Valmiki Ramayana 2.74.27-28: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 74, Shlokas 27-28

भरतस्य कैकेयी-गर्हा तथा सुरभि-दृष्टान्तः

Bharata’s Reproach of Kaikeyi and the Surabhi Exemplum

Devanagari script

सदाऽप्रतिमवृत्तायाः लोकधारणकाम्यया ।

श्रीमत्या गुणनित्याया स्स्वभावपरिचेष्टया ॥२७॥

यस्याः पुत्रसहस्राणि साऽपि शोचति कामधुक् ।

किं पुनर्या विना रामं कौसल्या वर्तयिष्यति ॥२८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.74.27-28

Transliteration

sadā ’pratimavṛttāyāḥ lokadhāraṇakāmyayā |

śrīmatyā guṇanityāyā svabhāvapariceṣṭayā ||27||

yasyāḥ putrasahasrāṇi sā ’pi śocati kāmadhuk |

kiṁ punar yā vinā rāmaṁ kausalyā vartayiṣyati ||28||

Translation

Zawsze pragnąca podtrzymać światy i o niesrównanych obyczajach, cnotliwa i pełna chwały z natury, jeśli nawet Kāmadhenu, mająca tysiąc synów, się smuci, cóż dopiero o Kausalyi bez Rāmy? Jakże mogłaby pozostać sobą?

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Word by Word

• सदा: always
• सदा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• अप्रतिमवृत्तायाः: of (her) unequalled conduct
• अप्रतिमवृत्तायाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-pratima + vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—कर्मधारय (अप्रतिमं वृत्तं यस्याः/यस्याः वृत्तम् अप्रतिमम्)

• लोकधारणकाम्यया: by/with the desire to sustain the worlds
• लोकधारणकाम्यया: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: loka + dhāraṇa + kāmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुष (लोकधारणस्य काम्या/इच्छा)

• श्रीमत्या: being prosperous/glorious
• श्रीमत्या: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); विशेषणम्

• गुणनित्याया: of (her) constant virtues
• गुणनित्याया: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guṇa + nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुष (गुणेषु नित्या/गुणनित्य)

• स्वभावपरिचेष्टया: by her natural disposition/behavior
• स्वभावपरिचेष्टया: Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svabhāva + pariceṣṭā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन); समासः—तत्पुरुष (स्वभावस्य परिचेष्टा)

Context

Wishing always to nourish the worlds Kamadhenu conducts herself with an unequalled character. In accordance with her nature, she has imbibed in herself eminent virtues. She is endowed with all prosperity. In spite of her thousand sons, sheis weeping thus for her two bulls, what can one say of Kausalya separated from her only son! Will she be her normal self again?'

Characters & Entities

• Kāmadhenu (Surabhi)
• Kausalyā
• Rāma
• worlds (loka)

FAQs

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

The repetition reinforces the ethical reading: the pain of separation from a righteous son is not weakness but a natural consequence of relational dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

A repeated/parallel transmission of the analogy between Surabhi’s grief and Kausalyā’s expected suffering without Rama.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is Rāma’s irreplaceability as a dharmic son, whose absence destabilizes the mother’s life and household order.