Shloka 2.69.8

भरतस्य दुःस्वप्नदर्शनम् — Bharata’s Ominous Dream

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने पितरमद्राक्षं मलिनं मुक्त मूर्धजम्।पतन्तमद्रिशिखरात्कलुषे गोमयह्रदे।।।।

Transliteration

plavamānaś ca me dṛṣṭaḥ sa tasmin gomaya-hrade |

pibann añjalinā tailaṃ hasann api muhur muhuḥ ||

Translation

I saw him floating in that cow-dung pool, drinking oil with cupped hands, and laughing again and again.

Context

In my dream I saw my father looking pale, with dishevelled hair, his body filled with filth falling from the peak of a mountain into a pool of cow - dung.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Dasharatha (implied as ‘he’)
• cow-dung pool (gomaya-hrada)
• oil (taila)

FAQs

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

Dharma is the duty to respond to signs of disorder with seriousness: the dream imagery signals inversion and impurity, prompting a righteous person to seek the truth and protect family and state.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata continues detailing the dream’s disturbing images—his father floating in filth, behaving strangely—deepening the sense of impending misfortune.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Grave discernment and concern—Bharata does not dismiss troubling signs but treats them as morally significant.