Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 4

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Devanagari script

यद्द्रव्यं बान्धवानां वा मित्राणां वा क्षये भवेत्।नाहं तत्प्रतिगृह्णीयां भक्षान्विषकृतानिव।।।।

Transliteration

yad dravyaṃ bāndhavānāṃ vā mitrāṇāṃ vā kṣaye bhavet |

na ahaṃ tat pratigṛhṇīyāṃ bhakṣān viṣakṛtān iva ||

Translation

凡因亲族或友人覆亡而来的财物，我决不受取——如同不食掺了毒的食物。

Word by Word

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Relative-correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (relative pronoun, Neuter Nominative Singular)

• द्रव्यम्: wealth/property
• द्रव्यम्: कर्ता (Kartā: subject of bhavet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्रव्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Neuter, Nominative, Singular)

• बान्धवानाम्: of relatives
• बान्धवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha: genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• मित्राणाम्: of friends
• मित्राणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha: genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Plural)

• वा: or
• वा: विकल्प (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• क्षये: in destruction/at the cost of ruin
• क्षये: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa: circumstance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Masculine, Locative, Singular)

• भवेत्: should arise/be obtained
• भवेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 3rd person singular)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā: subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Nominative Singular)

• तत्: that
• तत्: कर्म (Karma: object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Pronoun, Neuter, Accusative, Singular)

• प्रतिगृह्णीयाम्: would accept
• प्रतिगृह्णीयाम्: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह् (धातु) + प्रति (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (Optative, 1st person singular)

• भक्षान्: foods/morsels
• भक्षान्: उपमान (Upamāna: compared item)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Plural)

• विषकृतान्: poison-prepared
• विषकृतान्: उपमान (Upamāna qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विष (प्रातिपदिक) + कृत (कृ-धातु + क्त)
• Form: तृतीया-तत्पुरुष (विषेण कृतान् = prepared with poison); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; 'भक्षान्' इति विशेषणम्

• इव: like
• इव: सम्बन्ध (Comparative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय

Context

Bharata's army full of horses, elephants and chariots covering a distance of more than one and a half yojanas encamped by the side of the mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• kinsmen
• friends

FAQs

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

Ends do not justify means: wealth gained by harming loved ones is intrinsically impure and must be rejected.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma explains to Lakṣmaṇa why he will not accept kingship or benefit that would come through conflict with Bharata or family.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment and self-restraint—Rāma values righteousness over material gain.