Shloka 1.16.27

पायसप्रादुर्भावः — The Manifestation of the Divine Payasa and the Avatara Resolution

Devanagari script

कौसल्यायै नरपति: पायसार्धं ददौ तदा।अर्धादर्धं ददौ चापि सुमित्रायै नराधिप:।।।।कैकेय्यै चावशिष्टार्धं ददौ पुत्रार्थकारणात्।प्रददौ चावशिष्टार्धं पायसस्यामृतोपमम्।।।।अनुचिन्त्य सुमित्रायै पुनरेव महीपति:।एवं तासां ददौ राजा भार्याणां पायसं पृथक् ।।।।

Transliteration

kausalyāyai narapatiḥ pāyasārdhaṃ dadau tadā | ardhād ardhaṃ dadau cāpi sumitrāyai narādhipaḥ ||

kaikeyyai cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ dadau putrārtha-kāraṇāt | pradadau cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ pāyasasyāmṛtopamam ||

anucintya sumitrāyai punar eva mahīpatiḥ | evaṃ tāsāṃ dadau rājā bhāryāṇāṃ pāyasaṃ pṛthak ||

Translation

Then the king gave half of the pāyasa to Kausalyā; from the remaining half he gave one half to Sumitrā. Seeking sons, he gave Kaikeyī half of what was left; and after reflecting again, the lord of the earth gave the final remaining portion—pāyasa like nectar—to Sumitrā. Thus the king distributed the pāyasa separately among his wives.

Context

Then Dasaratha gave half the portion of payasam to Kausalya, half of the remaining half to Sumitra, half of the remaining portion (one-eighth of original) to Kaikeyi for the sake of a son. On further thinking, he gave the remaining one-eighth portion to Sumitra. In this manner the king divided and distributed the payasam among his wives separately.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• Sumitrā
• Kaikeyī
• pāyasa

FAQs

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

Dharma in household governance: the king allocates a sacred resource with deliberation (anucintya) and fairness within the structure of his family responsibilities.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha apportions the divine pāyasa among Kausalyā, Sumitrā, and Kaikeyī, adjusting the final portion after reflection.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence and responsible decision-making—he considers outcomes (progeny) and acts thoughtfully rather than impulsively.