Valmiki Ramayana 2.13.1-2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 13, Shlokas 1-2

अयोध्याकाण्डे त्रयोदशः सर्गः | Kaikeyi Presses the Boons; Dasaratha’s Lament and Collapse

Setting: Ayodhyā (royal bedchamber/inner palace)Places named: Devaloka (as simile)

Devanagari script

अतदर्हं महाराजं शयानमतथोचितम् ।

ययातिमिव पुण्यान्ते देवलोकात्परिच्युतम् ॥१॥

अनर्थरूपा सिद्धार्था ह्यभीता भयदर्शिनी ।

पुनराकारयामास तमेव वरमङ्गना ॥२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.13.1-2

Transliteration

atadarhaṃ mahārājaṃ śayānam atathocitam |

yayātim iva puṇyānte devalokāt paricyutam ||1||

anartharūpā siddhārthā hy abhītā bhayadarśinī |

punar ākārayāmāsa tam eva varam aṅganā ||2||

Translation

મહાન રાજા, ત્યાં શયન કરતો, આવા અપમાનને અયોગ્ય અને અપરિચિત હોવાથી, પુણ્ય ક્ષય પામતાં દેવલોકમાંથી પડી ગયેલા યયાતિ સમાન જણાતો. તે સ્ત્રી—અનર્થનું સ્વરૂપ—હેતુ સિદ્ધ કરી, નિર્ભય હોવા છતાં ભયનું નાટક કરતી, ફરી એ જ વરદાન વિષે તેને દબાવતી રહી.

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Word by Word

• a-tad-arham: not deserving such (treatment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक) + arha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (tad-arha = deserving that; a-tad-arha = not deserving that)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• mahā-rājam: the great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (mahān rājā)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• śayānam: lying (down)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śī (धातु)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; śānac participle (शानच्) ‘lying’
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• a-tathā-ucitam: not accustomed/unsuited to that
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā (अव्यय) + ucita (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; नञ्-तत्पुरुषः (tathā-ucita = accustomed/appropriate thus; a-tathā-ucita = not so accustomed)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• yayātim: Yayati
• Type: Noun
• Root: yayāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (proper noun)
• Role: Upamāna (उपमान)

• iva: like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, upamā-particle (उपमा-निपात)
• Role: Upamāna (उपमान)

• puṇya-ante: at the end of merit
• Type: Noun
• Root: puṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + anta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (puṇyasya antaḥ)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• deva-lokāt: from heaven
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Pañcamī (5th/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (devānāṃ lokaḥ)
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• paricyutam: fallen down
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-cyut (धातु)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; kta-participle (क्त)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• anartha-rūpā: misfortune-incarnate
• Type: Noun
• Root: anartha (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (anarthasya rūpam)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• siddha-arthā: having achieved her aim
• Type: Adjective
• Root: siddha (कृदन्त) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; कर्मधारयः (siddhaḥ arthaḥ yasyāḥ)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphatic particle (निपात)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• abhītā: fearless
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-bhīta (कृदन्त)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; नञ्-समास: not afraid
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• bhaya-darśinī: displaying fear
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक) + darśinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (bhayasya darśinī = showing fear)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• punaḥ: again
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• ākārayāmāsa: caused to be demanded/urged
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिच्) of √kṛ: ākāraya-; Liṭ (Perfect), Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• tam: him
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• eva: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, emphasis particle
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• varam: boon
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• aṅganā: that woman
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṅganā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• hṛdaye'timātrayā = hṛdaye ati-mātrayā
• devalokātparicyutam = devalokāt paricyutam
• hyabhītā = hi abhītā
• punarākārayāmāsa = punaḥ ākārayāmāsa
• tameva = tam eva
• varamaṅganā = varam aṅganā

Context

The maharaja lying on the floor resembled (king) Yayati fallen from heaven after his merits (earned earlier) were exhausted. He neither deserved nor was accustomed to such (humiliating) treatment. Fearless Kaikeyi ,the incarnate of misfortune having accomplished her purpose, displyaing feigned fear, urged the king again (without inhibition), about the boons:

The teaching

Worldly attainments and status can collapse when desire and manipulation seize the moment; binding speech (vara) becomes a chain when invoked without dharma.

Duties in tension

• Satya (keeping promised boons)
• Rāja-dharma (protecting rightful succession and stability)
• Dharma of compassion toward the vulnerable vs exploitation

Ethical theme

Abuse of power / promise ethics

For your practice

Meditation on anityatā and vigilance over speech-promises; encourages restraint before granting boons.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bibhatsa (disgust)

Mood

Tragic fall, moral ugliness, pitiful

Themes

• Itihasa
• Dharma crisis
• Fall from fortune
• Ethics of manipulation
• Southern Recension

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Yayāti
• Devaloka (heaven)

FAQs

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

Manipulation and feigned emotion used to secure selfish ends is adharma; it degrades both the victim (through humiliation) and the perpetrator (through moral corruption).

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator describes Daśaratha’s humiliating collapse and Kaikeyī’s relentless insistence that he fulfill the promised boons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast and implication: Daśaratha’s dignity as a righteous king is highlighted by his undeserved humiliation; Kaikeyī’s lack of compassion is foregrounded.