Valmiki Ramayana 2.74.29: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 74, Shloka 29

भरतस्य कैकेयी-गर्हा तथा सुरभि-दृष्टान्तः

Bharata’s Reproach of Kaikeyi and the Surabhi Exemplum

Devanagari script

एकपुत्रा च साध्वी च विवत्सेयं त्वया कृता ।

तस्मात्त्वं सततं दुःखं प्रेत्य चेह च लप्स्यसे ॥२९॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.74.29

Transliteration

ekaputrā ca sādhvī ca vivatsā iyaṃ tvayā kṛtā |

tasmāt tvaṃ satataṃ duḥkhaṃ pretya ceha ca lapsyase ||29||

Translation

ഏകപുത്രവതിയും സദാചാരിണിയുമായ ഈ രാജ്ഞിയെ നീ പുത്രവിയോഗിനിയാക്കി. അതിനാൽ ഈ ജീവിതത്തിലും മരണാനന്തരവും നീ തുടർച്ചയായ ദുഃഖം തന്നെയാകും അനുഭവിക്കുക.

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Word by Word

• एकपुत्रा: having only one son
• एकपुत्रा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka + putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; समासः—तत्पुरुष (एकः पुत्रः यस्याः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• साध्वी: virtuous
• साध्वी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sādhvī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; विशेषणम् (इयम्)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• विवत्सा: childless
• विवत्सा: Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-vatsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; ‘without calf/childless’

• इयम्: this woman
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular; demonstrative pronoun

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana (करण/Agent-instrument in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 2nd person pronoun, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• कृता: has been made
• कृता: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Feminine, Nominative, Singular; with implied ‘अस्ति’

• तस्मात्: therefore
• तस्मात्: Hetu (हेतु/Inference marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tasmāt (अव्यय/तद्-प्रातिपदिकात्)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तस्मात्-निपात) ‘therefore/from that’

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 2nd person pronoun, Nominative, Singular

• सततम्: always
• सततम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: satata (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययीभाववत्)
• Form: Adverb (नित्यत्व) used indeclinably

• दुःखम्: sorrow
• दुःखम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रेत्य: after death
• प्रेत्य: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: √i (धातु) + त्य (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive (ल्यप्) ‘having departed/died’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative sense)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक)

• च: also
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• लप्स्यसे: you will obtain/experience
• लप्स्यसे: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √labh (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), Ātmanepada, 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular

Context

This pious lady is blessed with only one son and (now) has been rendered childless by you. Therefore, you shall experience grief in this world and hereafter.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyi
• Kausalya
• Rama

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassion and protection of the innocent; causing gratuitous suffering to a virtuous person is condemned and is said to yield painful consequences.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata accuses Kaikeyi of making Kausalya bereft of her only son by sending Rama to exile, and he predicts sorrow as the result.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s empathy for Kausalya and his sense of justice: he recognizes the moral gravity of harming the blameless.