Shloka 8

भरतस्य दुःस्वप्नदर्शनम्

Bharata’s Ominous Dream

Devanagari script

स्वप्ने पितरमद्राक्षं मलिनं मुक्त मूर्धजम्।पतन्तमद्रिशिखरात्कलुषे गोमयह्रदे।।।।

Transliteration

svapne pitaram adrākṣaṃ malinaṃ mukta-mūrdhajam |

patantam adri-śikharāt kaluṣe gomaya-hrade ||

Translation

میں نے خواب میں اپنے پتا کو دیکھا—زرد رو، پراگندہ حال، بال بکھرے ہوئے—کہ وہ پہاڑ کی چوٹی سے گر کر گائے کے گوبر سے بھرے ناپاک جوہڑ میں جا پڑا۔

Word by Word

• svapne: in a dream
• svapne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svapna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya); सप्तमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः: ‘स्वप्ने’ = in dream (locative sense)

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन (Singular)

• adrākṣam: I saw
• adrākṣam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: लुङ् (Aorist), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; धातु: √दृश् ‘to see’

• malinam: dirty, soiled
• malinam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: malina (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘pitaram’)

• mukta-mūrdhajam: with loosened/dishevelled hair
• mukta-mūrdhajam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mukta (कृदन्त; √muc धातु, क्त) + mūrdhaja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha): ‘मुक्ताः मूर्धजाः यस्य’ इति अर्थे (loosened hair); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘pitaram’)

• patantam: falling
• patantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान कृदन्त (Present active participle, Parasmaipada): ‘पतन्’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘pitaram’)

• adri-śikharāt: from the mountain peak
• adri-śikharāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adri (प्रातिपदिक) + śikhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha): ‘अद्रेः शिखरम्’ (mountain-peak); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी विभक्ति (Ablative/5th), एकवचन

• kaluṣe: in the filthy (pool)
• kaluṣe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaluṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (of ‘hrade’)

• gomaya-hrade: in a pool filled with cow dung
• gomaya-hrade: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gomaya (प्रातिपदिक) + hrada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (Tatpurusha): ‘गोमयस्य ह्रदः’ (pool of cow-dung); पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

Context

Addressing his companion who was speaking thus, Bharata replied, saying Listen to the reason this desolation has overtaken me:

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Dasharatha (implied as ‘father’)
• mountain peak (adri-śikhara)

FAQs

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

Dharma is expressed as filial responsibility and vigilance: Bharata’s heart reads the dream as a warning, intensifying his concern for his father and the kingdom’s moral order.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata recounts an ominous dream in which he sees his father in a degraded, dangerous condition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Filial devotion and moral sensitivity—Bharata is deeply shaken by signs of possible calamity.