Valmiki Ramayana 2.11.25 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 25

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना

Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

यो द्वितीयो वरो देव दत्तः प्रीतेन मे त्वया।।।।तदा दैवासुरे युद्धे तस्य कालोऽयमागत।

Transliteration

yo dvitīyo varo deva dattaḥ prītena me tvayā | tadā daivāsure yuddhe tasya kālo 'yam āgataḥ ||

Translation

Und die zweite Gnade, o König, die du mir damals in Freude gabst, in jenem Krieg zwischen Devas und Asuras — nun ist die Zeit gekommen, sie zu erfüllen.

Word by Word

• yaḥ: which (boon)
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• dvitīyaḥ: second
• dvitīyaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvitīya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adjective (विशेषण), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; agrees with varaḥ

• varaḥ: boon
• varaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• deva: O lord
• deva: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative (सम्बोधन/8), Singular

• dattaḥ: given
• dattaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (धा॒ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (कर्मणि भूतकृदन्त/क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; agrees with varaḥ

• prītena: being pleased
• prītena: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prīta (प्रातिपदिक; √prī प्री धातु + kta)
• Form: Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular, Masculine/Neuter; used as hetu/avasthā: 'being pleased'

• me: to me
• me: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Dative (चतुर्थी/4), Singular (enclitic)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuṣmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Instrumental (तृतीया/3), Singular

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

• daiva-asure: between gods and asuras
• daiva-asure: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daiva (प्रातिपदिक) + asura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dvandva compound (द्वन्द्व) meaning 'of gods and asuras'; Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular, Neuter; agrees with yuddhe

• yuddhe: in the war
• yuddhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular

• tasya: of that (boon)
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular

• kālaḥ: time
• kālaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāla (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• ayam: this
• ayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• āgataḥ: has come
• āgataḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (गम् धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past active participle (कर्तरि भूतकृदन्त/क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; predicate with kālaḥ

Context

Then in the war between gods and asuras, O lord!, pleased with me you havepromised a second boon and the time has come to grant it.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• devas
• asuras

FAQs

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

A pledged boon is treated as morally time-bound: once the claimant invokes it, dharma demands fulfillment—regardless of the personal cost to the promiser.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī transitions from the first boon (Bharata’s coronation) to the second, asserting that the moment has come to enforce it.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s reliability (satya and promise-keeping) is the central virtue under pressure, as Kaikeyī frames the boon as now due.