Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 22

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

तस्य धर्मात्मनो देवि वनवासं यशस्विनः।कथं रोचयसे भीरु नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.22

Transliteration

tasya dharmātmano devi vanavāsaṃ yaśasvinaḥ | kathaṃ rocayase bhīru nava varṣāṇi pañca ca ||

Translation

হে দেবী, ধৰ্মাত্মা আৰু যশস্বী ৰামৰ বাবে চৌদ বছৰ বনবাস—হে ভীৰু—তুমি কেনেকৈ ইচ্ছা কৰিছা?

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Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• तस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (context: Rama)

• धर्मात्मनः: of the righteous-souled one
• धर्मात्मनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; समास: धर्म + आत्मन् (तत्पुरुष)

• देवि: O queen/lady
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• वनवासम्: forest-dwelling/exile to the forest
• वनवासम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; समास: वन + वास (तत्पुरुष)

• यशस्विनः: of the illustrious one
• यशस्विनः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• कथम्: how/why
• कथम्: Prashna (प्रश्न/भाव)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• रोचयसे: you approve/you desire
• रोचयसे: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ruc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; causative sense in usage (to approve/like)

• भीरु: O timid one
• भीरु: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग

• नव: nine
• नव: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा बहुवचन-समरूप (agreeing with वर्षाणि)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• पञ्च: five
• पञ्च: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

Context

O lady how do you wish this righteous and illustrious Rama to dwell in the forest for fourteen years?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Forest exile (vanavāsa)

FAQs

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

The verse invokes dharma as moral fitness: it is wrong to impose severe suffering on a righteous person without just cause.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī has demanded Rāma’s banishment for fourteen years; Daśaratha protests, highlighting Rāma’s righteousness and fame.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s dharmic character (dharmātman) and honorable reputation (yaśas) are foregrounded as reasons such treatment is unjust.