Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.53 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 53

द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

प्रैक्षतानिमिषो देवीं प्रियामप्रियवादिनीम्।।2.12.52।।तां हि वज्रसमां वाचमाकर्ण्य हृदयाप्रियाम्।दुःखशोकमयीं घोरां राजा न सुखितोऽभवत्।।2.12.53।।

Transliteration

praikṣatānimiṣo devīṃ priyām apriyavādinīm |

tāṃ hi vajrasamāṃ vācam ākarṇya hṛdayāpriyām |

duḥkhaśokamayīṃ ghorāṃ rājā na sukhito 'bhavat ||

Translation

Le roi fixa sans cligner des yeux la reine, aimée mais proférant des paroles déplaisantes. Ayant entendu ces mots, durs comme la foudre, douloureux au cœur, terribles et pleins de peine et de chagrin, le roi ne connut plus aucune joie.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• devyā: of the queen
• devyā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive) एकवचन; 'of the queen'

• vyavasāyam: resolve/determination
• vyavasāyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyavasāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• ghoram: dreadful
• ghoram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; śapatham qualifies

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• śapatham: oath
• śapatham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śapatha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kṛtam: made
• kṛtam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'made/done' (qualifies vyavasāyam/śapatham as 'made')

• dhyātvā: having reflected
• dhyātvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dhyai (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): 'having thought/pondered'

• rāma: Rama
• rāma: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन/प्रथमा-रूप (vocative-like exclamation), एकवचन; iti with quoted cry

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरणसूचक-अव्यय (quotative: 'thus')

• niśśvasya: having sighed
• niśśvasya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: niḥ-śvas (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप्/क्त्वान्त-समकक्ष (absolutive/gerund in -ya): 'having sighed'

• chinnaḥ: cut/severed
• chinnaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: chid (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: क्त-कृदन्त (past passive participle used adjectivally), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; saḥ qualifies

• taruḥ: tree
• taruḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: taru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपमान (standard of comparison)

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (like/as)

• apatat: fell
• apatat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pat (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Context

The unhappy king intently fixed his gaze at his beloved queen speaking unpleasant words charged with grief and anguish, unpleasant to the heart like the dreadful thunderbolt.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• thunderbolt (vajra)

FAQs

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

Speech is an ethical act: dharma includes vāṅ-niyama (discipline of speech). Words that are ‘vajra-like’ and heart-wounding create adharma through harm, even before physical actions occur.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, overwhelmed, can only stare at Kaikeyī as her demand lands like a blow; he is robbed of peace by the dreadfulness of her words.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s tenderness and capacity for attachment (priya-bhāva) is highlighted; the tragedy is that love coexists with the pain caused by unrighteous speech.