Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 104, Shloka 2

भरतस्य प्रार्थना—रामस्य धर्मोपदेशः

Bharata’s Petition and Rama’s Dharma-Reasoning

Devanagari script

किमेतदिच्छेयमहं श्रोतुं प्रव्याहृतं त्वया।यस्मात्त्वमागतो देशमिमं चीरजटाजिनः।।।।

Transliteration

kim etad iccheyam ahaṃ śrotuṃ pravyāhṛtaṃ tvayā | yasmāt tvam āgato deśam imaṃ cīrajaṭājinaḥ ||

Translation

Je désire entendre le sens de tes paroles : pour quelle raison es-tu venu en ce pays, vêtu d’écorce, les cheveux en nattes, revêtu d’une peau d’antilope ?

Word by Word

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

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

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

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

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

• pravyāhṛtam: uttered/related
• pravyāhṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• 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’

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

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

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

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

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

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

• cīra-jaṭā-ajinaḥ: wearing bark-cloth, matted locks, and antelope-skin
• cīra-jaṭā-ajinaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• 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)

Context

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

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.