Valmiki Ramayana 2.73.17 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 73, Shloka 17

भरतस्य कैकेय्याः प्रति धिक्कारः

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

Devanagari script

अथवा मे भवेच्छक्तिर्योगैर्बुद्धिबलेन वा।सकामां न करिष्यामि त्वामहं पुत्रगर्धिनीम्।।।।

Transliteration

athavā me bhavec chaktir yogair buddhi-balena vā | sakāmāṃ na kariṣyāmi tvām ahaṃ putra-gardhinīm || 2.73.17 ||

Translation

Ou, ainda que eu viesse a obter força por expedientes políticos ou pelo poder do intelecto, não permitirei que tu—ávida por teu filho—alcances o fim que desejas.

Word by Word

• athavā: or else
• athavā: Discourse connector (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: athavā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-avyaya (disjunctive particle)

• me: for me; of me
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī (6th/gen.) Ekavacana; 'to me/for me' sense also possible, here possession with śaktiḥ

• bhavet: might be
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू, धातु)
• Form: Vidhiliṅ (optative), Parasmaipada, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• śaktiḥ: power; ability
• śaktiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (शक्ति, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• yogaiḥ: by expedients
• yogaiḥ: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yoga (योग, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Bahuvacana; 'by means of stratagems/expedients'

• buddhi-balena: by strength of intellect
• buddhi-balena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: buddhi (बुद्धि) + bala (बल)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: buddheḥ balam), Napuṃsakaliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• vā: or
• vā: Samuccaya/Vikalpa (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vikalpa-nipāta (or)

• sakāmām: with your desire fulfilled
• sakāmām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-kāma (सकाम, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya/Upapada: sa + kāma 'with desire fulfilled'; Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; adjective of tvām

• na: not
• na: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-avyaya

• kariṣyāmi: I will make/do
• kariṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kṛ (कृ, धातु)
• Form: Luṭ-lakāra (periphrastic future), Parasmaipada, Uttama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• tvām: you
• tvām: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्, सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद्)
• Form: Prathamā, Ekavacana

• putra-gardhinīm: covetous of a son
• putra-gardhinīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra (पुत्र) + gardhinī (गर्धिनी, प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (object-relation: putram gardhati iti), Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; vocative sense implied but form is accusative agreeing with tvām

Context

If I gather the strength (to carry the burden) either by employing the four expedients (available to a king against an enemy) or by the power of intellect, I will not allow you, covetous of your son, to fulfil your ambition.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Kaikeyī
• son (putra) — Bharata (implied as the object of ambition)

FAQs

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

Dharma rejects success obtained through injustice; even legitimate skills of governance and strategy must not be used to validate an adharmic outcome.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata directly tells Kaikeyī that even if he had the means—strategy or intellect—he would not cooperate in fulfilling her plan to enthrone her son.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya and moral steadfastness—Bharata’s refusal to profit from wrongdoing, even when he could potentially consolidate power.