Shloka 2.42.21

द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः (Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments)

Devanagari script

सकामा भव कैकेयि विधवा राज्यमावस।न हि तं पुरुषव्याघ्रं विना जीवितुमुत्सहे।।।।

Transliteration

sakāmā bhava kaikeyi vidhavā rājyam āvasa |

na hi taṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ vinā jīvitum utsahe ||

Translation

“Kaikeyi, may your desire be fulfilled—rule the kingdom as a widow. For without that tiger among men, Rāma, I have no will to go on living.”

Context

O Kaikeyi, your desire is fulfilled. Rule the kingdom as a widow. Without Rama, the best of men, I don't desire to live.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the destructive ethical cost of desire-driven choices: when personal craving overrides dharma (right order and compassion), it fractures family and polity, leading to suffering for all.

What is the narrative situation?

After Kaikeyī’s demands lead to Rāma’s exile, Daśaratha, overwhelmed, speaks bitterly to Kaikeyī, declaring he cannot live without Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s excellence is implied through the epithet “puruṣavyāghra” (best among men), while Daśaratha’s deep paternal attachment and emotional honesty are foregrounded.