Valmiki Ramayana 2.88.17: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 88, Shloka 17

रामशय्यादर्शनम्

Bharata Beholds Rama’s Forest Bed

Devanagari script

हा हन्ताऽस्मि नृशंसोऽहं यत्सभार्यः कृते मम।ईदृशीं राघवश्शय्यामधिशेते ह्यनाथवत्।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.88.17

Transliteration

hā hantāsmi nṛśaṃso 'haṃ yat sabhāryaḥ kṛte mama |

īdṛśīṃ rāghavaś śayyām adhiśete hy anāthavat ||

Translation

Weh mir! Ich bin grausam; denn meinetwegen liegt Rāghava mitsamt seiner Gattin auf einem solchen Lager wie einer ohne Schutz.

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Word by Word

• हा: alas
• हा: सम्बोधन/उद्गार (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हा (अव्यय)
• Form: विस्मय/शोकबोधक अव्यय (interjection)

• हन्त: oh!
• हन्त: सम्बोधन/उद्गार (Exclamation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हन्त (अव्यय)
• Form: शोक/खेदबोधक अव्यय (interjection)

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नृशंसः: cruel
• नृशंसः: विधेय (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेयविशेषण of ‘अहम्’

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• यत्: since, because
• यत्: हेतु (Cause)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: हेतौ अव्ययप्रयोग (causal ‘since/that’)

• सभार्यः: together with (his) wife
• सभार्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सह-तत्पुरुष (with wife), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘राघवः’

• कृते: for the sake (of)
• कृते: हेतु (Cause/Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘कृते’ = ‘for the sake of’ (हेतौ/निमित्ते locative)

• मम: of me, because of me
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईदृशीम्: such
• ईदृशीम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईदृश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण of ‘शय्याम्’

• राघवः: Raghava (Rama)
• राघवः: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शय्याम्: bed
• शय्याम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अधिशेते: lies upon, reclines
• अधिशेते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि√शी (धातु)
• Form: लट् लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक अव्यय (indeed)

• अनाथवत्: like an orphan
• अनाथवत्: क्रियाविशेषण (Manner)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक) + वत् (तद्धित)
• Form: वत्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययवत् उपमान (adverbial: ‘like an orphan’)

Context

Alas, what suffering! Because of a cruel man like me Rama along with his spouse was condemned to recline upon such bed like an orphan.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Sītā

FAQs

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

Moral responsibility and repentance: Bharata refuses to enjoy benefit from wrongdoing and accepts ethical accountability, a key movement toward restoring dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Seeing the austere bedding, Bharata condemns himself, feeling that Rāma’s hardship happened ‘because of me’ (through the chain of events around the throne).

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s integrity and remorse—he seeks righteousness over power and comfort.