Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 58, Shloka 21

अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः (Sarga 58)

Daśaratha Questions Sumantra; Messages from the Forest Threshold

Devanagari script

भरतः कुशलं वाच्यो वाच्यो मद्वचनेन च।सर्वास्वेव यथान्यायं वृत्तिं वर्तस्व मातृषु।।।।

Transliteration

bharataḥ kuśalaṃ vācyo vācyo madvacanena ca | sarvāsv eva yathānyāyaṃ vṛttiṃ vartasva mātṛṣu ||

Translation

Haz saber a Bharata mi bienestar; y dile también, de mi parte, que se conduzca con justicia y rectitud hacia todas nuestras madres, según el dharma.

Word by Word

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• kuśalam: welfare
• kuśalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kuśala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• vācyaḥ: is to be told (greeted)
• vācyaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्/ण्यत्-समर्थ ‘वाच्य’ (gerundive), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; ‘he is to be addressed/told’

• vācyaḥ: is to be told
• vācyaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति (repetition for emphasis), same as previous

• mad-vacanena: by my word/in my name
• mad-vacanena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mad (प्रातिपदिक) + vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय

• sarvāsu: among all
• sarvāsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarvā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग; विशेषण to mātṛṣu (understood)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avyaya (अव्यय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• yathā-nyāyam: properly/according to rule
• yathā-nyāyam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + nyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभावसमास, अव्यय; अर्थः = यथाविधि/यथोचितम् (properly)

• vṛttim: conduct
• vṛttim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (Accusative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• vartasva: conduct yourself
• vartasva: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), आत्मनेपदम्, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mātṛṣu: among the mothers
• mātṛṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative), बहुवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

Context

'Tell Bharata of my welfare and tell him on my behalf that he should honour all our mothers equally.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• Sumantra
• the queens (Rāma’s mothers/stepmothers)

FAQs

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

Impartial, just conduct within the family—honoring all mothers/queens without favoritism and maintaining fairness as a moral duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma, preparing for exile, sends instructions to Bharata through Sumantra, emphasizing proper conduct at home in his absence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s commitment to maryādā (ethical propriety) and social harmony through fairness and restraint.