Shloka 16

भरतवाक्यं—रामस्य पुनरायोध्यागमननिषेधः

Bharata’s Plea and Rama’s Refusal to Return

Devanagari script

तदपत्यं भवानस्तु मा भवान् दुष्कृतं पितुः।अभिपत्ता कृतं कर्म लोके धीरविगर्हितम्।।।।

Transliteration

tad apatyaṃ bhavān astu mā bhavān duṣkṛtaṃ pituḥ |

abhipattā kṛtaṃ karma loke dhīra-vigarhītam ||

Translation

आप वही सच्चे पुत्र बनें; हमारे पिता के उस दुष्कृत कर्म का समर्थन करने वाले न बनें—जिसे लोक में धीर-पुरुष निन्दित मानते हैं।

Word by Word

• तत्: such/that
• तत्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (agreeing with अपत्यम्)

• अपत्यम्: a son/offspring
• अपत्यम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अपत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (honorific 2nd-person pronoun used as ‘you’)

• अस्तु: let (it) be / be
• अस्तु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (prohibitive particle) used with imperative/optative

• भवान्: you (hon.)
• भवान्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत् (सर्वनाम/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (vocative-like address via nominative honorific)

• दुष्कृतम्: sin/evil deed
• दुष्कृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग (accusative singular)

• पितुः: of (your) father
• पितुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• अभिपत्ता: an approver/assenter
• अभिपत्ता: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभि+पत् (धातु) → अभिपत्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग (agent noun: approver/assenter)

• कृतम्: done/committed
• कृतम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying कर्म

• कर्म: act/deed
• कर्म: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन; नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी, एकवचन; पुल्लिङ्ग

• धीरविगर्हितम्: condemned by the wise
• धीरविगर्हितम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीर + विगर्हित (प्रातिपदिक); धीर (प्रातिपदिक) + वि+गर्ह् (धातु)→विगर्हित (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी/सम्बन्ध: ‘by the wise’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; qualifying कर्म

Context

So be a worthy son and let not the sinful act committed by our father and condemned by men of wisdom be approved by you.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rama
• Dasaratha

FAQs

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

Dharma prohibits legitimizing wrongdoing: moral agents must avoid becoming ‘approvers’ of injustice, especially when public wisdom condemns it.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata pressures Rama to return and rule, warning that accepting exile as final would effectively ratify the unjust act.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Accountability to ethical standards recognized by the wise (dhīra), not merely to power or custom.