Valmiki Ramayana 2.81.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 81, Shloka 7

एकाशीति तमः सर्गः · Bharata’s Grief, Courtly Summons, and the Assembly Hall

Spoken by Bharata to ŚatrughnaSetting: Ayodhyā (palace context; Bharata speaking)Places named: vana (forest)Rāma already sent toward forest-exile (vana)

Devanagari script

यो हि न स्सुमहान्नाथस्सोऽपि प्रव्राजितो वनम् ।

अनया धर्ममुत्सृज्य मात्रा मे राघवस्स्वयम् ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.81.7

Transliteration

yo hi naḥ sumahān nāthaḥ so 'pi pravrājito vanam |

anayā dharmam utsṛjya mātrā me rāghavaḥ svayam ||7||

Translation

रघव, जो हम सब के बड़े रक्षक थे, वो खुद वन चला गया। मेरी माँ ने धरम को छोड़ के उन्हे भेज दिया।

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Word by Word

• yaḥ: who
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.); relative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)

• naḥ: our
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Gen.), बहुवचन (pl.); 'of us/our'
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• sumahān: very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + mahant (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.); विशेषण to 'nāthaḥ'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• nāthaḥ: protector/lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: nātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• saḥ: he
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.); correlative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• api: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (also/even)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)

• pravrājitaḥ: was banished
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √vraj (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past passive participle, क्त), पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.); passive sense: 'was banished'
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• vanam: to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन (sg.)
• Role: Gati/Karma (गति/कर्म)

• anayā: by her
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.); 'by this (woman)'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• dharmam: dharma/righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc.), एकवचन (sg.)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• utsṛjya: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud + √sṛj (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund): 'having abandoned'
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• mātrā: by (my) mother
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), तृतीया (Instr.), एकवचन (sg.)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• me: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (Gen.), एकवचन (sg.)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• rāghavaḥ: Raghava (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom.), एकवचन (sg.); subject in apposition to 'saḥ'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• svayam: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svayam (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; स्वयम् (emphatic: oneself)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)

Sandhi Notes

• na ssumahān nāthaḥ = naḥ + sumahān + nāthaḥ
• so'pi = saḥ + api
• dharmamutsṛjya = dharmam + utsṛjya
• rāghavassvayam = rāghavaḥ + svayam

Context

Even Rama, a great protector for all of us, has been banished to the forest by my mother bereft of virtuous conduct.

The teaching

True loyalty to family and kingdom is loyalty to dharma; when dharma is violated, even a mother’s act must be recognized as adharma.

Duties in tension

• Māt-bhakti (reverence to mother) vs satya/dharma (condemning wrongdoing)
• Rājadharma (rightful succession) vs personal ambition/boon politics

Ethical theme

Kula-dharma vs rājadharma

For your practice

Cultivate courage to align with dharma even when it implicates one’s own circle; practice self-scrutiny and repentance rather than denial.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Indignant, heartbroken, self-reproaching

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Family-Ethics
• Exile
• Rājadharma

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Kaikeyī
• Bharata
• Śatrughna
• vana (forest)

FAQs

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

Dharma must not be abandoned for personal desire; when dharma is forsaken within the royal family, even the most worthy protector can be unjustly expelled.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata condemns the adharma behind Rāma’s exile and recognizes Rāma’s role as the kingdom’s natural guardian.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness and loyalty to righteousness: Bharata openly acknowledges wrongdoing by his own mother and affirms Rāma’s rightful stature.