Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 19

भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः

Bharata’s Rebuke of Kaikeyi and Affirmation of Ikshvaku Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

उत्पन्नातु कथं बुद्धिस्तवेयं पापदर्शिनि।साधुचारित्रविभ्रष्टे पूर्वेषां नो विगर्हिता।।।।

Transliteration

utpannā tu kathaṃ buddhis taveyaṃ pāpadarśini |

sādhucāritravibhraṣṭe pūrveṣāṃ no vigarhitā ||

Translation

罪へと目を向け、善き行いから堕ちた女よ。どうして先祖に非難をもたらすこのような思いが、お前のうちに生じたのか。

Word by Word

• utpannā: arisen
• utpannā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ud-√pad/√pat? (उत्-पद्/पत्, धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle used adjectivally, Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with buddhiḥ

• tu: but
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta (contrastive particle)

• katham: how
• katham: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative adverb

• buddhiḥ: thought; intention
• buddhiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (बुद्धि, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tava: of you
• tava: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• iyam: this
• iyam: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम्)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with buddhiḥ

• pāpa-darśini: O sinful woman
• pāpa-darśini: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (पाप) + darśinī (दर्शिनी, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (object-relation: pāpaṃ paśyati/ācārayati), Strīliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative), Ekavacana

• sādhu-cāritra-vibhraṣṭe: O one fallen from good conduct
• sādhu-cāritra-vibhraṣṭe: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu (साधु) + cāritra (चारित्र) + vibhraṣṭa (विभ्रष्ट, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain; vibhraṣṭa = 'fallen from'; Strīliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• pūrveṣām: of the ancestors
• pūrveṣām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva (पूर्व, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; 'of the ancestors/forefathers'

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana; enclitic 'our'

• vigarhitā: reproachable
• vigarhitā: Predicate (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√garh (विगर्ह्, धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective of buddhiḥ

Context

Bereft of my father and my brother who was like a father to me, of what avail is this kingdom to me when I am grieving and fallen into misfortunes?

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Personal desire must not violate kula-dharma; actions that disgrace ancestral standards are condemned as adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata challenges Kaikeyī’s intention behind the exile and succession, calling it disgraceful to the Ikṣvāku lineage.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for ancestral standards and moral accountability to lineage (kula-maryādā).