Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 2

द्वादशः सर्गः · Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Spoken by Dasharatha to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhyā (implied, royal quarters)

Devanagari script

किन्नु मे यदि वा स्वप्नश्चित्तमोहोऽपि वा मम ।

अनुभूतोपसर्गो वा मनसो वाप्युपद्रवः ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.2

Transliteration

kiṃ nu me yadi vā svapnaś cittamoho 'pi vā mama |

anubhūtopasargo vā manaso vāpy upadravaḥ ||2||

Translation

ما هذا الذي ألمّ بي—أهو حلمٌ أم وَهْمٌ في الذهن؟ أم هو نذيرُ بلاءٍ مُقبل، أم عِلّةٌ تُصيبُ نفسي وتُكدّرُ قلبي؟

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Word by Word

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-निपात)
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• sañcintya: having reflected
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√cint (चिन्त् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• tad: that (matter)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular; object of sañcintya (understood)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• rājā: the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• adhyagacchat: found/attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: adhi-√gam (गम् धातु)
• Form: Laṅ-lakāra (imperfect), 3rd person, Singular, Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• tadā: then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (time)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)

• sukham: comfort
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• pratilabhya: having regained
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√labh (लभ् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• cirāt: after a long time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cirāt (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (time: 'after long')
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)

• saṃjñām: consciousness/senses
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃjñā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• kaikeyī-vākya-tāḍitaḥ: struck by Kaikeyi's words
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक) + vākya (प्रातिपदिक) + tāḍita (√tāḍ ताड् धातु + kta; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष; 'struck by Kaikeyi's words'); Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies rājā
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• vyathitaḥ: distressed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyathita (√vyath व्यथ् धातु + kta; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; state of rājā
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (state)

• viklabaḥ: bewildered/stunned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viklaba (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (state)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (emphasis)
• Role: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)

• vyāghrīm: a tigress
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāghrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• yathā: as/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा)
• Role: Upamā (उपमा)

• mṛgaḥ: a deer
• Type: Noun
• Root: mṛga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular
• Role: Upamāna-karta (उपमानकर्ता)

• asaṃvṛtāyām: on the uncovered (ground)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + saṃvṛta (√vṛ वृ धातु + kta; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7), Singular; agrees with jagatyām; 'uncovered'
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• āsīnaḥ: having sat
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sad (सद् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past active participle (कर्तरि क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies rājā
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (state)

• jagatyām: on the ground
• Type: Noun
• Root: jagatī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7), Singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• dīrgham: long/deeply
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dīrgha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषणरूपेण द्वितीया)
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ucchvasan: breathing heavily
• Type: Verb
• Root: ud-√śvas (श्वस् धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies rājā
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (state)

• maṇḍale: in a circle
• Type: Noun
• Root: maṇḍala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7), Singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• pannagaḥ: a serpent
• Type: Noun
• Root: pannaga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; upamāna
• Role: Upamāna-karta (उपमानकर्ता)

• ruddhaḥ: confined/blocked
• Type: Verb
• Root: √rudh (रुध् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (कर्मणि क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; predicate with pannagaḥ
• Role: Kriyā (predicate)

• mantraiḥ: by spells
• Type: Noun
• Root: mantra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental (3), Plural
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• iva: as if/like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा)
• Role: Upamā (उपमा)

• mahāviṣaḥ: highly venomous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya (कर्मधारय; 'greatly venomous'); Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies pannagaḥ
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• aho: alas!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: aho (अव्यय)
• Form: Exclamatory particle (विस्मय/खेद)
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• dhik: shame!
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhik (अव्यय)
• Form: Censure/exclamation particle (निन्दा)
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• iti: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• sāmarṣaḥ: indignant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa- (सह) + amarṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; 'with indignation'
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (state)

• vācam: words/speech
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• uktvā: having spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), indeclinable
• Role: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• narādhipaḥ: the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष; 'lord of men'); Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• moham: delusion/faintness
• Type: Noun
• Root: moha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• āpedivān: fell into/attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√pad (पद् धातु) + liṭ-periphrastic participle (लिट्-कृदन्त)
• Form: Perfect periphrastic participial form (लिट्; āpedivān), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; predicate of rājā
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• bhūyaḥ: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: bhūyaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (पुनरर्थक)
• Role: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)

• śoka-upahata-cetanaḥ: with senses overwhelmed by grief
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + upahata (√han हन् धातु + kta; प्रातिपदिक) + cetana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष; 'whose consciousness is struck by sorrow'); Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; qualifies rājā
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• tataḥ rājā often appears as tadrājā (tad + rājā)
• nādhyagacchat = na + adhyagacchat
• cirāt saṃjñām = cirāt + saṃjñām. kaikeyīvākyatāḍitaḥ is a tatpuruṣa compound
• dīrgham ucchvasan = dīrgham + ucchvasan
• ahō dhig iti = aho + dhik + iti
• moham āpedivān = moham + āpedivān.

Context

' Is this a dream? Or a hallucination of the mind? Or some foreboding evil I am going to experience or a malady of my mind'? (wondered Dasaratha)

The teaching

When dharma is threatened, the mind first wavers between dream, delusion, and omen; steadiness (dhairya) and discernment (viveka) are required before action.

Duties in tension

• Kingly composure and clarity vs. emotional turmoil as husband/father
• Truthful discernment vs. fear-driven imagination

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma / antaḥkaraṇa-niyama

For your practice

Supports mindfulness of mental states (svapna/moha) and cultivation of viveka in crisis.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Foreboding, bewildered, uneasy

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Satya
• Psychological realism

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

It highlights moral vigilance: a ruler senses disorder and questions reality, preparing to respond responsibly rather than blindly.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha experiences foreboding and tries to interpret his mental turmoil amid the unfolding palace crisis.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Conscientious awareness—an inward honesty that recognizes when something is gravely wrong.