Valmiki Ramayana 2.85.17: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 85, Shloka 17

भरत-गुहसंवादः

Bharata and Guha: Trust, Hospitality, and the Burden of Grief

Devanagari script

अन्तर्दाहेन दहनस्सन्तापयति राघवम् ।

वनदाहाभिसन्तप्तं गूढोऽग्निरिव पादपम् ॥१७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.85.17

Transliteration

antardāhena dahanas santāpayati rāghavam |

vanadāhābhisantaptaṁ gūḍho 'gnir iva pādapam ||17||

Translation

Api dukacita yang membakar dari dalam menyengat Bharata—bagaikan nyala tersembunyi yang membakar sebatang pohon yang sudah hangus disentuh kebakaran rimba.

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Word by Word

• अन्तर्दाहेन: by inner burning
• अन्तर्दाहेन: Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antardāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, तृतीया, एकवचनम्; करणवाचक (by inner burning)

• दहनः: burning (grief)
• दहनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; रूपकतः ‘शोकः/दुःखम्’

• सन्तापयति: scorches/torments
• सन्तापयति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√tap (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम्; णिच्-अभावेऽपि causative-like sense “torments/heats”

• राघवम्: Rāghava (Bharata here per context)
• राघवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• वनदाहाभिसन्तप्तम्: scorched by forest fire
• वनदाहाभिसन्तप्तम्: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vana-dāha + abhi-santapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (vana-dāha-abhisantapta = “scorched by forest-fire”)

• गूढः: hidden
• गूढः: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gūḍha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; ‘अग्निः’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Upamana (उपमानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: agni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• इव: like
• इव: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle: like)

• पादपम्: tree
• पादपम्: Upameya (उपमेयम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; उपमेयम्

Context

Just like a concealed forest-fire scorching the dried up forest, the fire of sorrow kindled in his mind scorched Bharata.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata (as Rāghava)
• grief (śoka)
• fire (agni) (simile element)

FAQs

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

The verse shows the cost of dharma: a righteous person may endure intense inner suffering when confronted with wrongdoing or separation from the virtuous.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata’s sorrow intensifies at night, portrayed as an inner fire consuming him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Bharata’s empathy and moral seriousness—his pain reflects deep attachment to righteousness and to Rama.