Valmiki Ramayana 2.11.26 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 26

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना

Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

नव प़ञ्च च वर्षाणि दण्डकारण्यमाश्रितः।।।।चीराजिनजटाधारी रामो भवतु तापसः।

Transliteration

nava pañca ca varṣāṇi daṇḍakāraṇyam āśritaḥ | cīrājinajaṭādhārī rāmo bhavatu tāpasaḥ ||

Translation

Vierzehn Jahre lang soll Rāma im Dandaka-Wald Zuflucht nehmen; in Rindenkleid und Hirschfell, mit verfilzten Haarflechten, soll er als Asket leben.

Word by Word

• nava: nine
• nava: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective (संख्यावाचक), Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया/2), Plural; with varṣāṇi

• pañca: five
• pañca: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Numeral adjective, Neuter, Accusative (2), Plural; with varṣāṇi

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

• varṣāṇi: years
• varṣāṇi: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2), Plural; duration-accusative (कालपरिमाण-द्वितीया)

• daṇḍakāraṇyam: the Dandaka forest
• daṇḍakāraṇyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍaka (प्रातिपदिक) + āraṇya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound (तत्पुरुष; ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa: 'forest of Daṇḍaka'); Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular

• āśritaḥ: having resorted to
• āśritaḥ: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√śri (श्रि धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past active participle (कर्तरि क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; agrees with rāmaḥ

• cīra-ajina-jaṭā-dhārī: wearing bark-cloth, deer-skin, and matted hair
• cīra-ajina-jaṭā-dhārī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cīra (प्रातिपदिक) + ajina (प्रातिपदिक) + jaṭā (प्रातिपदिक) + dhārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: (Multi-member) Tatpuruṣa compound (तत्पुरुष; upapada/ṣaṣṭhī sense: 'wearer of bark-garment, deer-skin, and matted locks'); Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; agrees with rāmaḥ

• rāmaḥ: Rama
• rāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• bhavatu: let him be
• bhavatu: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/imperative), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन), Parasmaipada

• tāpasaḥ: an ascetic
• tāpasaḥ: Kriyā-pūraka (क्रियापूरक/predicate complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāpasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; predicate-noun (प्रत्ययार्थ/समानााधिकरण) with rāmaḥ

Context

Consigned to the Dandaka forest for fourteen years, clad in bark and deer skin and wearing matted hair, Rama shall live like an ascetic.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Daṇḍakāraṇya (Dandaka forest)

FAQs

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

The verse sets the dharmic ordeal: truth to a promise compels a harsh outcome, while Rāma’s forthcoming acceptance will model obedience to dharma over personal entitlement.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī states the second boon explicitly: Rāma must be exiled to Daṇḍaka forest for fourteen years, living like a tapasvin.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Ascetic endurance and renunciatory discipline (tapas) are foregrounded as the imposed mode of life; the wider episode will highlight Rāma’s steadfastness and Daśaratha’s truth-bound constraint.