Valmiki Ramayana 2.70.1-2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 70, Shlokas 1-2

भरतस्य दूतसमागमः तथा केकयराजनः अनुज्ञा

Bharata Meets the Messengers; Kekaya King Grants Leave

Setting: Rājagṛha (Kekaya capital)Messengers arrive from Ayodhyā to Kekaya; entry into city and court audience

Devanagari script

भरते ब्रुवति स्वप्नं दूतास्ते क्लान्तवाहनाः ।

प्रविश्यासह्यपरिखं रम्यं राजगृहं पुरम् ॥१॥

समागम्य तु राज्ञा च राजपुत्रेण चार्चिताः ।

राज्ञः पादौ गृहीत्वा तु तमूचुर्भरतं वचः ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.70.1-2

Transliteration

bharate bruvati svapnaṃ dūtās te klāntavāhanāḥ |

praviśya asahyaparikhaṃ ramyaṃ rājagṛhaṃ puram ||1||

samāgamya tu rājñā ca rājaputreṇa cārcitāḥ |

rājñaḥ pādau gṛhītvā tu tam ūcuḥ bharataṃ vacaḥ ||2||

Translation

Gdy Bharata opowiadał o swoim śnie, posłańcy ci, dosiadający zmęczonych wierzchowców, weszli do urokliwego miasta Rājagṛha, otoczonego nie do przebycia fosą. Spotkawszy króla Kekaya i księcia, zostali uhonorowani; i po czciobliwym ujęciu stóp króla, zwrócili się do Bharaty z poselstwem.

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Word by Word

• bharate: when/while (in the presence of) Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; locative singular
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• bruvati: while speaking/relating
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकालिक कृदन्त (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त), परस्मैपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative absolute participle
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• svapnam: the dream
• Type: Noun
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन; accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• dūtāḥ: messengers
• Type: Noun
• Root: dūta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), बहुवचन; nominative plural
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• te: those
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; demonstrative pronoun agreeing with दूताः
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• klāntavāhanāḥ: with weary mounts/vehicles
• Type: Adjective
• Root: klānta (प्रातिपदिक) + vāhana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-प्रायः: क्लान्तानि वाहनानि येषाम्/क्लान्त-वाहन); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; adjective to दूताः
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• praviśya: having entered
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-viś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाले; indeclinable
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• asahyaparikham: having an impassable moat
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asahya (प्रातिपदिक) + parikha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective to पुरम् (city)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• ramyam: lovely
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ramya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective to पुरम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• rājagṛham: the royal residence / Rājagṛha
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāja (प्रातिपदिक) + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: राज्ञः गृहम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; apposition/qualifier of पुरम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• puram: city
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

Sandhi Notes

• दूतास्ते = दूताः ते
• प्रविश्यासह्यपरिखं = प्रविश्य असह्यपरिखम्
• स्वप्नं (IAST svapnaṅ) = स्वप्नम्

Context

While Bharata was relating his dream, the mounted messengers (from Ayodhya) with their weary horses entered the lovely city of Rajagriha surrounded by an impassable moat. There they met the king of Kekaya country and his son, Yuddhajit and were received with honour. Touching the feet of the king with reverence, they said to Bharata:

The teaching

Even in crisis, dharma expresses itself through maryādā—proper reception, honor, and respectful speech—before action.

Duties in tension

• Duty to heed ominous signs and protect family/state
• Duty to maintain composure and follow court protocol while receiving urgent news

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma (protocol under pressure)

How it resolves

Procedural propriety before disclosure

For your practice

Mindfulness under urgency: maintain respectful conduct and steadiness when alarming information arrives.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Foreboding, urgent, breathless

Themes

• Dharma
• Royal Protocol
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Omen/Dream

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• messengers (dūta)
• Rājagṛha

FAQs

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

Dharma expressed as maryādā (proper conduct): messengers follow royal etiquette—being received with honor and showing reverence to the king—before delivering their urgent message.

What is the narrative situation?

Messengers from Ayodhya arrive at Rājagṛha in Kekaya while Bharata is recounting a dream; they meet the king and Yudhājit and then prepare to speak to Bharata.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discipline and decorum—urgent news is still conveyed through respectful protocol, reflecting the Ramayana’s stress on righteous social order.