Valmiki Ramayana 2.35.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 35, Shloka 21

सुमन्त्रस्य कैकेयी-निन्दा

Sumantra’s Reproof of Kaikeyi in the Royal Assembly

Devanagari script

तत्र ते जननी क्रुद्धा मृत्युपाशमभीप्सती।हासं ते नृपते सौम्य जिज्ञासामीति चाब्रवीत्।।2.35.21।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.35.21

Transliteration

tatra te jananī kruddhā mṛtyu-pāśam abhīpsatī |

hāsaṃ te nṛpate saumya jijñāsāmīti cābravīt ||2.35.21||

Translation

Da sprach deine Mutter—zornig, als begehrte sie die Schlinge des Todes—: „O sanfter König, ich wünsche den Grund deines Lachens zu erfahren.“

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Word by Word

• नृपः: the king
• नृपः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ताम्: to her
• ताम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवीम्: the queen
• देवीम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• देवि: O queen
• देवि: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• शंसामि: I tell/disclose
• शंसामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; शर्तसूचक (conditional conjunction)

• ततः: then
• ततः: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तदर्थ (then/thereupon)

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative sg; here Dative sense ‘to me’)

• मरणम्: death
• मरणम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सद्यः: immediately
• सद्यः: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक (immediately)

• भविष्यति: will happen
• भविष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• न: no/not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निषेध

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

Context

Then one day near his bed your highly brilliant father laughed repeatedly over what an ant or a bird said, for he knew the meaning from its sound.

Characters & Entities

• Sumantra
• Kaikeyi
• Kaikeyi's mother (unnamed here)
• Kaikeyi's father (King of Kekaya)

FAQs

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

Dharma in relationships requires honest communication tempered by compassion; suspicion and anger distort truth-seeking into coercion.

What is the narrative situation?

In the backstory, Kaikeyi’s mother confronts her husband, demanding the cause of his laughter after he understood an animal’s speech through a boon.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue is indirectly highlighted by contrast: the episode warns against impulsive anger and the erosion of trust, both enemies of dharmic household harmony.