Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 106, Shloka 9

भरतवाक्यं—रामस्य पुनरायोध्यागमननिषेधः

Bharata’s Plea and Rama’s Refusal to Return

Devanagari script

धर्मबन्धेन बद्धोऽस्मि तेनेमां नेह मातरम्।हन्मितीव्रेण दण्डेन दण्डार्हां पापकारिणीम्।।।।

Transliteration

dharmabandhena baddho 'smi tenemāṃ neha mātaram | hanmi tīvreṇa daṇḍena daṇḍārhāṃ pāpakāriṇīm ||

Translation

Nabibigkis ako ng bigkis ng dharma; kaya hindi ko sasaktan dito ang aking ina, bagaman siya’y nagkasala at karapat-dapat sa mabigat na parusa.

Word by Word

• dharmabandhena: by the bond of dharma
• dharmabandhena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma-bandha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: dharma (righteousness) + bandha (bond)

• baddhaḥ: bound
• baddhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bandh (धातु)
• Form: Kta (क्त) PPP, Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; predicate adjective with asmi

• asmi: am
• asmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Uttama-puruṣa (1st), Ekavacana

• tena: therefore
• tena: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka/Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana; used adverbially = ‘therefore/for that reason’

• imām: this
• imām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-nipāta

• iha: here / now
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya (adverb of place/time)

• mātaram: mother
• mātaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana

• hanmi: I kill / I slay
• hanmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present), Uttama-puruṣa (1st), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• tīvreṇa: severe
• tīvreṇa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tīvra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana; qualifies daṇḍena

• daṇḍena: with punishment / rod
• daṇḍena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental, 3rd), Ekavacana

• daṇḍārhām: deserving punishment
• daṇḍārhām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daṇḍa-arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative, 2nd), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: daṇḍa (punishment) + arha (deserving)

• pāpakāriṇīm: sin-doing
• pāpakāriṇīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pāpa-kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: pāpa (sin) + kārin (doer)

Context

I am bound by a bond of righteousness for which I am unble to slay my mother who deserves severe punishment for her sinful acts.

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Rāma
• Kaikeyī (implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma restrains vengeance: even when punishment seems deserved, duties toward one’s mother impose limits on action.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata expresses outrage at his mother’s wrongdoing but explains why he cannot retaliate violently due to dharma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-restraint and adherence to familial dharma despite moral anger.