Shloka 2.14.21

सत्यपाशः — Kaikeyi’s Demand and the Noose of the King’s Promise

Devanagari script

किमिदं भाषसे राजन्वाक्यं गररुजोपमम्।आनाययितुमक्लिष्टं पुत्रं राममिहार्हसि।।।।

Transliteration

kim idaṃ bhāṣase rājan vākyaṃ gara-rujopamam |

ānāyayitum akliṣṭaṃ putraṃ rāmam ihārhasi ||

Translation

O King, why do you speak words like the pain of poison? You should summon here your son Rāma, who is not afflicted as you are.

Context

O king, why are you speaking these painful, poisonous words? What is this? Itbehoves you to summon your son Rama who does not expearience this pain.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

It points to the ethical responsibility of speech: words can wound like poison; dharma demands restraint and clarity, especially in crisis.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī presses Daśaratha to stop lamenting and to call Rāma, preparing to force the promised outcome.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma is implicitly marked as steady and untroubled (akliṣṭa), foreshadowing his composure under hardship.