Valmiki Ramayana 2.11.18 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 18

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना

Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

स्मर राजन् पुरावृत्तं तस्मिन् दैवासुरे रणे।तत्र चाच्यावयच्छत्रुस्तव जीवितमन्तरा।।।।

Transliteration

smara rājan purāvṛttaṃ tasmin daivāsure raṇe | tatra cācyāvayac chatrus tava jīvitam antarā ||

Translation

Gedenke, o König, des Geschehens von einst in jenem Krieg zwischen Devas und Asuras: dort vernichtete der Feind alles, was dein war, und ließ dir nur das Leben.

Word by Word

• स्मर: remember
• स्मर: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √स्मृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Vocative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Temporal)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: purā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (formerly/long ago)

• वृत्तम्: the event
• वृत्तम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛtta (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त; √वृत् + क्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्म (thing remembered)

• तस्मिन्: in that
• तस्मिन्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• दैवासुरे: between gods and asuras
• दैवासुरे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative; qualifying)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daiva-asura (प्रातिपदिक; दैव + असुर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण (of रणे)

• रणे: in the battle
• रणे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Locative adverb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; देशवाचक (there)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• अच्यावयत्: shook/dislodged
• अच्यावयत्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: a-√च्यु (धातु, causative)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative)

• शत्रुः: the enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तव: your
• तव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• जीवितम्: life
• जीवितम्: Karma (कर्म/Object; implied with antarā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• अन्तरा: except
• अन्तरा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Exclusion)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antarā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; वर्जनार्थक (except/without)

Context

O king, recall the event that happened long ago in the war between gods and asuras where the enemy destroyed all your forces except your life.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• devas
• asuras

FAQs

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

The verse invokes moral accountability through memory: past benefaction creates a binding obligation, especially for a king whose dharma includes gratitude and faithful response to what was done for him.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī begins reminding Daśaratha of an earlier crisis (the daiva–āsura battle) as groundwork for claiming the boons he had promised her.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is the king’s satya (truthfulness/keeping one’s word) and kṛtajñatā (gratitude), which Kaikeyī is about to leverage.