Valmiki Ramayana 2.85.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 85, Shloka 18

भरत-गुहसंवादः

Bharata and Guha: Trust, Hospitality, and the Burden of Grief

Devanagari script

प्रसृतस्सर्वगात्रेभ्यस्स्वेदं शोकाग्निसम्भवम् ।

यथा सूर्यांशुसन्तप्तो हिमवान् प्रसृतोहिमम् ॥१८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.85.18

Transliteration

prasṛtas sarvagātrebhyaḥ svedaṁ śokāgnisambhavam |

yathā sūryāṁśusantapto himavān prasṛto himam ||18||

Translation

Aus all seinen Gliedern rann Schweiß hervor, geboren aus dem Feuer der Trauer—wie der Himālaya, von Sonnenstrahlen erhitzt, sein Eis schmelzen lässt und es herabströmen sieht.

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Word by Word

• प्रसृतः: flowed forth
• प्रसृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-√sṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; “spread/flowed forth” (agreeing with implied ‘स्वेदः’)

• सर्वगात्रेभ्यः: from all limbs
• सर्वगात्रेभ्यः: Apadana (अपादानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva + gātra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, पञ्चमी (5th case), बहुवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (“from all limbs”)

• स्वेदम्: sweat
• स्वेदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sveda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; ‘प्रसृतः’ इत्यनेन सह (what flowed)

• शोकाग्निसम्भवम्: born of grief-fire
• शोकाग्निसम्भवम्: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka-agni + sambhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (“arising from the fire of grief”)

• यथा: just as
• यथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमान-सम्बन्धक-अव्यय (comparative conjunction: just as)

• सूर्यांशुसन्तप्तः: heated by sunrays
• सूर्यांशुसन्तप्तः: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sūryāṃśu + santapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (“heated by sun-rays”)

• हिमवान्: Himālaya
• हिमवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: himavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• प्रसृतः: melted/flowed
• प्रसृतः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√sṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘हिमवान्’ इत्यस्य विधेयः (“melted/flowed”)

• हिमम्: snow/ice
• हिमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hima (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

Context

Like the ice melted by the heat of the Sun's rays flows down the Himalayas, sweat poured from all parts of his body caused by the fire of grief.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Sun (sūrya)
• grief (śoka)

FAQs

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

Dharma is shown as lived experience: the body itself responds to moral anguish; Bharata’s distress springs from devotion to what is right.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata’s grief manifests physically; the poet describes sweat pouring forth through a Himalayan melting-ice simile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sincerity and depth of feeling—Bharata’s commitment to Rama and righteousness is not performative but visceral.