Shloka 21

पादुकाप्रदानम्

The Gift of the Sandals and Delegated Kingship

Devanagari script

आधिरोहाऽर्य पादाभ्यां पादुके हेमभूषिते।एतेहि सर्वलोकस्य योगक्षेमं विधास्यतः।।2.112.21।।

Transliteration

ādhirohārya pādābhyāṃ pāduke hemabhūṣite |

ete hi sarvalokasya yogakṣemaṃ vidhāsyataḥ || 2.112.21 ||

Translation

高貴なるお方よ、黄金で飾られたこの履物に御足をお乗せください。これこそが、すべての民の安寧と守護を必ずやもたらします。

Word by Word

• ādhirōha: mount/step onto
• ādhirōha: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-√ruh (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ārya: O noble one
• ārya: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• pādābhyām: with (your) two feet
• pādābhyām: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), द्विवचन

• pāduke: the two sandals
• pāduke: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādukā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; object of ādhirōha

• hema-bhūṣite: adorned with gold
• hema-bhūṣite: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hema (प्रातिपदिक) + bhūṣita (प्रातिपदिक; from √bhūṣ)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष: हेमेन भूषिते); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, द्विवचन; pāduke-विशेषण

• ete: these two
• ete: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; refers to pāduke

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

• sarva-lokasya: of the whole world
• sarva-lokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः तत्पुरुषः (सर्वस्य लोकस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• yoga-kṣemam: welfare and security
• yoga-kṣemam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + kṣema (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समासः द्वन्द्वः (योगश्च क्षेमश्च; conventional pair meaning welfare & security); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• vidhāsyataḥ: will secure/arrange
• vidhāsyataḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√dhā (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; subject: ete (pāduke)

Context

O noble one, place your feet on these sandals decorated with gold. They will secure the prosperity and safety of the entire world.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rama
• Pādukā (sandals)
• Gold (hema)

FAQs

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

Bharata affirms that rightful authority rests with Rama; governance is dharmic only when aligned with the legitimate king, aimed at the people’s yogakṣema (welfare and security).

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata urges Rama to sanctify the royal sandals by stepping on them, so they may serve as the symbolic seat of Rama’s rule while Rama remains in exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s humility and loyalty—he seeks no personal power and frames kingship as service to the world under Rama’s legitimacy.