Valmiki Ramayana 2.11.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 23
कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना · Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons
Spoken by Kaikeyi to King DaśarathaSetting: अयोध्या (कोपभवन/अन्तःपुर)
ततः परमुवाचेदं वरदं काममोहितम् ।
वरौ यौ मे त्वया देव तदा दत्तौ महीपते ॥२३॥
तौ तावदहमद्यैव वक्ष्यामि शृणु मे वचः ।
tataḥ param uvācedaṃ varadaṃ kāmamohitam |
varau yau me tvayā deva tadā dattau mahīpate ||23||
tau tāvad aham adyaiva vakṣyāmi śṛṇu me vacaḥ |
फिर कैकेयी ने राजा से बात की। राजा उसके प्यार में फंस चुका था। उसने कहा, 'राजा, तूने मुझे दो वरदान दिए थे। मैं आज उन्हें याद करूँगी। सुन मेरा बात।'
Sandhi Notes
- परमुवाचेदम् = परम् + उवाच + इदम्
- देव तदा = देव + तदा (no change)
- अद्यैव = अद्य + एव
Thereafter, she said to the infatuated king who had promised to confer her boons, O lord of the earth, O king, right now I shall speak to you about the two boons granted by you. Listen to my words.
The teaching
Duties in tension
- सत्य/प्रतिज्ञा-पालन बनाम पुत्र-हित/राज्य-हित
- पति-धर्म (पत्नी को संतुष्ट करना) बनाम न्याय/धर्म
- Ethical theme
- सत्य/प्रतिज्ञा-धर्म
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Bhayanaka (fear), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- आदेशात्मक, षड्यन्त्र-गन्ध, अनिष्ट-पूर्वसूचना
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Boons
- Desire (kāma)
महाभारतम्—भीष्म/युधिष्ठिर के प्रतिज्ञा-धर्म प्रसंग; रामचरितमानस, अयोध्याकाण्ड—'दोउ बर' की माँग
वेद-नीति: वचन-पालन (सत्यव्रत); धर्मशास्त्र: प्रतिज्ञा-पालन की मर्यादा
वा.रा. 2.11 (वर-स्मरण); वा.रा. 2.12-2.13 (दशरथ का प्रतिवचन/विह्वलता)
अनुष्टुप् (श्लोक)
Commanding
उच्च-मध्य स्वर; 'शृणु मे वचः' पर स्पष्ट उदात्त-प्रेरणा
FAQs
It foregrounds the moral tension between dharma (truth to one’s pledge) and kāma (desire-induced delusion), showing how dharma can be tested when judgment is clouded.
Kaikeyī announces she will now articulate the two promised boons, marking the turning point toward Rāma’s exile and Bharata’s proposed coronation.
The virtue at stake is Daśaratha’s fidelity to his word; the verse also critiques the weakening of discernment under kāma-moha.
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