Shloka 2.9.30

मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च (Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons)

Devanagari script

रामं प्रव्राजयारण्ये नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च।भरतः क्रियतां राजा पृथिव्याः पार्थिवर्षभः।।।।

Transliteration

rāmaṃ pravrājayāraṇye nava varṣāṇi pañca ca | bharataḥ kriyatāṃ rājā pṛthivyāḥ pārthivarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

Exile Rāma to the forest for nine years and five more, and have Bharata made king of the earth, O best of kings.

Context

'O best of kings! exile Rama into the forest for fourteen years and make Bharata king of the land'.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• forest (araṇya)
• earth/kingdom (pṛthivī, rājya)

FAQs

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

It highlights the catastrophic misuse of a legitimate mechanism (boons/promises) to produce an unjust outcome—raising the dharmic question of whether truth-keeping should enable harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā specifies the two concrete demands that will overturn the planned coronation: Rāma’s exile and Bharata’s kingship.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s virtue is implicit—his capacity to endure exile for dharma—though the verse itself is spoken as a scheme against him.