Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 105, Shloka 19

भरतस्य प्रार्थना—रामस्य कालधर्मोपदेशः

Bharata’s Petition and Rama’s Instruction on Time and Mortality

Devanagari script

अत्येति रजनी या तु सा न प्रतिनिवर्तते।यात्येव यमुना पूर्णा समुद्रमुदकाकुलम्।।2.105.19।।

Transliteration

atyeti rajanī yā tu sā na pratinivartate | yāty eva yamunā pūrṇā samudram udakākulam ||2.105.19||

Translation

逝去的夜晚不再回返；同样，满溢奔流的阎牟那河只向水涛汹涌的大海前行，终不回头。

Word by Word

• atyeti: passes beyond/passes away
• atyeti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ati-√i (इ) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• rajanī: night
• rajanī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• yā: which
• yā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

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

• sā: that (night)
• sā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• pratinivartate: returns
• pratinivartate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-ni-√vṛt (वृत्) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• yāti: goes/flows
• yāti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yā (या) (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• eva: indeed/only
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण

• yamunā: (river) Yamuna
• yamunā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yamunā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• pūrṇā: full
• pūrṇā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pūrṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• samudram: to the ocean
• samudram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: samudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• udaka-ākulam: turbulent/filled with water
• udaka-ākulam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udaka + ākula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय (उदकेन आकुलम् = water-turbulent/water-filled)

Context

When the night dawned, those brothers surrounded by their friends made (morning) ablutions and, after the prayers, returned to Rama.

Characters & Entities

• Yamunā
• Samudra (Ocean)

FAQs

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

It teaches urgency in dharma: time is irreversible, so one should act truthfully and rightly now rather than postponing duty.

What is the narrative situation?

The speaker uses images of night and river-flow to emphasize that what is gone cannot be retrieved.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Apramāda (vigilance): careful, timely action aligned with dharma.