Valmiki Ramayana 2.112.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 112, Shloka 23

पादुकाप्रदानम्

The Gift of the Sandals and Delegated Kingship

Devanagari script

स पादुके सम्प्रणम्य रामं वचनमब्रवीत्चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि जटाचीरधरो ह्याहम्।।2.112.23।।फलमूलाशनो वीर भवेयं रघुनन्दन।तवाऽगमनमाकाङ्क्षान्वसन्वै नगराद्बहिः।।2.112.24।।तव पादुकयोर्न्यस्तराज्यतन्त्रः परन्तप।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.112.23

Transliteration

sa pāduke sampraṇamya rāmaṃ vacanam abravīt |

caturdaśa hi varṣāṇi jaṭācīradharo hy aham || 2.112.23 ||

phalamūlāśano vīra bhaveyaṃ raghunandana |

tavāgamanam ākāṅkṣan vasan vai nagarād bahiḥ || 2.112.24 ||

tava pādukayor nyasta-rājyatantraḥ parantapa |

Translation

Postrándose ante las sandalias, Bharata habló a Rama: «Durante catorce años, oh héroe, oh gozo de los Raghu, llevaré el cabello enmarañado y vestiduras de corteza, y me sustentaré de frutos y raíces. Confiando el gobierno del reino a tus sandalias, oh abrasador de enemigos, habitaré fuera de la ciudad, aguardando tu regreso».

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Word by Word

• saḥ: he (Bharata)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pāduke: the two sandals
• pāduke: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; (object of sampraṇamya: bowing to)

• sampraṇamya: having bowed down to
• sampraṇamya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-√nam (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive), पूर्वकाल

• rāmam: Rama
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vacanam: words/speech
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• abravīt: said
• abravīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √brū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• caturdaśa: fourteen
• caturdaśa: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caturdaśan (प्रातिपदिक; numeral)
• Form: संख्यावाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; varṣāṇi-विशेषण

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed/for)

• varṣāṇi: years
• varṣāṇi: Kāla-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; duration/extent

• jaṭā-cīra-dharaḥ: wearing matted hair and bark-garments
• jaṭā-cīra-dharaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + cīra (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (उपपद-तत्पुरुष: जटां चीरं च धरति); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; aham-विशेषण

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

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

• phala-mūla-aśanaḥ: eating fruits and roots
• phala-mūla-aśanaḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: phala (प्रातिपदिक) + mūla (प्रातिपदिक) + aśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः द्वन्द्वः (फलानि च मूलानि च; then upapada: aśanaḥ 'eater'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; aham-implicit qualifier

• vīra: O hero
• vīra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• bhaveyam: I would be / I shall remain
• bhaveyam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• raghu-nandana: O delight of Raghu (Rama)
• raghu-nandana: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu (प्रातिपदिक) + nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: रघोः नन्दनः); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• āgamanam: arrival/coming
• āgamanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āgamana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ākāṅkṣan: longing for/awaiting
• ākāṅkṣan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kāṅkṣ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ; present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with aham (implicit)

• vasan: dwelling
• vasan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vas (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शतृ; present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with aham (implicit)

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• nagarāt: from the city
• nagarāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nagara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• bahiḥ: outside
• bahiḥ: Desha-adhikarana (देश-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bahiḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देशार्थक-अव्यय (adverb: outside)

• tava: your
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• pādukayoḥ: on your two sandals
• pādukayoḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (Genitive/Locative), द्विवचन; here locative sense 'on' is intended

• nyasta-rājya-tantraḥ: having entrusted the governance of the kingdom (to them)
• nyasta-rājya-tantraḥ: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nyasta (प्रातिपदिक; from ni-√as) + rājya (प्रातिपदिक) + tantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-सम्भाव्य: न्यस्तं राज्यतन्त्रं यस्य सः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; aham-implicit qualifier

• parantapa: O tormentor of foes
• parantapa: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parantapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः बहुव्रीहिः (परान् तपति इति); पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

Context

Bharata bowed before the sandals and said to Rama, 'O tormentorr of enemies, O hero, wearing matted locks and bark garments, living on fruits and roots, placing the responsibility of ruling the kingdom on your sandals and looking forward to your arrival, I shall reside outside the city for fourteen years.'

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rama
• Pādukā (sandals)
• Ayodhya (implied by 'city')
• Raghu lineage (Raghu)

FAQs

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

Trusteeship in power: Bharata refuses kingship as possession and treats rule as a sacred duty carried out on Rama’s behalf, grounded in truth and rightful succession.

What is the narrative situation?

After receiving the sandals, Bharata vows an ascetic life mirroring exile and declares he will govern only through the symbol of Rama’s authority while living outside the capital.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s renunciation and fidelity (niṣkāma-sevā): he embraces hardship to uphold Rama’s satya and the kingdom’s dharma.