Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.100: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 100

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Spoken by Dasharatha to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhyā (palace)Places named: Araṇya (forest, generic)Anticipation of exile from city to forest

Devanagari script

महार्हवस्त्रसंवीतो भूत्वा चिरसुखोषितः ॥१००॥

काषायपरिधानस्तु कथं भूमौनिवत्स्यति ।

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.100

Transliteration

mahārha-vastra-saṃvīto bhūtvā cira-sukhoṣitaḥ ||100||

kāṣāya-paridhānas tu kathaṃ bhūmau nivatsyati |

Translation

वो इतने दिन से सुख में रह चुका है। महंगे कपड़े पहनता है। अब कैसे ज़मीन पर सोयेगा? बस कंबल और खादी कपड़ा पहन के कैसे गुज़ारा करेगा?

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Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन; प्रश्न (whose)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• एतत्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अत्र विशेष्यं वाक्यम्
• Role: Visheshya (विशेष्य/Head noun determiner)

• धारुणम्: dreadful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण वाक्यस्य
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)

• एवंविधम्: of this kind
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं-विध (प्रातिपदिक; एवम् + विध)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘of such a kind’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण वाक्यस्य
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• अचिन्तितम्: unthought-of/inconceivable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-चिन्तित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) from चिन्त् (धातु) with negation; विशेषण वाक्यस्य
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)

• रामस्य: of Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• अरण्यगमनम्: going to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य-गमन (प्रातिपदिक; अरण्य + गमन)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (going to the forest); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्यस्य विषय (appositional)
• Role: Vishaya (विषय/Topic)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• भरतस्य: of Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)

• अभिषेचनम्: consecration/installation
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Vishaya (विषय/Topic)

Sandhi Notes

• कस्यैतत् = कस्य + एतत्
• वाक्यमेवंविधम् = वाक्यम् + एवंविधम्
• एवंविधमचिन्तितम् = एवंविधम् + अचिन्तितम्
• रामस्यारण्यगमनम् = रामस्य + अरण्यगमनम्
• भरतस्याभिषेचनम् = भरतस्य + अभिषेचनम्

Context

How will he who was habituated to wearing expensive apparels and to (royal) comforts over a long period of time live (sleep) on the ground, putting on saffronrobes?

The teaching

Attachment to comfort intensifies grief; dharma may demand austerity even for the most cherished.

Duties in tension

• Father’s duty to shield son from hardship vs acceptance of dharma-driven exile
• Royal duty/boon-keeping vs compassion for heir

Ethical theme

Putra-vātsalya vs rāja-satya

For your practice

Contemplation on simplicity and readiness for austerity; empathy for beings facing sudden loss of comfort.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Anxious, protective, foreboding

Themes

• Dharma
• Itihasa
• Renunciation
• Compassion
• Forest-exile

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Dasaratha
• Kaikeyi
• Rama

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassion and proportionality: Daśaratha highlights the human cost of exile, questioning the righteousness of imposing severe hardship on one who has done no wrong.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha imagines Rama’s sudden shift from royal comfort to ascetic hardship in the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s paternal tenderness; implicitly, Rama’s capacity for renunciation is contrasted with his prior princely life.