Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 107, Shloka 7

पितृवाक्यपालनम्, गयाश्रुति-उपदेशः, भरतस्य राज्यग्रहण-निर्देशः

Rama’s Counsel on Vows, the Gaya Śruti, and Bharata’s Return to Rule

Devanagari script

तेन पित्राऽहमप्यत्र नियुक्तः पुरुषर्षभ।चतुर्दश वने वासं वर्षाणि वरदानिकम्।।2.107.7।।

Transliteration

tena pitrāham apy atra niyuktaḥ puruṣarṣabha |

caturdaśa vane vāsaṃ varṣāṇi varadānikam || 2.107.7 ||

Translation

Ainsi, ô le meilleur des hommes, moi aussi j’ai été enjoint par mon père—selon la clause de la grâce—de demeurer en forêt quatorze années.

Word by Word

• saḥ: that (same person)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Nominative (1st), Singular

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• idam: this
• idam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; adjective to vanam

• prāptaḥ: have reached/come
• prāptaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (धातु) with pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: Past active participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate to aham

• nirjanam: lonely/deserted
• nirjanam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nirjana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; adjective to vanam

• lakṣmaṇa-anvitaḥ: accompanied by Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇa-anvitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; तृतीया-तत्पुरुषः: lakṣmaṇena anvitaḥ (accompanied by Lakshmana)

• sītayā: with Sita
• sītayā: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, conjunction

• apratidvandvaḥ: unrivalled
• apratidvandvaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-prati-dvandva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; adjective to aham/saḥ

• satyavāde: in truthfulness (to one's word)
• satyavāde: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satyavāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th), Singular; 'in truthfulness/keeping one's word'

• sthitaḥ: steadfast
• sthitaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'standing/steadfast'

• pituḥ: of (my) father
• pituḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

Context

O best of men, that is why I have been ordered by father to live in the forest for fourteen years as per the (condition of the) boon.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• Daśaratha
• forest exile
• fourteen years

FAQs

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

Filial duty aligned with satya: Rāma treats the father’s pledged obligation as binding and accepts exile as a dharmic commitment rather than a negotiable political decision.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma clarifies to Bharata that his forest residence for fourteen years is not arbitrary—it is the direct execution of the boon that Daśaratha was compelled to honor.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s steadfastness (dhṛti) and obedience to dharma—accepting hardship to preserve the integrity of truth and royal promise.