Valmiki Ramayana 2.75.39 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 75, Shloka 39

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः

Sarga 75: Bharata and Kausalya—Reproach, Oaths, and Reconciliation

Devanagari script

सङ्ग्रमे समुपोढे स्म शत्रुपक्षभयङ्करे।पलायामानो वध्येत यस्यार्योऽनुमते गतः।।।।

Transliteration

saṅgrame samupoḍhe sma śatrupakṣabhayaṅkare | palāyamāno vadhyeta yasyāryo ’numate gataḥ ||

Translation

എന്റെ ആര്യ സഹോദരൻ വനവാസത്തിലേക്കു പോയത് ആരുടെ സമ്മതത്താലോ, ആ പുരുഷൻ ഭീകരമായ യുദ്ധം ഉച്ചത്തിലെത്തുമ്പോൾ, ശത്രുപക്ഷത്തിന് ഭയങ്കരനായിരുന്നാലും, ഓടിപ്പോകുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ ഒരു യോദ്ധാവിനെപ്പോലെ വധിക്കപ്പെടട്ടെ.

Word by Word

• saṅgrame: in battle
• saṅgrame: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅgrāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• samupoḍhe: when it has reached its height
• samupoḍhe: Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa (अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-uh (सम्-उप-ऊह्/वह्, धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; agrees with saṅgrame: ‘when (battle) has come to a climax’

• sma: indeed/then (particle)
• sma: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: स्म-निपात (particle, often with past narration/emphasis)

• śatrupakṣabhayaṅkare: terrifying to the enemy side
• śatrupakṣabhayaṅkare: Adhikaraṇa-viśeṣaṇa (अधिकरणविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + bhayaṅkara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (determinative): ‘शत्रु-पक्षस्य भयङ्करः’; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; qualifies saṅgrame

• palāyāmānaḥ: fleeing
• palāyāmānaḥ: Kartṛviśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: palāy (पलाय्, धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ, कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (saḥ) ‘fleeing’

• vadhyeta: may he be slain
• vadhyeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vadh (वध्, धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकार (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद

• yasya: whose
• yasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• āryaḥ: the noble one
• āryaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• anumate: with consent
• anumate: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anumati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• gataḥ: gone; exiled
• gataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (गम्, धातु) + ta (क्त)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire the same sin like a warrior, dreadful to the enemy side who will be slain while fleeing from the war at its peak!

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma
• Battle (saṅgrāma)

FAQs

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

For a kṣatriya, dharma includes steadfastness in crisis; fleeing at the decisive moment is dishonorable and invites ruin.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata uses a martial analogy to portray the instigator’s moral failure as cowardice at the peak of duty.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Courage and steadfastness—qualities Bharata implicitly associates with Rāma’s righteous path.