Valmiki Ramayana 2.113.10: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 113, Shloka 10

पादुकाप्रदानं भरतस्य निवृत्तिश्च

The Sandals Bestowed; Bharata’s Return Toward Ayodhya

Spoken by Rama to Bharata

Devanagari script

पितुः प्रतिज्ञां तामेव पालयिष्यामि तत्त्वतः ।

चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि या प्रतिज्ञा पितुर्मम ॥१०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.113.10

Transliteration

pituḥ pratijñāṃ tām eva pālayiṣyāmi tattvataḥ |

caturdaśa hi varṣāṇi yā pratijñā pitur mama ||10||

Translation

Воистину, я в точности исполню тот самый обет моего отца — обещание четырнадцати лет.

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Word by Word

• पितुः: of (my) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• प्रतिज्ञाम्: promise
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• ताम्: that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; सर्वनाम; विशेषण (प्रतिज्ञाम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (only/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• पालयिष्यामि: I shall uphold
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future); उत्तम-पुरुष (1st); एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• तत्त्वतः: truly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्त्वतः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकार/सत्यार्थे (truly/in reality)
• Role: Prakara-adhikarana (प्रकार-अधिकरण)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास/संख्यावाचक; नपुंसकलिङ्गे ‘वर्षाणि’ विशेषण; (here used as numeral)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Dvigu

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle); हेत्वर्थ/निश्चय (indeed/for)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• वर्षाणि: years
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• या: which/that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन; सम्बन्ध-सर्वनाम; विशेषण (प्रतिज्ञा)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• प्रतिज्ञा: promise
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; प्रथमा; एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• पितुः: of (my) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी; एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• मम: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तम-पुरुष-सर्वनाम; षष्ठी; एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

Sandhi Notes

• ताम् + एव → तामेव
• पितुः + मम → पितुर्मम

Context

In sooth, I shall honour the words of promise given by my father and live in the forest for fourteen years, as promised.

The teaching

Dharma is safeguarded when one treats a father’s pledged word as inviolable, even at personal cost.

Duties in tension

• Personal right to kingship vs. obedience to father’s pledged word
• Comfort/safety vs. adherence to satya and dharma

Ethical theme

Satya-dharma / filial duty

How it resolves

Vow-fulfillment through renunciation

For your practice

Practice of satya-niṣṭhā and vrata-like steadiness; contemplation on keeping one’s word as spiritual discipline.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Steadfast, vow-bound, self-controlled

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Pitr̥-vacana-pālana (keeping a father’s word)
• Rajadharma
• Ethics
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• fourteen years (caturdaśa varṣāṇi)

FAQs

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

Truthfulness and fidelity to a rightful vow: Rāma treats his father’s promise as binding and must be upheld without evasion.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma reaffirms that he will complete the exile-term exactly as Daśaratha had pledged, refusing any shortcut or reversal.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya-niṣṭhā (steadfastness in truth) and dharma-niṣṭhā (commitment to righteous obligation).