Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.60: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 60

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

नृशंसे पापसङ्कल्पे क्षुद्रे दुष्कृतकारिणि।।।।किन्नु दुखमलीकं वा मयि रामे च पश्यसि।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.60

Transliteration

nṛśaṃse pāpasaṅkalpe kṣudre duṣkṛtakāriṇi |

kiṃ nu duḥkham alīkaṃ vā mayi rāme ca paśyasi ||

Translation

يا قاسيةَ القلب، يا ذاتَ النيةِ الآثمةِ، يا حقيرةَ الشأنِ كثيرةَ الإثم؛ أيَّ ذنبٍ أو إساءةٍ تزعمين أنك ترينها فيَّ وفي راما؟

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Word by Word

• nṛśaṃse: O cruel one
• nṛśaṃse: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛśaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (addressing a woman), Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Ekavacana

• pāpa-saṅkalpe: O one of sinful resolve
• pāpa-saṅkalpe: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + saṅkalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga (vocative used for woman), Sambodhana, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: "sinful resolve"

• kṣudre: O vile one
• kṣudre: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣudra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• duṣkṛta-kāriṇi: O doer of evil
• duṣkṛta-kāriṇi: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक) + kārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa: "doer of evil deeds"

• kim: what
• kim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā/Prathamā, Ekavacana; interrogative used with nu

• nu: indeed/then
• nu: Prashna-nipāta (प्रश्ननिपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; interrogative/emphatic particle (निपात)

• duḥkham: fault/suffering
• duḥkham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of paśyasi

• alīkam: falsehood
• alīkam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: alīka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; coordinated with duḥkham; "falsehood/untruth"

• vā: or
• vā: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; alternative particle

• mayi: in me
• mayi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Saptamī (7th), Ekavacana; locative: "in me"

• rāme: in Rama
• rāme: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; locative: "in Rama"

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

• paśyasi: do you see
• paśyasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √paś (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada; "you see"

Context

Regaining his consciousness after a long time, the king in deep grief and with eyes as though burning in anger looked at Kaikeyi and said:

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma requires that blame and punishment be grounded in real fault; Daśaratha challenges the absence of any just cause for harming Rāma.

What is the narrative situation?

Overwhelmed and angered, Daśaratha directly confronts Kaikeyī, demanding the rationale for her harsh demands.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Defense of the innocent: Daśaratha asserts Rāma’s blamelessness, though his speech also shows the human frailty of anger.