Valmiki Ramayana 2.71.3: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 71, Shloka 3

भरतस्य अयोध्याप्रत्यागमनम्

Bharata’s Return Journey and the Distant Sight of Ayodhya

Devanagari script

ऐलाधाने नदीं तीर्त्वा प्राप्य चापरपर्पटान्।

शिलामकुर्वतीं तीर्त्वा आग्नेयं शल्यकर्षणम्।।2.71.3।।

सत्यसन्धश्शुचिश्श्रीमान्प्रेक्षमाण श्शिलावहाम्।

अत्ययात्स महाशैलान्वनं चैत्ररथं प्रति।।2.71.4।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.71.3

Transliteration

ailādhāne nadīṃ tīrtvā prāpya cāparaparpaṭān |

śilām akurvatīṃ tīrtvā āgneyaṃ śalyakarṣaṇam || 2.71.3 ||

satyasandhaḥ śuciḥ śrīmān prekṣamāṇaḥ śilāvahām |

atyayāt sa mahāśailān vanaṃ caitrarathaṃ prati || 2.71.4 ||

Translation

Bharata —fidèle à sa parole, au cœur pur et resplendissant— traversa la rivière à Ailādhāna et parvint au pays nommé Aparaparpaṭa. Ayant franchi la montagne d’où jaillit la rivière Śilāvahā, il poursuivit vers le nord-est, en direction de Śalyakarṣaṇa, les yeux suivant le cours de la Śilāvahā ; puis, dépassant les grands massifs, il se dirigea vers la forêt appelée Caitraratha.

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Word by Word

• ailādhāne: in (the region of) Ailādhāna
• ailādhāne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ailādhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka/Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); place-name used as adhikaraṇa

• nadīm: the river
• nadīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• tīrtvā: having crossed
• tīrtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having crossed’

• prāpya: having reached
• prāpya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāp (प्र + आप्) (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having reached/obtained’

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• aparaparpaṭān: the Aparaparpaṭa region(s)
• aparaparpaṭān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparaparpaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); toponym/region-name

• śilām: Śilā (river/name)
• śilām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• akurvatīm: originating/producing (i.e., arising)
• akurvatīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kurvatī (कृ धातु, वर्तमानकृदन्त) (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त), Feminine (स्त्री), Accusative Singular; qualifying ‘śilām’; sense: ‘making/producing/originating’

• tīrtvā: having crossed
• tīrtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having crossed’

• āgneyaṃ: towards the Āgneya direction
• āgneyaṃ: Gati/Deśa (गति/देश)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used adverbially as direction ‘towards the southeast / Agni-quarter’ (often glossed NE in some traditions)

• śalyakarṣaṇam: Śalyakarṣaṇa (place)
• śalyakarṣaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śalyakarṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: śalya + karṣaṇa (‘pulling out thorns/śalya’), place-name

• satyasandhaḥ: true to his word
• satyasandhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satyasandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय: satya + sandha (‘true in resolve/true to promise’)

• śuciḥ: pure-hearted
• śuciḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• śrīmān: splendid/fortunate
• śrīmān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; possessive adjective (मतुप्)

• prekṣamāṇaḥ: observing
• prekṣamāṇaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prekṣ (प्र + ईक्ष्) (धातु)
• Form: Present middle participle (शानच्/वर्तमानकृदन्त), Masculine Nominative Singular; agreeing with subject

• śilāvahām: Śilāvahā (river)
• śilāvahām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilāvahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: śilā + vahā (‘stone-bearing’), river-name

• atyayāt: went beyond
• atyayāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati + i (अति + इ) (धातु)
• Form: Aorist/Perfective past (लुङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada; ‘went beyond/passed’

• saḥ: he (Bharata)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine Nominative Singular

• mahāśailān: great mountains
• mahāśailān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāśaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; कर्मधारय: mahā + śaila (‘great mountains’)

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

• caitraratham: named Caitraratha
• caitraratham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caitraratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; proper adjective qualifying ‘vanam’

• prati: towards
• prati: Gati/Deśa (गति/देश)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition/indeclinable (उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय) governing accusative; direction ‘towards’

Context

Bharata, ever true to his word, handsome and pure-hearted, reached Aparaparpata region and crossed river Satadru at Eladhana, the mountain in which river Silavaha originates. Then he traversed Salyakarsna regions in the northeast, observing the course of the Silavaha and went beyond the great mountains in the direction of the forest called Chaitraratha.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Caitraratha (forest)

FAQs

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

Bharata is characterized as satyasandha—one who stands by truth and vow—suggesting that righteous conduct begins with fidelity to one’s word even amid political uncertainty.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata is traveling rapidly back toward Ayodhyā, crossing named regions and rivers, moving closer to the unfolding crisis in the royal household.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya (truthfulness/keeping one’s pledge) and śauca (inner purity) are foregrounded through Bharata’s epithets.