Shloka 9

द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः

Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments

Devanagari script

भरतश्चेत्प्रतीतः स्याद्राज्यं प्राप्येदमव्ययम्।यन्मे स दद्यात्पित्रर्थं मामां तद्दत्तमागमत्।।।।

Transliteration

bharataś cet pratītaḥ syād rājyaṃ prāpye dam avyayam | yan me sa dadyāt pitrarthaṃ māṃ tad dattaṃ māgamat ||

Translation

ഭരതൻ ഈ അവിനാശിയായ രാജ്യം നേടി തൃപ്തനാകുന്നുവെങ്കിൽ, പിതൃതർപ്പണമായി അവൻ എനിക്കായി അർപ്പിക്കുന്ന നിവേദ്യം എനിക്കൊരിക്കലും ലഭിക്കാതിരിക്കട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा एकवचन (nominative singular)

• cet: if
• cet: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय (conditional particle: ‘if’)

• pratītaḥ: pleased/satisfied
• pratītaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pratīta (प्रातिपदिक; √i/प्रती + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘प्रसन्न/सन्तुष्ट’ (pleased)

• syāt: may be/would be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative singular)

• prāpya: having obtained
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√āp (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय-भाव (gerund/absolutive), अर्थ: ‘प्राप्य’ = having obtained

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘राज्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• avyayam: imperishable/undiminished
• avyayam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘राज्यम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• yat: which (thing)
• yat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-प्रत्यय (relative)

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन (dat./gen. sg.; here dative ‘to me’)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• dadyāt: should give
• dadyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pitrartham: for the sake of the father (funeral offering)
• pitrartham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: पितुः अर्थः), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचन (accusative singular)

• tad: that
• tad: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘दत्तम्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• dattam: given
• dattam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dattá (प्रातिपदिक; √dā + क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘given’

• āgamat: may (it) come/reach
• āgamat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā√gam (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; नकारार्थे ‘मा’ सह: ‘may it not come’

Context

If Bharata feels pleased to secure this imperishable kingdom, then may his obsequial offerings at my funeral not reach me!

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Bharata
• rājya (kingdom)

FAQs

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

It underscores the dhārmic importance of filial rites (śrāddha/obsequies) while showing how anger and despair can invert dharma into a wish for spiritual deprivation—serving as a caution about adharma in speech born from grief.

What is the narrative situation?

In the aftermath of Rāma’s exile, Daśaratha speaks in bitterness: if Bharata enjoys the kingship, Daśaratha declares he does not want Bharata’s funeral offerings to benefit him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse emphasizes the tragic collapse of equanimity under sorrow; it implicitly calls attention to the virtue of compassion and measured speech that is strained in moments of calamity.