Valmiki Ramayana 2.73.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 22

भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः · Bharata’s Rebuke of Kaikeyi and Affirmation of Ikshvaku Royal Dharma

Spoken by Bharata to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhya (implied)Places named: Ikṣvāku-kula (Ayodhya implied)

Devanagari script

सततं राजवृत्ते हि ज्येष्ठो राज्येऽभिषिच्यते ।

राज्ञामेतत्समं तत्स्यादिक्ष्वाकूणां विशेषतः ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.73.22

Transliteration

satataṃ rājavṛtte hi jyeṣṭho rājye 'bhiṣicyate |

rājñām etat samaṃ tat syād ikṣvākūṇāṃ viśeṣataḥ ||22||

Translation

സ്ഥാപിതമായ രാജാചാരപ്രകാരം ജ്യേഷ്ഠനേയ്ക്കാണ് എപ്പോഴും രാജാഭിഷേകം; ഇത് രാജാക്കന്മാർക്കൊക്കെയും പൊതുവായ നിയമം, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് ഇക്ഷ്വാകു വംശത്തിൽ അതി ദൃഢം.

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Word by Word

• satatam: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (सतत, प्रातिपदिक used adverbially)
• Form: Adverbial accusative = 'always'
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa

• rāja-vṛtte: in royal custom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन्) + vṛtta (वृत्त)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (rājñaḥ vṛttam), Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; domain)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Nipāta
• Role: Discourse particle

• jyeṣṭhaḥ: the eldest
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyeṣṭha (ज्येष्ठ)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• rājye: in the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (राज्य)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• abhiṣicyate: is consecrated
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√sic (अभि-सिच्, धातु)
• Form: Laṭ, Ātmanepada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; passive sense
• Role: Kriyā

• rājñām: of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (राजन्, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• etat: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; here subject of syāt
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)

• samam: the same
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sama (सम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective with etat
• Role: Predicate (विधेय-विशेषण)

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (तद्)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Prathamā/Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; correlative pronoun referring to rule
• Role: Karta (कर्ता; apposition)

• syāt: would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: √as (अस्, धातु)
• Form: Vidhiliṅ (optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana
• Role: Kriyā

• ikṣvākūṇām: of the Ikshvakus
• Type: Noun
• Root: ikṣvāku (इक्ष्वाकु, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Bahuvacana
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• viśeṣataḥ: especially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: viśeṣatas (विशेषतः, अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (kriyā-viśeṣaṇa)
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa

Sandhi Notes

• rājye'bhiṣicyate = rājye + abhiṣicyate
• etatsamam = etat + samam
• tatsyāt = tat + syāt
• syādikṣvākūṇām = syāt + ikṣvākūṇām.

Context

According to the established law of royalty, the eldest son is invariably crowned in the kingdom. This is true of all kings. This is a special tradition of the kings of theIkshvaku race.

The teaching

Succession is not arbitrary: established rāja-vṛtta consecrates the eldest—especially binding in the Ikṣvāku line.

Duties in tension

• Dynastic ācāra/primogeniture vs exceptional manipulation of succession

Ethical theme

Ācāra-dharma / rāja-dharma

How it resolves

Appeal to universal and clan-specific precedent

For your practice

Reverence for righteous tradition when it protects justice; discern when 'custom' aligns with dharma.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Authoritative, traditional, stabilizing

Themes

• Dharma
• Rājadharma
• Kula-dharma
• Maryādā
• Itihāsa (traditional precedent)

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyī
• Ikṣvāku dynasty
• Rāma (implicit as eldest)

FAQs

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

Social and political dharma depends on continuity of rightful norms; stable succession is presented as a dharmic safeguard.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata appeals to universal royal precedent and the special Ikṣvāku standard to refute Kaikeyī’s scheme.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Respect for precedent and lawful order (ācāra-niṣṭhā).