Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 19

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले देवि सम्प्राप्तस्सुमहानयम्।अनयो नयसम्पन्ने यत्र ते विकृता मतिः।।।।

Transliteration

ikṣvākūṇāṃ kule devi samprāptaḥ sumahān ayaṃ | anayo nayasampanne yatra te vikṛtā matiḥ ||

Translation

O Königin, einst mit rechter Einsicht begabt: Nun ist über das Geschlecht der Ikṣvāku ein großes Unrecht gekommen, denn dein Sinn ist verdreht worden.

Word by Word

• इक्ष्वाकूणाम्: of the Ikshvaku (dynasty/people)
• इक्ष्वाकूणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्ष्वाकु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), बहुवचन (Plural), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — 'of the Ikṣvākus'

• कुले: in the family/dynasty
• कुले: अधिकरण (Locative/Adhikaraṇa)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter) — 'in the family/dynasty'

• देवि: O queen / O lady
• देवि: सम्बोधन (Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — संबोधन (address)

• सम्प्राप्तः: has befallen / has come upon
• सम्प्राप्तः: कर्तृ/भाव (Predicative to subject)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप् (धातु) → सम्प्राप्त (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Past participle, क्त), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — 'has befallen/has come upon'

• सुमहान्: very great
• सुमहान्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/उपपद) + महान् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — विशेषण (adjective) of 'अनयः'

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: कर्ता (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अनयः: immorality / bad conduct
• अनयः: कर्ता (Subject) (अयम् अनयः ... सम्प्राप्तः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन् + अय (प्रातिपदिक: अनय)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), पुल्लिङ्ग (Masculine) — 'immorality/bad policy'

• नयसम्पन्ने: endowed with moral sense / prudent
• नयसम्पन्ने: सम्बोधन-विशेषण (Vocative-qualifier / Locative of address in poetic usage)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नय (प्रातिपदिक) + सम्पन्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — तत्पुरुष-समासः (नयेन सम्पन्ना) ; विशेषण (addressing 'देवि')

• यत्र: where / wherever
• यत्र: अधिकरण-सूचक (Locative indicator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्यय/देशवाचक (relative adverb of place) — 'where/wherever'

• ते: your
• ते: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन (Singular) — 'of you/your'

• विकृता: changed / perverted
• विकृता: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + कृ (धातु) → विकृत (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (Past participle, क्त), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — विशेषण of 'मतिः'

• मतिः: mind / intention
• मतिः: कर्ता (Subject) (यत्र ते विकृता मतिः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन (Singular), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine) — 'mind/intention'

Context

Further you are tormented with sorrow under the influence of others' insinuations. You are causing me great pain by entering the empty chamber of wrath.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Ikṣvāku dynasty

FAQs

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

Individual choices affect collective dharma: a queen’s unrighteous intent can stain dynastic reputation and disrupt the moral order expected of a royal house.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha condemns Kaikeyī’s altered intention as a grave ethical rupture that threatens the honor of the Ikṣvāku lineage.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Guardianship of kula-dharma (family/dynastic righteousness): Daśaratha speaks as protector of the dynasty’s moral legacy.