Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 4

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Spoken by Rama to LakṣmaṇaSetting: Citrakūṭa forest vicinity (ethical discourse amid impending meeting)Moral clarification before engagement with Bharata/army

Devanagari script

यद्द्रव्यं बान्धवानां वा मित्राणां वा क्षये भवेत् ।

नाहं तत्प्रतिगृह्णीयां भक्षान्विषकृतानिव ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.97.4

Transliteration

yad dravyaṃ bāndhavānāṃ vā mitrāṇāṃ vā kṣaye bhavet |

na ahaṃ tat pratigṛhṇīyāṃ bhakṣān viṣakṛtān iva ||4||

Translation

బంధువుల గానీ మిత్రుల గానీ నాశనమువలన కలిగే ధనాన్ని నేను ఎప్పటికీ స్వీకరించను—విషం కలిపిన భోజనంలా।

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Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun, Neuter Nominative Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Relative-correlative)

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/property
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Kartā: subject of bhavet)

• बान्धवानाम्: of relatives
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha: genitive)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)
• Role: विकल्प (Alternative)

• मित्राणाम्: of friends
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha: genitive)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)
• Role: विकल्प (Alternative)

• क्षये: in destruction/at the cost of ruin
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa: circumstance)

• भवेत्: should arise/be obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 3rd person singular)
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: निषेध (Negation)

• अहम्: I
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Kartā: subject)

• तत्: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Pronoun, Neuter, Accusative, Singular)
• Role: कर्म (Karma: object)

• प्रतिगृह्णीयाम्: would accept
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + प्रति (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 1st person singular)
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā)

• भक्षान्: foods/morsels
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)
• Role: उपमान (Upamāna: compared item)

• विषकृतान्: poison-prepared
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ-धातु + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (विषेण कृतान् = prepared with poison); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'भक्षान्' इति विशेषणम्
• Role: उपमान (Upamāna qualifier)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• इव: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Comparative marker)

Sandhi Notes

• यद्द्रव्यं → यत् द्रव्यम्
• नाहम् → न अहम्
• तत्प्रतिगृह्णीयाम् → तत् प्रतिगृह्णीयाम्
• भक्षान्विषकृतानिव → भक्षान् विषकृतान् इव

Context

I shall never accept any wealth obtained by destroying kith and kin or friends which is akin to taking food prepared with poison.

The teaching

Gain that depends on others’ ruin is self-destructive—like poison disguised as food.

Duties in tension

• Artha (acquiring wealth/kingdom)
• Ahiṃsā and loyalty to kin/friends
• Śuddha-upāya (purity of means)

Ethical theme

Nīti / śīla (ethical conduct)

How it resolves

Renunciation of tainted gain; ethical absolutism regarding harm

For your practice

Practice of viveka and aparigraha: refuse benefits built on harm; cultivate inner purity.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Pure, discerning, uncompromising

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Non-violence
• Purity of means
• Renunciation

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• kinsmen
• friends

FAQs

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

Ends do not justify means: wealth gained by harming loved ones is intrinsically impure and must be rejected.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma explains to Lakṣmaṇa why he will not accept kingship or benefit that would come through conflict with Bharata or family.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment and self-restraint—Rāma values righteousness over material gain.