Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 72, Shloka 51

भरतस्य मातृसदनगमनं कैकेय्या दारुणवृत्तान्तकथनं च

Bharata in Kaikeyi’s apartments: revelation of Daśaratha’s death and Rāma’s exile

Devanagari script

तमपश्यन्प्रियंपुत्रं महीपालो महायशाः।पुत्रशोकपरिद्यूनः पञ्चत्वमुपपेदिवान्।।2.72.51।।

Transliteration

tam apaśyan priyaṁ putraṁ mahīpālo mahāyaśāḥ | putraśokaparidyūnaḥ pañcatvam upapēdivān || 2.72.51 ||

Translation

ਪਿਆਰੇ ਪੁੱਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਨਾ ਵੇਖ ਸਕਣ ਕਰਕੇ, ਮਹਾ-ਯਸ਼ਸਵੀ ਧਰਤੀਪਤੀ ਰਾਜਾ ਪੁੱਤਰ-ਸ਼ੋਕ ਨਾਲ ਮੁਰਝਾ ਕੇ ‘ਪੰਚਤੱਤਵ’ ਵਿੱਚ ਲੀਨ ਹੋ ਗਿਆ—ਅਰਥਾਤ ਦੇਹ ਤਿਆਗ ਗਿਆ।

Word by Word

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• अपश्यन्: not seeing
• अपश्यन्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'not seeing/being unable to see' (contextual)

• प्रियम्: beloved
• प्रियम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रिय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies पुत्रम्)

• पुत्रम्: son
• पुत्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• महीपालः: the king
• महीपालः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मही (प्रातिपदिक) + पाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: मह्याः पालः (ruler of earth)

• महायशाः: of great fame
• महायशाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + यशस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुव्रीहि: यस्य यशः महत्

• पुत्र-शोक-परिद्यूनः: wasted by grief for his son
• पुत्र-शोक-परिद्यूनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + शोक (प्रातिपदिक) + परिद्यून (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: पुत्रशोकेन परिद्यूनः (wasted by grief for son)

• पञ्चत्वम्: the state of dissolution (into five elements)
• पञ्चत्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; भाववाचक (state of becoming five elements)

• उपपेदिवान्: attained
• उपपेदिवान्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + पद् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; 'attained'

Context

The renowned ruler of the earth (king Dasaratha), unable to behold (the sorry state of) his beloved son and stricken by filial grief, merged into the five elements (died).

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Bharata
• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Adharma brings cascading suffering: a wrongful demand fractures the family order and culminates in the king’s death—an ethical warning about the real-world cost of unjust actions.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī reports to Bharata that Daśaratha died, consumed by grief after Rāma’s departure.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s deep paternal love, portrayed as overwhelming and fatal in the wake of separation.