Valmiki Ramayana 2.113.16: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 113, Shloka 16

पादुकाप्रदानं भरतस्य निवृत्तिश्च

The Sandals Bestowed; Bharata’s Return Toward Ayodhya

Devanagari script

नैतच्चित्रं नरव्याघ्र शीलवृत्तवतां वर ।

यदार्यं त्वयि तिष्ठेत्तु निम्ने सृष्टमिवोदकम् ॥१६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.113.16

Transliteration

naitac citraṃ naravyāghra śīlavṛttavatāṃ vara |

yad āryaṃ tvayi tiṣṭhet tu nimne sṛṣṭam ivodakam ||16||

Translation

不思議ではない、人中の虎よ、徳行ある者の中の最上よ。高き徳が汝に宿るのは、注がれた水が自然に低き方へ流れるがごとし。

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Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध-अव्यय)

• etat: this
• etat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• citram: wonderful/surprising
• citram: Pradhāna-viśeṣaṇa (प्रधानविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: citra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective with etat

• naravyāghra: O tiger among men
• naravyāghra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + vyāghra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘of men, tiger’), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• śīlavṛttavatām: of the virtuous (good in conduct)
• śīlavṛttavatām: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठीसम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śīla + vṛtta + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन); ‘of those possessing good conduct and character’

• vara: O best
• vara: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular (एकवचन)

• yad: since/when
• yad: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative indeclinable (यद् as conjunction ‘since/when’) introducing reason

• āryam: nobility/what is noble
• āryam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• tvayi: in you
• tvayi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (युष्मद्), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tiṣṭhet: should remain/abide
• tiṣṭhet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), adversative/emphatic

• nimne: in a low place/downward slope
• nimne: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nimna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• sṛṣṭam: released/poured
• sṛṣṭam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sṛj (सृज् धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative Singular; used predicatively with udakam

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Simile particle (उपमा-निपात)

• udakam: water
• udakam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: udaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

O best of men, foremost among men of excellent character and dispositon, it is not surprising that all noble qualities come to reside in you naturally like water poured flowing downward.

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• Bharata

FAQs

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

Nobility is natural to the truly virtuous: dharmic qualities manifest spontaneously in a well-formed character.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharadvāja reassures Bharata that his righteous conduct is expected given his noble disposition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Śīla and vṛtta—stable character and right conduct—shown as effortless, not performative.