Valmiki Ramayana 2.73.2 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 2

भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः

Bharata’s Rebuke of Kaikeyi and Affirmation of Ikshvaku Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

किं नु कार्यं हतस्येह मम राज्येन शोचतः।विहीनस्याथ पित्रा च भ्रात्रा पितृसमेन च।।।।

Transliteration

kiṃ nu kāryaṃ hatasyeha mama rājyena śocataḥ |

vihīnasya atha pitrā ca bhrātrā pitṛsamena ca ||

Translation

ବିପଦରେ ଆହତ ହୋଇ ଶୋକରେ ମଗ୍ନ ମୋ ପାଇଁ, ପିତା ଓ ପିତୃସମ ଭ୍ରାତା ବିହୀନ ହେବା ପରେ, ଏହି ରାଜ୍ୟର ଏବେ କ’ଣ ଉପକାର?

Word by Word

• kim: what
• kim: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathama (1/प्रथमा), Ekavacana; interrogative used predicatively

• nu: indeed/then
• nu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative/emphatic particle (निपात)

• kāryam: use/need
• kāryam: Pradhāna (प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √kṛ कृ + यत्)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathama, Ekavacana; ‘that which is to be done/utility’

• hatasya: of me, the ruined one
• hatasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √han हन् + kta)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (6/षष्ठी), Ekavacana; genitive ‘of the ruined/stricken one’ (speaker)

• iha: here
• iha: Deśa/Kāla (देश/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of place/time

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; pronoun

• rājyena: with the kingdom
• rājyena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā (3/तृतीया), Ekavacana; instrumental ‘by/with kingdom’

• śocataḥ: of me who grieve
• śocataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √śuc (शुच्)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (शतृ) used as substantive; Pumliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; ‘of (me) grieving’

• vihīnasya: of me, bereft
• vihīnasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vihīna (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; vi-√hā हा + kta)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana; ‘bereft’ (speaker)

• atha: and/then
• atha: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; connective particle

• pitrā: from/without (my) father
• pitrā: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrumental of separation/association in ‘bereft of’ sense

• ca: and
• ca: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• bhrātrā: from/without (my) brother
• bhrātrā: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; instrumental in ‘bereft of’ sense

• pitṛ-samena: from/without (him) who was like a father
• pitṛ-samena: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: pituḥ samaḥ (equal to a father)

• ca: and
• ca: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

Context

Had Rama not treated you as his own mother I would not have the slightest hesitation to renounce you, a lady of sinful disposition.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Bharata rejects power divorced from righteousness and family duty; kingship has meaning only when aligned with dharma and the well-being of the rightful order.

What is the narrative situation?

After Daśaratha’s death and Rāma’s exile, Bharata confronts Kaikeyī, expressing that the kingdom is worthless to him amid this unjust rupture.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Detachment from self-serving power and fidelity to rightful familial and moral order (dharma-niṣṭhā).