Valmiki Ramayana 2.100.74 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 100, Shloka 74

शततमः सर्गः — Rāma Questions Bharata on Rājadharma

Governance, Counsel, and Public Welfare

Devanagari script

यां वृत्तिं वर्तते तातो यां च नः प्रपितामहाः।तां वृत्तिं वर्तसे कच्चिद्याच सत्पथगा शुभा।।।।

Transliteration

yāṃ vṛttiṃ vartate tāto yāṃ ca naḥ prapitāmahāḥ | tāṃ vṛttiṃ vartase kaccid yā ca satpathagā śubhā ||

Translation

ລູກເອີຍ ເຈົ້າດຳເນີນຕາມຈັນຍາວັດທີ່ພໍ່ຂອງເຮົາປະພຶດ ແລະທີ່ບັນພະບຸລຸດຂອງເຮົາເຄີຍຖືປະຕິບັດມາ—ເປັນມາກຄາມົງຄຸນ ທີ່ເດີນຢູ່ເທິງທາງສັດທາ ແລະຄວາມຈິງ ຫຼືບໍ?

Word by Word

• yām: which (that)
• yām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (feminine), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/2nd), Ekavacana (singular); relative pronoun agreeing with vṛttim

• vṛttim: conduct; course of life
• vṛttim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana

• vartate: follows; behaves
• vartate: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present), Prathama puruṣa (3rd person), Ekavacana; Ātmanepada

• tātaḥ: father
• tātaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (masculine), Prathamā (Nominative/1st), Ekavacana; संबोधनार्थे स्नेहशब्दः (affectionate 'father')

• yām: which (that)
• yām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction/particle)

• naḥ: our
• naḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/6th), Bahuvacana (plural); enclitic pronoun

• prapitāmahāḥ: great-grandfathers; ancestors
• prapitāmahāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prapitāmaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Bahuvacana

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana; demonstrative pronoun referring to vṛttim

• vṛttim: conduct; course
• vṛttim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana

• vartase: you follow; you behave
• vartase: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present), Madhyama puruṣa (2nd person), Ekavacana; Ātmanepada

• kaccit: I hope; is it the case?
• kaccit: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kaccit (अव्यय)
• Form: Praśna-nipāta (interrogative particle), often expressing hope/concern

• yā: which (that)
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; relative pronoun agreeing with vṛttiḥ (understood)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Samuccaya-nipāta (conjunction)

• satpathagā: walking the true path
• satpathagā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sat-patha-gā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; samāsa: satpatha (good/true path) + gā (going) = 'one who goes on the true path'

• śubhā: auspicious
• śubhā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; qualifies vṛttiḥ (understood)

Context

I trust, you walk the auspicious path of truth (virtue) followed by our father and forefathers.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha (implied as ‘father’)

FAQs

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

Dharma is preserved through living tradition: one should walk the ‘satpatha’ upheld by righteous elders, not invent self-serving norms.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma urges Bharata to remain anchored in the Ikṣvāku standard of conduct, especially amid political crisis and succession conflict.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Fidelity to maryādā (normative righteousness) and respect for ancestral exemplars.