Valmiki Ramayana 2.66.6 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 66, Shloka 6

अयोध्यायां शोकविलापः

Lamentation in Ayodhya after Daśaratha’s death

Devanagari script

न लुब्धो बुध्यते दोषान् किम्पाकमिव भक्षयन्।कुब्जानिमित्तं कैकेय्या राघवाणां कुलं हतम्।।।।

Transliteration

na lubdho budhyate doṣān kimpākam iva bhakṣayan | kubjānimittaṁ kaikeyyā rāghavāṇāṁ kulaṁ hatam ||

Translation

Der Gierige erkennt, während er die Kimpāka-Frucht verzehrt, ihre Mängel nicht. So hat auch Kaikeyī unter dem Einfluss der Buckligen das Geschlecht der Rāghavas ins Verderben gestürzt.

Word by Word

• bhartāram: husband
• bhartāram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• tam: that
• tam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; determiner of 'bhartāram'

• parityajya: having abandoned
• parityajya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√tyaj (धातु) + lyap (ल्यप्)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (ल्यप्), indeclinable verbal; 'having abandoned'

• kā: which? what kind of?
• kā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular; interrogative pronoun

• strī: woman
• strī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st), Singular

• daivatam: deity, god
• daivatam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daivata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular

• ātmanaḥ: of herself
• ātmanaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Singular

• icchet: would desire
• icchet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhiliṅ-lakāra (विधिलिङ्; optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular

• jīvitum: to live
• jīvitum: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jīv (धातु) + tumun (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), indeclinable verbal; object of 'icchet'

• anyatra: elsewhere
• anyatra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण; adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyatra (अव्यय)
• Form: Deśa-avyaya/adverb (देश-अव्यय)

• kaikeyyāḥ: from Kaikeyi
• kaikeyyāḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• tyaktadharmaṇaḥ: who has abandoned righteousness
• tyaktadharmaṇaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta + dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय sense: 'abandoned-dharma'); Feminine, Ablative (5th), Singular; agreeing with 'kaikeyyāḥ'

Context

Like a greedy man who eats the (poisonous) kimpaka fruit without realising the defects of the fruit, Kaikeyi has destroyed the Raghu race on account of the hunchback (Manthara).

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Mantharā (the hunchback, implied by kubjā)

FAQs

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

Greed and self-interest cloud discernment; dharma requires clear seeing (viveka) and resistance to harmful counsel. The simile teaches that attractive gains can conceal fatal consequences.

What is the narrative situation?

In lament, Kauśalyā explains Ayodhyā’s catastrophe as the product of Kaikeyī’s greed and Mantharā’s instigation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue of discernment (wise judgment) is emphasized by its absence: greed prevents recognition of ‘doṣa’ (harm).