Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 18

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Spoken by Rama to LakshmanaSetting: Forest

Devanagari script

उच्यमानोऽपि भरतो मया लक्ष्मण तद्वचः ।

राज्यमस्मै प्रयच्छेति बाढमित्येव वक्ष्यति ॥१८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.97.18

Transliteration

ucyamāno 'pi bharato mayā lakṣmaṇa tad-vacaḥ |

rājyam asmai prayaccheti bāḍham ity eva vakṣyati ||18||

Translation

O Lakshmana, selbst wenn ich Bharata jene Worte sagte: „Gib ihm das Königreich“, würde er gewiss erwidern: „So sei es.“

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Word by Word

• ucyamānaḥ: being told
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान-कर्मणि कृदन्त (present passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular): 'being told'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• api: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि = 'also/even'
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mayā: by me
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया एकवचन (Instrumental singular)
• Role: Karana (करणम्)

• lakṣmaṇa: O Lakshmana
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative singular)
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधनम्)

• tat: that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• vacaḥ: word(s)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• rājyam: kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• asmai: to him
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; चतुर्थी एकवचन (Dative singular)
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदानम्)

• prayaccha: give
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yam (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इति-निपात (quotative particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• bāḍham: certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bāḍham (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात/क्रियाविशेषण (indeed/certainly)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणार्थक-अव्यय (quotative)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• eva: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic: just/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• vakṣyati: will say
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• ucyamānō'pi = ucyamānaḥ api
• tadvacaḥ = tat vacaḥ
• prayacchēti = prayaccha iti
• bāḍhamityeva = bāḍham iti eva

Context

O Lakshmana! if I earnestly exhort Bharata to offer this kingdom to you, then on hearing those words, he would say, 'Certainly so'.

The teaching

True dharma treats power as responsibility, not possession; the righteous relinquish even legitimate claims when higher vows bind them.

Duties in tension

• Rama’s duty to honor exile and father’s command vs. political duty to accept kingship
• Bharata’s filial duty to uphold father’s decree vs. moral duty to restore rightful heir

Ethical theme

Rājadharma / satyadharma

How it resolves

Prioritization of dharma through renunciation and rightful succession

For your practice

Cultivates vairāgya and trust in the dharmic nature of the good; supports japa with the attitude of non-attachment to outcomes.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Assured, principled, steady

Themes

• Dharma
• Obedience
• Brotherhood
• Ethics
• Satya

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Bharata
• kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

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

Dharma as humility and obedience to rightful counsel: Bharata is portrayed as ready to renounce authority instantly when asked.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama continues reassuring Lakshmana by emphasizing Bharata’s selflessness and compliance with dharmic instruction.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s self-effacement and readiness to yield power for righteousness.