.