Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 105, Shloka 25

भरतस्य प्रार्थना—रामस्य कालधर्मोपदेशः

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

Devanagari script

हृष्यन्त्यृतुमुखं दृष्ट्वा नवं नवमिहागतम्।ऋतूनां परिवर्तेन प्राणिनां प्राणसङ्क्षयः।।2.105.25।।

Transliteration

hṛṣyanty ṛtumukhaṃ dṛṣṭvā navaṃ navam ihāgatam | ṛtūnāṃ parivartena prāṇināṃ prāṇasaṅkṣayaḥ || 2.105.25 ||

Translation

见到季节的来临与其不断带来的新景，人们心生欢喜；然而随着四时轮转，众生的生命之息也在减损。

Word by Word

• hṛṣyanti: rejoice
• hṛṣyanti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √hṛṣ (हृष् धातु)
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• ṛtu-mukham: the season’s onset
• ṛtu-mukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (ऋतु) + mukha (मुख प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ऋतोः मुखम् = 'beginning/face of a season'

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (क्रिया-पूर्वक)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), Indeclinable (अव्ययभाव)

• navam: new
• navam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (नव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• navam: ever-new
• navam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (नव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); repetition for emphasis

• iha: here/now
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (इह अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (देशवाचक अव्यय)

• āgatam: arrived
• āgatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āgata (आगत कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ā-√gam धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Neuter Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन) (agreeing with navam)

• ṛtūnām: of seasons
• ṛtūnām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛtu (ऋतु प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• parivartena: by the change/turning
• parivartena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parivarta (परिवर्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• prāṇinām: of living beings
• prāṇinām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇin (प्राणिन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Plural (बहुवचन)

• prāṇa-saṅkṣayaḥ: loss of life (breath)
• prāṇa-saṅkṣayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्राण) + saṅkṣaya (सङ्क्षय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: प्राणानां सङ्क्षयः = 'diminution of life-breath'

Context

In a mighty ocean, two pieces of logs meet one another, float together and in due course get separated. In the same way wives, sons, relatives and riches remain together for some time and thereafter get separated. Their separation is certain.

FAQs

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

Dharma calls for sobriety amid pleasure: worldly novelty should not obscure the steady approach of time and death.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata uses the cyclical beauty of seasons to teach Rāma that each change also marks life’s shortening.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment (viveka): the ability to see beyond appearances to the underlying truth of kāla.