Valmiki Ramayana 2.71.3-4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 71, Shlokas 3-4

भरतस्य अयोध्याप्रत्यागमनम् · Bharata’s Return Journey and the Distant Sight of Ayodhya

Setting: En route in the northern regions: crossing Ailādhāna river area, Aparaparpaṭa, near the source-mountain of Śilāvahā, proceeding toward Śalyakarṣaṇa and Caitraratha forestPlaces named: Ailādhāna, Aparaparpaṭa, Śilāvahā, Śalyakarṣaṇa, Caitraratha (forest)Bharata’s overland journey toward Rama (forestward)

Devanagari script

ऐलाधाने नदीं तीर्त्वा प्राप्य चापरपर्पटान् ।

शिलामकुर्वतीं तीर्त्वा आग्नेयं शल्यकर्षणम् ॥३॥

सत्यसन्धश्शुचिश्श्रीमान्प्रेक्षमाण श्शिलावहाम् ।

अत्ययात्स महाशैलान्वनं चैत्ररथं प्रति ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.71.3-4

Transliteration

ailādhāne nadīṃ tīrtvā prāpya cāparaparpaṭān |

śilām akurvatīṃ tīrtvā āgneyaṃ śalyakarṣaṇam ||3||

satyasandhaḥ śuciḥ śrīmān prekṣamāṇaḥ śilāvahām |

atyayāt sa mahāśailān vanaṃ caitrarathaṃ prati ||4||

Translation

ऐलाधाने नदीं तीर्त्वा प्राप्य चापरपर्पटान्। शिलामकुर्वतीं तीर्त्वा आग्नेयं शल्यकर्षणम्॥ सत्यसन्धः शुचिः श्रीमान् प्रेक्षमाणः शिलावहाम्। अत्ययात् स महाशैलान् वनं चैत्ररथं प्रति॥

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Word by Word

• ailādhāne: in (the region of) Ailādhāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: ailādhāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka/Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन); place-name used as adhikaraṇa
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• nadīm: the river
• Type: Noun
• Root: nadī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tīrtvā: having crossed
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त/ल्यप्), ‘having crossed’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• prāpya: having reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: prāp (प्र + आप्) (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), ‘having reached/obtained’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction/particle (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)

• aparaparpaṭān: the Aparaparpaṭa region(s)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparaparpaṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); toponym/region-name
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• śilām: Śilā (river/name)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• akurvatīm: originating/producing (i.e., arising)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kurvatī (कृ धातु, वर्तमानकृदन्त) (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमानकृदन्त), Feminine (स्त्री), Accusative Singular; qualifying ‘śilām’; sense: ‘making/producing/originating’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• tīrtvā: having crossed
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṝ (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having crossed’
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• āgneyaṃ: towards the Āgneya direction
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgneya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used adverbially as direction ‘towards the southeast / Agni-quarter’ (often glossed NE in some traditions)
• Role: Gati/Deśa (गति/देश)

• śalyakarṣaṇam: Śalyakarṣaṇa (place)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śalyakarṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: śalya + karṣaṇa (‘pulling out thorns/śalya’), place-name
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• satyasandhaḥ: true to his word
• Type: Adjective
• Root: satyasandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारय: satya + sandha (‘true in resolve/true to promise’)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• śuciḥ: pure-hearted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śuci (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• śrīmān: splendid/fortunate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śrīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; possessive adjective (मतुप्)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• prekṣamāṇaḥ: observing
• Type: Verb
• Root: prekṣ (प्र + ईक्ष्) (धातु)
• Form: Present middle participle (शानच्/वर्तमानकृदन्त), Masculine Nominative Singular; agreeing with subject
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• śilāvahām: Śilāvahā (river)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śilāvahā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: śilā + vahā (‘stone-bearing’), river-name
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• atyayāt: went beyond
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati + i (अति + इ) (धातु)
• Form: Aorist/Perfective past (लुङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada; ‘went beyond/passed’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• saḥ: he (Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine Nominative Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mahāśailān: great mountains
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahāśaila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural; कर्मधारय: mahā + śaila (‘great mountains’)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• vanam: forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• caitraratham: named Caitraratha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: caitraratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; proper adjective qualifying ‘vanam’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• prati: towards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: Preposition/indeclinable (उपसर्गसदृश अव्यय) governing accusative; direction ‘towards’
• Role: Gati/Deśa (गति/देश)

Sandhi Notes

• ailādhāne (loc.sg) kept
• nadīṃ tīrtvā: anusvāra before dental
• ca aparaparpaṭān: cā- resolved to ca + aparaparpaṭān
• śilām akurvatīm: śilāmakurvatīm split
• āgneyaṃ śalyakarṣaṇam: kept
• satyasandhaś śuciś śrīmān: visarga sandhi resolved
• prekṣamāṇaḥ śilāvahām: śilāvahām accusative
• atyayāt sa: final -t + s sandhi resolved

Context

Bharata, ever true to his word, handsome and pure-hearted, reached Aparaparpata region and crossed river Satadru at Eladhana, the mountain in which river Silavaha originates. Then he traversed Salyakarsna regions in the northeast, observing the course of the Silavaha and went beyond the great mountains in the direction of the forest called Chaitraratha.

The teaching

Satya-saṅkalpa and śauca empower steadfast action; the righteous do not waver in pursuit of what must be done.

Ethical theme

Dharma of resolve (satya/niṣṭhā)

For your practice

Supports sādhana of niṣṭhā (steadfastness): keep vows, proceed step by step, cross obstacles without agitation.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Purposeful, expansive, journeying

Themes

• Itihasa
• Satya
• Dharma
• Journey
• Omen

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Caitraratha (forest)

FAQs

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

Bharata is characterized as satyasandha—one who stands by truth and vow—suggesting that righteous conduct begins with fidelity to one’s word even amid political uncertainty.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata is traveling rapidly back toward Ayodhyā, crossing named regions and rivers, moving closer to the unfolding crisis in the royal household.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya (truthfulness/keeping one’s pledge) and śauca (inner purity) are foregrounded through Bharata’s epithets.