Valmiki Ramayana 2.104.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 104, Shloka 2

भरतस्य प्रार्थना · रामस्य धर्मोपदेशः

Bharata’s Petition and Rama’s Dharma-Reasoning

Spoken by Bharata to RamaSetting: Ayodhyā outskirts / approach to the royal region (context of Bharata meeting Rāma)Places named: AyodhyāBharata’s return and encounter leading to negotiation about exile

Devanagari script

किमेतदिच्छेयमहं श्रोतुं प्रव्याहृतं त्वया ।

यस्मात्त्वमागतो देशमिमं चीरजटाजिनः ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.104.2

Transliteration

kim etad iccheyam ahaṃ śrotuṃ pravyāhṛtaṃ tvayā |

yasmāt tvam āgato deśam imaṃ cīrajaṭājinaḥ ||2||

Translation

Deseo oír el sentido de lo que has dicho: ¿por qué causa has venido a esta región, vestido con corteza, con el cabello enmarañado y cubierto con piel de antílope?

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Word by Word

• kim: what
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• etat: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘किम्’ इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• iccheyam: I would like/desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद; उत्तमपुरुष (1st), एकवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• aham: I
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; उत्तमपुरुषवाचक; प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• śrotum: to hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive) ‘√श्रु’
• Role: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)

• pravyāhṛtam: uttered/related
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra-vi-ā-hṛ (धातु) > pravyāhṛta (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘यत् प्रव्याहृतम्’ = ‘what has been uttered/related’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tvayā: by you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• yasmāt: for what reason/because
• Type: Noun
• Root: yasmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पञ्चमी (5th), एकवचन; हेत्वर्थे (because/for what reason)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• tvam: you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• āgataḥ: have come
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-gam (धातु) > āgata (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) ‘आ-√गम्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘त्वम्’ इति कर्तरि
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• deśam: region
• Type: Noun
• Root: deśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• imam: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘deśam’ इति विशेषणम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• cīra-jaṭā-ajinaḥ: wearing bark-cloth, matted locks, and antelope-skin
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cīra + jaṭā + ajina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व (cīraṃ ca jaṭā ca ajinaṃ ca); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीह्यर्थे विशेषणवत् (one having bark-cloth, matted hair, and antelope-skin)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Dvandva

Sandhi Notes

• kimetad = kim + etat
• iccheyamahaṃ = iccheyam + aham (sandhi)
• yasmāttvamāgataḥ = yasmāt + tvam + āgataḥ
• cīrajaṭājinaḥ = cīra + jaṭā + ajinaḥ (dvandva, phonetic coalescence)

Context

I want to hear what brought you to this region with your bark-robes, matted locks and antelope skin.

The teaching

Before judging an act of renunciation, seek its dharmic cause; outward hardship may be chosen for higher fidelity to duty.

Duties in tension

• Fraternal duty to understand and possibly retrieve Rāma
• Rāma’s duty to uphold the exile vow and royal command

Ethical theme

Dharma-sankata (incipient) / satya-niṣṭhā

How it resolves

Inquiry preceding principled refusal/clarification

For your practice

Cultivates śravaṇa (attentive listening) and reverence toward dharmic renunciation; prompts self-inquiry into motives.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Adbhuta (wonder), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Inquiring, startled, reverent

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Exile
• Inquiry
• Ascetic Marks

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rama
• matted locks (jaṭā)

FAQs

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

Seeking truth (satya) through inquiry: Bharata asks for an explicit account, grounding action in truthful understanding rather than rumor or assumption.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata confronts the visible signs of Rama’s ascetic exile and asks to hear directly why Rama has come to the forest in such attire.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s seriousness and truth-seeking—he requests a clear explanation before proceeding.