Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.43: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 43

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Spoken by Kaikeyi to DasharathaSetting: Ayodhya (palace; speech context)

Devanagari script

शैब्यश्श्येनकपोतीये स्वमांसं पक्षिणे ददौ ।

अलर्कश्चक्षुषी दत्वा जगाम गतिमुत्तमाम् ॥४३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.43

Transliteration

śaibyaḥ śyenakapotīye svamāṃsaṃ pakṣiṇe dadau |

alarkaś cakṣuṣī datvā jagāma gatim uttamām ||43||

Translation

देखो, शैब्य राजा ने अपना मांस दे दिया। एक चिड़िया माँग रही थी, उसने अपना ही मांस काट के दे दिया। अलर्क राजा ने अपनी आँखें दे दी। इतना बड़ा दान देने के बाद वो बहुत ऊपर गया।

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Word by Word

• सागरः: the ocean
• Type: Noun
• Root: सागर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)

• समयम्: agreement; vow
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma)

• कृत्वा: having made
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कृ (धातु) (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund): having made
• Role: पूर्वकाल-क्रिया (Prior action)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation)
• Role: निषेध (Negation)

• वेलाम्: shore; boundary
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma)

• अतिवर्तते: crosses; transgresses
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद
• Role: क्रिया (Verb/Action)

• समयम्: the vow; agreement
• Type: Noun
• Root: समय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन
• Role: कर्म (Karma)

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (prohibitive)
• Role: निषेध (Prohibition)

• अनृतम्: false; untrue
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (समयम्)
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier)

• कार्षीः: do/make
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद; निषेधार्थे मा-सह (prohibitive imperative)
• Role: क्रिया (Prohibitive command)

• पूर्ववृत्तम्: former precedent; past history
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूर्व + वृत्त (वृत्-धातु, क्त; कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP used as noun)
• Role: कर्म (Karma)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• अनुस्मरन्: remembering
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनु + स्मृ (धातु) (शतृ-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमान-कृदन्त (present participle), (त्वम् implied)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta; implied ‘you’)

Sandhi Notes

• वेलामतिवर्तते = वेलाम् + अतिवर्तते
• माऽनृतं = मा + अनृतम्
• पूर्ववृत्तमनुस्मरन् = पूर्ववृत्तम् + अनुस्मरन्

Context

(King) Saibya gave his own flesh to the hawk in the conflict between the hawk and the pigeon. (King) Alarka gave his eyes (to a blind man) and attained the highest state.

The teaching

Great kings accepted bodily loss to uphold dharma; truth and protection of the weak are worth more than the body.

Duties in tension

• Upholding truth/boon
• Protecting dependents (śaraṇāgata)
• Personal bodily welfare vs dharmic ideal

Ethical theme

Dāna / śaraṇāgata-rakṣaṇa / satya

How it resolves

Exempla_based_argument_for_extreme_satya_and_tyāga

For your practice

Inspires tyāga and compassionate protection; useful for contemplating self-sacrifice in service of dharma (seva, dāna).

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Exemplary, austere, uplifting

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Itihasa
• Exemplary kings
• Self-sacrifice

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• Śaibya
• Alarka

FAQs

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

Dharma is upheld through costly commitment: ideal kings accept personal loss to preserve righteousness and truth, using precedent (itihāsa) as moral authority.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī cites legendary exemplars to shame Daśaratha into fulfilling his pledge, implying that righteous kings sacrifice rather than break vows.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Tyāga (self-sacrifice) in service of dharma—placing moral duty above bodily comfort or personal advantage.