Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 104, Shloka 1

भरतस्य प्रार्थना—रामस्य धर्मोपदेशः

Bharata’s Petition and Rama’s Dharma-Reasoning

Devanagari script

तं तु राम स्समाश्वास्य भ्रातरं गुरवत्सलम्।लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा प्रष्टुं समुपचक्रमे।।।।

Transliteration

taṁ tu rāmaḥ samāśvāsya bhrātaraṁ guruvatsalam |

lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā praṣṭuṁ samupacakrame ||2.104.1||

Translation

Rāma an ủi người em ấy—Bharata, kẻ một lòng kính trọng bậc trưởng thượng—rồi cùng với Lakṣmaṇa bắt đầu hỏi han người em trai.

Word by Word

• tam: him (Bharata)
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• samāśvāsya: having consoled
• samāśvāsya: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-ā-śvas (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive), अव्ययभाव; ‘सम्-आ-√श्वस्’ = ‘आश्वास्य/सान्त्वयित्वा’ (having consoled)

• bhrātaram: brother
• bhrātaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• guru-vatsalam: devoted to elders
• guru-vatsalam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: guru + vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (गुरुषु वत्सलः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘भ्रातरम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• lakṣmaṇena: with Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇena: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• saha: together with
• saha: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्यय (postposition: ‘with’)

• bhrātrā: with (his) brother
• bhrātrā: Sahakari (सहकारी/सह)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; सहार्थे (with his brother)

• praṣṭum: to ask
• praṣṭum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (infinitive), अव्ययभाव; ‘√प्रच्छ्’ = ‘प्रश्नं कर्तुम्’

• samupacakrame: began, commenced
• samupacakrame: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-upa-kram (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), आत्मनेपद; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

Context

Rama with his brother Lakshmana having consoled Bharata who is ever devoted to elders began to question:

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassionate speech and orderly counsel: before inquiry or decision, Rāma first steadies Bharata emotionally.

What is the narrative situation?

A transition into dialogue: Rāma, with Lakṣmaṇa, prepares to question Bharata after consoling him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s empathetic leadership and Bharata’s guruvātsalya (reverence toward elders).