Shloka 2.78.21

अष्टसप्ततितमः सर्गः — Śatrughna’s Fury and Bharata’s Restraint (Mantharā Episode)

Devanagari script

तं प्रेक्ष्य भरतः क्रुद्धं शत्रुघ्नमिदमब्रवीत्।अवध्या स्सर्वभूतानां प्रमदाः क्षम्यतामिति।।।।

Transliteration

pūrvam eva tu nigrāhyaḥ samavekṣya nayānayau |

utpathaṁ yas samārūḍho rājā nāryā vaśaṁ gataḥ ||

Translation

Indeed, the king ought to have checked himself at the very outset, discerning right from wrong—he who, having strayed onto a wrongful path, came under a woman’s sway.

Context

Bharata, addressing the enraged Satrughna said Of all beings a lady is not to be killed. Pardon her.

Characters & Entities

• king (Daśaratha, implicit)
• woman (Kaikeyī, implicit)

FAQs

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

Rajadharma requires discernment (naya) and self-restraint; a ruler must not abandon justice due to personal attachments or persuasion.

What is the narrative situation?

Śatrughna interprets the exile as a failure of royal judgment, blaming the king’s susceptibility to influence rather than principled governance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue implied is viveka (discriminative judgment) as essential to kingship—measuring actions by right and wrong before acting.