Shloka 2.11.6

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना — Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

तेनाजय्येन मुख्येन राघवेण महात्मना।शपे ते जीवनार्हेण ब्रूहि यन्मनसेच्छासि।।।।

Transliteration

bhadre hṛdayam apy etad anumṛśoddharasva me | etat samīkṣya kaikeyi brūhi yat sādhu manyase ||

Translation

O gentle lady, my very heart is distressed—touch it and lift me from this anguish. Having considered it, O Kaikeyī, tell me what you think is right.

Context

I swear in the name of the scion of the Raghu dynasty, the invincible, broad-mindedRama, the best among men worthy of long life. Tell me what you have in mind.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

A ruler’s decisions should be guided by what is sādhu (right/good), not merely by emotion; the verse foreshadows the danger of making dharmic choices under distress and persuasion.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, unsettled and emotionally exposed, urges Kaikeyī to speak her mind after ‘considering what is right’.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The virtue invoked is discernment toward sādhu (the right course), though Daśaratha’s vulnerability shows how difficult such discernment can be.