Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 82, Shloka 18

भरतस्य धर्मप्रतिज्ञा तथा रामनिवर्तनयात्रा

Bharata’s Vow of Dharma and the Expedition to Recall Rama

Devanagari script

यदि त्वार्यं न शक्ष्यामि विनिवर्तयितुं वनात्।वने तत्रैव वत्स्यामि यथाऽर्यो लक्ष्मणस्तथा।।।।

Transliteration

yadi tv āryaṃ na śakṣyāmi vinivartayituṃ vanāt |

vane tatraiva vatsyāmi yathāryo lakṣmaṇas tathā ||

Translation

Jika aku tak mampu membawa pulang kakakku yang mulia dari rimba, maka aku pun akan tinggal di sana di hutan itu—sebagaimana Lakṣmaṇa, saudaraku yang mulia, tinggal.

Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional conjunction (सम्बन्ध-निपात)

• tvā: you
• tvā: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Accusative (2nd), Singular

• āryam: noble one (elder brother)
• āryam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Accusative (2nd), Singular; in apposition to tvā

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• śakṣyāmi: I shall be able
• śakṣyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śak (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 1st person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• vinivartayitum: to bring back
• vinivartayitum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi + ni + vṛt (धातु) + ṇic (णिच्) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुनन्त); causative 'to cause to return'

• vanāt: from the forest
• vanāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Ablative (5th), Singular

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Locative (7th), Singular

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• eva: indeed/itself
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle

• vatsyāmi: I shall dwell
• vatsyāmi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 1st person, Singular; Parasmaipada

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative conjunction/adverb (उपमानवाचक-अव्यय)

• āryaḥ: the noble one
• āryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Nominative (1st), Singular; qualifier of lakṣmaṇaḥ

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Nominative (1st), Singular

• tathā: so/likewise
• tathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Correlative adverb (तद्वाचक-अव्यय)

Context

If I am not able to bring back my noble brother (Rama) from the forest, I shall also dwell there like my noble brother Lakshmana.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma (implied as ārya)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Dharma as shared burden: Bharata accepts personal hardship rather than enjoy comfort built on injustice, aligning his life with Rāma’s exile if reconciliation fails.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata vows that if persuasion does not succeed, he will abandon royal life and join the forest life, paralleling Lakṣmaṇa’s choice.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sacrifice and solidarity: Bharata chooses to suffer with the righteous rather than rule without them.