Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 16, Shloka 27

पायसप्रादुर्भावः

The Manifestation of the Divine Payasa and the Avatara Resolution

Devanagari script

कौसल्यायै नरपति: पायसार्धं ददौ तदा।अर्धादर्धं ददौ चापि सुमित्रायै नराधिप:।।।।कैकेय्यै चावशिष्टार्धं ददौ पुत्रार्थकारणात्।प्रददौ चावशिष्टार्धं पायसस्यामृतोपमम्।।।।अनुचिन्त्य सुमित्रायै पुनरेव महीपति:।एवं तासां ददौ राजा भार्याणां पायसं पृथक् ।।।।

Transliteration

kausalyāyai narapatiḥ pāyasārdhaṃ dadau tadā | ardhād ardhaṃ dadau cāpi sumitrāyai narādhipaḥ ||

kaikeyyai cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ dadau putrārtha-kāraṇāt | pradadau cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ pāyasasyāmṛtopamam ||

anucintya sumitrāyai punar eva mahīpatiḥ | evaṃ tāsāṃ dadau rājā bhāryāṇāṃ pāyasaṃ pṛthak ||

Translation

حينئذٍ أعطى الملك نصفَ الباياسا لكوساليا، ومن النصف الباقي أعطى نصفًا لسوميترا. ولأجل نيل البنين أعطى كايكيي نصفَ ما تبقّى؛ ثم بعد أن أعاد التفكير، منح سيّدُ الأرض سوميترا الجزء الأخير—باياسا يشبه الأمْرِتَا كالرحيق. وهكذا وزّع الملك الباياسا على زوجاته كلٌّ على حدة.

Word by Word

• कौसल्यायै: to Kausalya
• कौसल्यायै: सम्प्रदान (Sampradāna/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौसल्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (सम्प्रदान), एकवचन

• नरपतिः: the king
• नरपतिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पायस-अर्धम्: half the pāyasa
• पायस-अर्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ('half of pāyasa')

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; धातु: दा 'to give'

• तदा: then
• तदा: कालाधिकरण (Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, कालवाचक (temporal adverb)

• अर्धात्: from the half
• अर्धात्: अपादान (Apādāna/Source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन

• अर्धम्: a half
• अर्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अपि: also
• अपि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय/अपि-कार (particle: 'also')

• सुमित्रायै: to Sumitra
• सुमित्रायै: सम्प्रदान (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमित्रा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• नराधिपः: the ruler of men
• नराधिपः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to नरपतिः

Context

Then Dasaratha gave half the portion of payasam to Kausalya, half of the remaining half to Sumitra, half of the remaining portion (one-eighth of original) to Kaikeyi for the sake of a son. On further thinking, he gave the remaining one-eighth portion to Sumitra. In this manner the king divided and distributed the payasam among his wives separately.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• Sumitrā
• Kaikeyī
• pāyasa

FAQs

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

Dharma in household governance: the king allocates a sacred resource with deliberation (anucintya) and fairness within the structure of his family responsibilities.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha apportions the divine pāyasa among Kausalyā, Sumitrā, and Kaikeyī, adjusting the final portion after reflection.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence and responsible decision-making—he considers outcomes (progeny) and acts thoughtfully rather than impulsively.