Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.93 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 93

द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

प्रियं चेद्भरतस्यैतद्रामप्रव्राजनं भवेत्।।।।मा स्म मे भरतः कार्षीत्प्रेतकृत्यं गतायुषः।

Transliteration

priyaṃ ced bharatasyaitad rāmapravrājanaṃ bhavet | mā sma me bharataḥ kārṣīt pretakṛtyaṃ gatāyuṣaḥ ||

Translation

หากการเนรเทศพระรามนี้เป็นที่พอพระทัยของพระภรตะจริงแล้ว ครั้นเมื่ออายุข้าสิ้นไป ขอพระภรตะอย่าได้ประกอบพิธีศพและพิธีบูชาบรรพชนให้แก่ข้าเลย

Word by Word

• प्रियम्: pleasing
• प्रियम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्; विधेयपदम्

• चेत्: if
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cet (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्ययम् (if)

• भरतस्य: of Bharata
• भरतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचनम्; 'रामप्रव्राजनम्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• रामप्रव्राजनम्: Rāma's exile
• रामप्रव्राजनम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + pravrājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (रामस्य प्रव्राजनम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• भवेत्: should be
• भवेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्

• मा: do not
• मा: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्ययम् (prohibitive)

• स्म: (emphatic)
• स्म: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sma (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः; 'मा' इत्यनेन सह निषेध-बलवर्धकः

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचनम्

• भरतः: Bharata
• भरतः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचनम्

• कार्षीत्: should do / let him not do
• कार्षीत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचनम्; निषेधार्थे 'मा स्म' इत्यनेन (prohibitive aorist)

• प्रेतकृत्यम्: funeral rites
• प्रेतकृत्यम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: preta (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (प्रेतस्य कृत्यम्); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचनम्

• गतायुषः: of me whose life has ended
• गतायुषः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gata (प्रातिपदिक; √gam+क्त) + āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समासः (गतं आयुः यस्य सः); पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचनम्; 'मे' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

Context

If Rama's exile is approved by Bharata, then let him not perform my funeral rites after my death.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Bharata
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma links rights to responsibilities: if Bharata benefits from unrighteous exile, he forfeits the moral claim to perform sacred duties for his father.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, suspecting the exile may advantage Bharata, declares that if Bharata approves it, he should not conduct Daśaratha’s final rites.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The sanctity of funerary duty (śrāddha/pretakṛtya) as an ethical act—implying that moral complicity disqualifies ritual authority.