Valmiki Ramayana 2.75.28: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 75, Shloka 28

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चसप्ततितमः सर्गः

Sarga 75: Bharata and Kausalya · Reproach, Oaths, and Reconciliation

Spoken by Bharata to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhyā

Devanagari script

उपदिष्टं सुसूक्ष्मार्थं शास्त्रं यत्नेन धीमता ।

स नाशयतु दुष्टात्मा यस्याऽर्योऽनुमते गतः ॥२८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.75.28

Transliteration

upadiṣṭaṁ su-sūkṣmārthaṁ śāstraṁ yatnena dhīmatā |

sa nāśayatu duṣṭātmā yasyāryo 'numate gataḥ ||28||

Translation

బుద్ధిమంతుడైన ఆచార్యుడు శ్రమతో ఉపదేశించిన శాస్త్రంలోని అతి సూక్ష్మార్థాన్ని చెడుదనంతో నాశనం చేసే వాడు, అతడే నశించుగాక—య whose సలహాతో నా ఆర్య సహోదరుడు వనవాసానికి వెళ్లాడో।

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Word by Word

• उपदिष्टम्: taught; instructed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-√दिश् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; past participle qualifying ‘śāstram’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• सुसूक्ष्मार्थम्: having very subtle meaning
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + सूक्ष्म + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष (सुसूक्ष्मः अर्थः यस्य); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective qualifying ‘śāstram’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• शास्त्रम्: scripture; treatise
• Type: Noun
• Root: शास्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• यत्नेन: with effort
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular ‘with effort/care’
• Role: Karana (करण)

• धीमता: by the wise one
• Type: Noun
• Root: धीमत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular ‘by the wise (teacher)’
• Role: Karana (करण)

• सः: he
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• नाशयतु: let him destroy
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु) + णिच् (प्रेरण)
• Form: लोट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative ‘let him destroy’
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• दुष्टात्मा: evil-minded one
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्ट + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (दुष्टः आत्मा यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; substantive ‘evil-souled person’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• यस्य: whose
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• आर्यः: the noble one (Rāma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• अनुमते: with approval
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुमति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• गतः: gone; exiled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √गम् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• यस्यानुमते = यस्य + अनुमते
• (IAST in prompt has yasyā.ryō.numatē)

Context

May the one who counselled the exile of my esteemed brother acquire demerit in the same way as an evil-hearted person who forever destroys the subtle meaning of the scriptures imparted carefully by a sagacious preceptor!

The teaching

To corrupt or ruin subtle śāstric meaning taught by the wise is grave adharma; wrong counsel springs from and produces wrong understanding.

Duties in tension

• Respect for elders/authority vs exposing crooked counsel
• Preservation of śāstra-dharma vs political manipulation

Ethical theme

Jñāna-dharma / guru-śāstra-respect

How it resolves

Imprecation framed as epistemic-ethical warning

For your practice

Guard against twisting teachings for self-interest; practice śravaṇa-manana with humility; honor guru and text.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Didactic, indignant, piercing

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Satya
• Education
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma (ārya)
• śāstra

FAQs

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

Misusing knowledge and corrupting sacred teaching is adharma; dharma requires preserving and transmitting wisdom faithfully.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata condemns the instigator of exile as morally perverse, extending the blame to spiritual and intellectual corruption.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for learning and right interpretation—Bharata treats distortion of śāstra as a deep ethical failure.