Valmiki Ramayana 2.80.10 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 80, Shloka 10

मर्गनिर्माणम्

Roadworks and the Royal Route Prepared for Bharata

Devanagari script

बबन्धुर्बन्धनीयांश्च क्षोद्यान्सञ्चुक्षुदुस्तदा।बिभिदुर्भेदनीयांश्च तांस्तान्देशान्नरा स्तदा।।।।

Transliteration

babandhur bandhanīyāṃś ca kṣodyān sañcukṣudus tadā |

bibhidur bhedanīyāṃś ca tāṃs tān deśān narās tadā ||

Translation

Dann bauten die Männer Brücken, wo Brücken nötig waren, zermalmten, was zermalmt werden musste, und spalteten, was zu spalten war — so räumten und öffneten sie jene Strecken des Weges.

Word by Word

• babandhuḥ: bound / bridged
• babandhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bandh (बन्ध्, to bind/bridge)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• bandhanīyān: (places) needing bridging
• bandhanīyān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bandhanīya (बन्धनीय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; gerundive (तव्यत्/अनीयर् sense) from √bandh; 'to be bound/bridged'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• kṣodyān: (things) to be crushed
• kṣodyān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣodya (क्षोद्य-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; gerundive from √kṣud/√kṣuḍ (क्षुद्/क्षुड्, to crush/pound)

• sañcukṣuduḥ: crushed / pulverized
• sañcukṣuduḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam + √kṣud/√kṣuḍ (क्षुद्/क्षुड्)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of time (कालवाचक)

• bibhiduḥ: split / broke open
• bibhiduḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhid (भिद्, to split)
• Form: Liṭ lakāra (Perfect), Prathama puruṣa, Bahuvacana; parasmaipada

• bhedanīyān: (things) needing splitting
• bhedanīyān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhedanīya (भेदनीय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; gerundive from √bhid; 'to be split'

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; conjunction

• tān: those
• tān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; demonstrative used adjectivally with deśān

• tān: various / each of those
• tān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana; repetition for distributive emphasis (तांस्तान्)

• deśān: places / regions
• deśān: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (देश-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Bahuvacana

• narāḥ: men
• narāḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (नर-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• tadā: then
• tadā: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; time adverb

Context

People threw bridges at places that needed to be bridged. They pulverised stones that obstructed the path and split open big stones to drain out water.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata (implied by sarga context)

FAQs

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

Duty expressed as practical service: removing obstacles and making passage safe is a dharmic act of care for travelers and the larger community.

What is the narrative situation?

Workers prepare difficult sections of the way by bridging gaps and breaking down physical impediments along the route.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Diligence and collective responsibility—people undertake hard, coordinated labor to fulfill a larger mission.