Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.17: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 17

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Spoken by Rama to LakshmanaSetting: Chitrakuta region (forest)Places named: Ayodhya (implied by ‘rājya’), Chitrakuta

Devanagari script

यदि राज्यस्य हेतोस्त्वमिमां वाचं प्रभाषसे ।

वक्ष्यामि भरतं दृष्ट्वा राज्यमस्मै प्रदीयताम् ॥१७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.97.17

Transliteration

yadi rājyasya hetoḥ tvam imāṃ vācaṃ prabhāṣase |

vakṣyāmi bharataṃ dṛṣṭvā rājyam asmai pradīyatām ||17||

Translation

اگر تم سلطنت کی خاطر یہ بات کہہ رہے ہو تو میں بھرت کو دیکھ کر کہوں گا: ‘یہ راجیہ اسی کو دے دیا جائے۔’

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Word by Word

• yadi: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction: if)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• rājyasya: of the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• hetoḥ: for the sake (of)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hetu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular); हेतौ (for the sake of)
• Role: Hetu (हेतुः)

• tvam: you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• imām: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• vācam: speech/words
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• prabhāṣase: you speak/utter
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√bhāṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• vakṣyāmi: I will say
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple future), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• bharatam: Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive/gerund); पूर्वकालिक क्रिया (having seen)
• Role: Purvakala (पूर्वकालः)

• rājyam: kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• asmai: to him
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्गे चतुर्थी एकवचन (Dative singular: to him)
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदानम्)

• pradīyatām: let (it) be given
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√dā (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): 'let it be given'
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• hetōstvamimāṅ = hetoḥ tvam imām
• vācaṅ = vācam
• rājyamasmai = rājyam asmai

Context

If you are saying all these words only for the sake of the kingdom, then I shall ask Bharata when I see him to offer this kingdom to you.

The teaching

Power is secondary to dharma and concord; relinquish claims to prevent unrighteous conflict.

Duties in tension

• Protecting rightful order and family harmony
• Personal claim to kingship vs renunciatory obedience to dharma

Ethical theme

Rājadharma / tyāga / saṅgraha (social harmony)

How it resolves

Tyāga and conciliatory offer to remove suspicion

For your practice

Models surrender of egoic ownership; supports vairāgya and humility in leadership and family disputes.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Renunciatory, resolute, magnanimous

Themes

• Dharma
• Renunciation
• Kingship
• Ethics
• Satya

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Bharata
• kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

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

Dharma is freedom from craving for power: Rama shows readiness to relinquish kingship entirely, exposing ambition as the real danger.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama rebukes Lakshmana’s aggressive posture by suggesting that if Lakshmana wants the kingdom, Rama will have Bharata give it to him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s vairāgya (detachment) and moral clarity about the corrupting pull of rulership.