Valmiki Ramayana 2.74.8 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 74, Shloka 8

भरतस्य कैकेयी-गर्हा तथा सुरभि-दृष्टान्तः

Bharata’s Reproach of Kaikeyi and the Surabhi Exemplum

Devanagari script

कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च याश्चान्या मम मातरः।दुःखेन महताऽविष्टास्त्वां प्राप्य कुलदूषिणीम्।।।।

Transliteration

kausalyā ca sumitrā ca yāś cānyā mama mātaraḥ |

duḥkhena mahatāviṣṭās tvāṃ prāpya kuladūṣiṇīm ||

Translation

કૌસલ્યા, સુમિત્રા અને મારી અન્ય માતાઓ—તમને પામી, હે કુલદૂષિણી, મહાદુઃખથી વ્યાકુળ થઈ ગઈ છે.

Word by Word

• kausalyā: Kausalya
• kausalyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kausalyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• sumitrā: Sumitra
• sumitrā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sumitrā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• yāḥ: who (those)
• yāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; relative pronoun referring to mātaraḥ

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

• anyāḥ: other
• anyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural; qualifies mātaraḥ

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• mātaraḥ: mothers
• mātaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• duḥkhena: with sorrow
• duḥkhena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• mahatā: great
• mahatā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular; qualifies duḥkhena

• āviṣṭāḥ: overwhelmed, possessed
• āviṣṭāḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √viś (विश् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative, Plural; predicate of mātaraḥ

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• prāpya: having obtained / having met
• prāpya: Purvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √āp (आप् धातु) + ya (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), indeclinable; prior action

• kula-dūṣiṇīm: (you) defiler of the family
• kula-dūṣiṇīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + dūṣiṇī (√dūṣ धातु + इनी)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular; tatpuruṣa: kulasya dūṣiṇī (defiler of the lineage); in apposition to tvām

Context

As you have vitiated the race, my mothers Kausalya and Sumitra are overwhelmed with great sorrow.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyī
• Kauśalyā
• Sumitrā

FAQs

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

Adharma fractures the family system that sustains dharma; wrongdoing by one can inflict suffering on the innocent and destabilize the lineage’s moral order.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata points to the grief of the other queens, emphasizing that Kaikeyī’s act has harmed the entire household.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Compassion and accountability: Bharata centers the suffering of others rather than personal advantage.