Valmiki Ramayana 2.9.30 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 30

मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च

Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons

Devanagari script

रामं प्रव्राजयारण्ये नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च।भरतः क्रियतां राजा पृथिव्याः पार्थिवर्षभः।।।।

Transliteration

rāmaṃ pravrājayāraṇye nava varṣāṇi pañca ca | bharataḥ kriyatāṃ rājā pṛthivyāḥ pārthivarṣabhaḥ ||

Translation

จงเนรเทศพระรามสู่ป่าพงเก้าปีและอีกห้าปี (รวมสิบสี่ปี) แล้วให้ภรตะขึ้นเป็นพระราชาแห่งแผ่นดิน โอ ผู้ประเสริฐยิ่งในหมู่กษัตริย์

Word by Word

• रामम्: Rāma
• रामम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• प्रव्राजय: exile/banish
• प्रव्राजय: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-√व्रज् (धातु) + णिच्
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; णिजन्त (causative: ‘cause to go forth’ = exile)

• अरण्ये: in the forest
• अरण्ये: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन

• नव: nine
• नव: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नव (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम् (qualifies varṣāṇi)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन (Accusative plural; duration)

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक; संख्या)
• Form: संख्याविशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया/प्रथमा बहुवचनस्य विशेषणम् (qualifies varṣāṇi)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• भरतः: Bharata
• भरतः: Karta (कर्ता; of passive kriyatām)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• क्रियताम्: let (him) be made
• क्रियताम्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative) कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• राजा: king
• राजा: Pradhāna (प्रधान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; विधेय (predicate nominative)

• पृथिव्याः: of the earth
• पृथिव्याः: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन

• पार्थिवर्षभः: O best of kings
• पार्थिवर्षभः: Sambodhana/Viśeṣaṇa (सम्बोधन/विशेषण; address to listener)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव (प्रातिपदिक) + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (‘bull among kings’)

Context

'O best of kings! exile Rama into the forest for fourteen years and make Bharata king of the land'.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• forest (araṇya)
• earth/kingdom (pṛthivī, rājya)

FAQs

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

It highlights the catastrophic misuse of a legitimate mechanism (boons/promises) to produce an unjust outcome—raising the dharmic question of whether truth-keeping should enable harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā specifies the two concrete demands that will overturn the planned coronation: Rāma’s exile and Bharata’s kingship.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s virtue is implicit—his capacity to endure exile for dharma—though the verse itself is spoken as a scheme against him.