Valmiki Ramayana 2.75.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 75, Shloka 21

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः

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

Spoken by Bharata to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhyā (implied, Bharata’s return and lament)

Devanagari script

कृता शास्त्रानुगा बुद्धिर्माभूत्तस्य कदाचन ।

सत्यसन्ध स्सतां श्रेष्ठो यस्याऽर्योऽनुमते गतः ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.75.21

Transliteration

kṛtā śāstrānugā buddhir mā bhūt tasya kadācana |

satyasandhaḥ satāṃ śreṣṭho yasyāryo 'numate gataḥ ||21||

Translation

Moga jangan sekali-kali timbul sangkaan demikian pada diri yang buddinya dibentuk menurut śāstra: “Saudaraku yang mulia—teguh pada satya, terbaik di antara orang saleh—telah pergi ke pembuangan dengan persetujuan orang itu.”

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Word by Word

• कृता: formed; fixed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘buddhiḥ’ (‘made/formed; fixed’)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• शास्त्रानुगा: following the scriptures
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शास्त्र + अनुग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (शास्त्रस्य अनुगाः); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘buddhiḥ’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• बुद्धिः: thought; intention
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• मा: do not; let not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; prohibitive particle used with optative/imperative
• Role: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)

• भूत्: may it happen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √भू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्/विधिलिङ्-प्रयोग (आशीर्लिङ्/विधि), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘may it be/happen’ (here with ‘mā’ = ‘may it not happen’)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• तस्य: of him
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; genitive singular ‘of him’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• कदाचन: at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय; adverb ‘ever/at any time’
• Role: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण)

• सत्यसन्धः: true to his vow
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य + सन्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (सत्ये सन्धः/सन्धि:); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; adjective (also substantive)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सताम्: of the virtuous
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; genitive plural ‘of the virtuous’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• श्रेष्ठः: best
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रेष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; superlative adjective qualifying ‘āryaḥ’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• यस्य: whose
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘whose’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• आर्यः: the noble one (Rāma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular (Rāma)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• अनुमते: with approval
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7/अधिकरण), एकवचन; locative singular ‘with the consent/approval’
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• गतः: gone; exiled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; past participle ‘gone’ (context: ‘sent away/exiled’)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• बुद्धिर्मा = बुद्धिः + मा
• माभूत् = मा + भूत्
• यस्याऽर्योऽनुमते = यस्य + आर्यः + अनुमते

Context

Did not the one who counselled the banishment of my noble brother who is steadfast and bound by truth and virtue, ever adhered to scriptures?(or)My noble brother (Rama), the best among the virtuous, bound to truth, is banished. Let not such thought occur at any time to one who steadfastly adheres to scriptures!

The teaching

A śāstra-formed intellect must not normalize adharma; truthfulness and noble conduct remain the measure of legitimacy.

Duties in tension

• Filial loyalty vs condemnation of mother/household wrongdoing (implied)
• Political duty to uphold rightful succession vs fear of complicity in exile
• Inner śāstra-guided conscience vs social/political pressure

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma / kula-dharma / satya

How it resolves

Moral repudiation and self-exculpation through appeal to śāstra and praise of Rāma’s satya

Devotion and practice

Smaraṇa of Rāma’s satya and dharma; cultivating śāstra-aligned buddhi and moral vigilance.

Deity praised

Rāma (as satya-sandha, satāṃ śreṣṭha)

Form of praise

Stuti (a hymn of praise)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Self-reproach, pious dread, brotherly devotion

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Śāstra
• Condemnation of adharma
• Defense of Rāma’s virtue

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kausalyā
• Rāma (ārya, satyasandha)

FAQs

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

A śāstra-aligned conscience should not entertain complicity in adharma; Bharata frames truth-bound Rāma as the ethical standard and rejects any association with his unjust exile.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata, defending himself, invokes śāstric morality and rejects the idea that he approved of Rāma’s banishment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s satya (truth-steadfastness) and Bharata’s dhārmic conscience shaped by śāstra.