Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 7

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना

Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

यं मुहूर्तमपश्यंस्तु न जीवेयमहं ध्रुवम्।तेन रामेण कैकेयि शपे ते वचनक्रियाम्।।।।

Transliteration

yaṁ muhūrtam apaśyaṁs tu na jīveyam ahaṁ dhruvam | tena rāmeṇa kaikeyi śape te vacanakriyām ||

Translation

O Kaikeyī, it is certain that I could not live even a moment without seeing him. By that very Rāma, I swear to carry out your word—your wish.

Word by Word

• यम्: whom
• यम्: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; relative pronoun ‘whom’

• मुहूर्तम्: for a moment
• मुहूर्तम्: अधिकरण/काल (कालाधिकरण-प्रायः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुहूर्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; accusative of duration ‘for a moment’

• अपश्यन्: (while) not seeing
• अपश्यन्: कर्ता (कृदन्त-कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √पश् (धातु)
• Form: वर्तमान कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; present active participle ‘not seeing’ (with implied negation by context)

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

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

• जीवेयम्: I would live
• जीवेयम्: क्रिया (आख्यात)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √जीव् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (सम्भावना/optative), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; optative 1st sg ‘I would live’ (here: ‘I would not live’)

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (प्रथमा)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1/कर्ता), एकवचन; nominative singular

• ध्रुवम्: certainly
• ध्रुवम्: क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-प्राय प्रयोगः; क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण नपुंसक-एकवचन-आकारः (adverbial accusative) ‘certainly’

• तेन: by that
• तेन: करण (तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by that’

• रामेण: by Rama
• रामेण: करण (तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental singular

• कैकेयि: O Kaikeyi
• कैकेयि: सम्बोधन
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; vocative

• शपे: I swear
• शपे: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: √शप् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘I swear’

• ते: to you
• ते: सम्प्रदान
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4/सम्प्रदान), एकवचन; dative ‘to you’

• वचनक्रियाम्: the fulfilment of (your) word
• वचनक्रियाम्: कर्म (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन-क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक; वचन + क्रिया)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2/कर्म), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वचनस्य क्रिया) ‘fulfilment/act of (your) word’; object of शपे (I swear [to do] fulfilment)

Context

The mighty king steeped in passion gently held Kaikeyi's hair in his hands and with a clear, bright smile said:

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Satya is intensified into a solemn oath: the king binds himself to fulfilment. Yet the verse also shows how attachment can push a person into irreversible commitments.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha expresses his dependence on Rāma and uses Rāma’s name to guarantee Kaikeyī’s demand even before hearing it.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s truth-commitment is emphasized—though it is portrayed as emotionally driven and thus precarious.