Valmiki Ramayana 2.14.13: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 14, Shloka 13

सत्यपाशः · Kaikeyi’s Demand and the Noose of the King’s Promise

Setting: Ayodhyā palace, Kaikeyī+cs apartmentsPlaces named: Ayodhyā

Devanagari script

विह्वलाभ्यां च नेत्राभ्यामपश्यन्निव भूपतिः ।

कृच्छ्राद्धैर्येण संस्तभ्य कैकेयीमिदमब्रवीत् ॥१३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.14.13

Transliteration

vihvalābhyāṃ ca netrābhyām apaśyann iva bhūpatiḥ |

kṛcchrād dhairyeṇa saṃstabhya kaikeyīm idam abravīt ||13||

Translation

राजा की आँखों में आँसू थे, जैसे वो कुछ देख भी नहीं पा रहा हो। बहुत मुश्किल से खुद को संभाला। फिर भी हिम्मत करके कैकेयी से बात की।

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• विह्वलाभ्याम्: with bewildered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विह्वल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (नेत्र-विशेषण), तृतीया (Instrumental), द्विवचन; विशेषण
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)

• नेत्राभ्याम्: with (his) two eyes
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, द्विवचन
• Role: Karana (करण/Instrument)

• अपश्यन्: not seeing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणार्थे (as if not seeing)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता—qualifying)

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (as if)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Simile marker)

• भूपतिः: king
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूपति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: भूः पालयति इति; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• कृच्छ्रात्: with great difficulty
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृच्छ्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Ablative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभावेन (adverbial: with difficulty)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु/Source-cause adverbial)

• धैर्येण: with courage
• Type: Noun
• Root: धैर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण/Means)

• संस्तभ्य: having steadied
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + स्तम्भ् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त (absolutive/gerund), ‘having steadied (himself)’
• Role: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Absolutive—prior action)

• कैकेयीम्: Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object—addressee)

• इदम्: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object—what was said)

• अब्रवीत्: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)

Sandhi Notes

• नेत्राभ्यामपश्यन्निव = नेत्राभ्याम् + अपश्यन् + इव
• कृच्छ्राद्धैर्येण = कृच्छ्रात् + धैर्येण
• कैकेयीमिदमब्रवीत् = कैकेयीम् + इदम् + अब्रवीत्

Context

The king was unable to see with his eyes overwhelmed (with tears). Gaining with great difficulty a firm footing and courage he addressed Kaikeyi:

The teaching

Dharma often begins as restraint: even in anguish, one must gather steadiness before decisive speech.

Duties in tension

• Truthfulness and keeping boons vs moral condemnation
• Royal composure vs personal grief

Ethical theme

Satya/dhairya in rājadharma

For your practice

Practice of mindful speech under emotional overload; cultivating dhairya as a virtue.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Blurred vision, forced composure, heavy breath

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Fortitude
• Crisis speech
• Emotional restraint

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Self-restraint in suffering: even in grief, one should speak and act with steadiness rather than collapse into chaos.

What is the narrative situation?

After staggering under grief, Daśaratha gathers composure to address Kaikeyī directly.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dhairya (courage/steadfastness) in the face of moral and emotional catastrophe.