Valmiki Ramayana 2.9.27: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 27

मन्थराप्रेरणा · वरद्वय-स्मरणं च

Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons

Spoken by Manthara to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhyā (implied)

Devanagari script

मणिमुक्तं सुवर्णानि रत्नानि विविधानि च ।

दद्याद्दशरथो राजा मास्म तेषु मनः कृथाः ॥२७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.9.27

Transliteration

maṇimuktaṃ suvarṇāni ratnāni vividhāni ca |

dadyād daśaratho rājā mā sma teṣu manaḥ kṛthāḥ ||27||

Translation

राजा दशरथ तुम्हे मोती, सोने और कई तरह के रत्न दे सकते हैं। लेकिन तुम्हारा मन उन चीज़ों की तरफ मत जाओ।

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Word by Word

• मणिमुक्तम्: gems and pearls
• Type: Noun
• Root: मणि (प्रातिपदिक) + मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; द्वन्द्वः (समाहार-द्वन्द्वः: ‘gems and pearls’ as a set)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Dvandva

• सुवर्णानि: gold (pieces)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुवर्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• रत्नानि: jewels
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• विविधानि: various
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies ratnāni/suvarṇāni)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• दद्यात्: may give
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• दशरथः: Daśaratha
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• राजा: king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (to Daśarathaḥ)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Nishedha-nipāta (निषेध-निपात)

• स्म: (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्म (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात; ‘मा’ सह निषेध-बलवर्धक
• Role: Nipāta (निपात)

• तेषु: in/for those (things)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी बहुवचन (Locative plural)
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

• मनः: mind
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• कृथाः: place/make (your mind)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative) निषेधार्थे ‘मा’ सह; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद (कृ)
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• दद्याद्दशरथो → दद्यात् + दशरथः (त् + द → द्द)
• मास्म → मा + स्म

Context

King Dasaratha may give you gems, pearls, gold and different kinds of precious stones. Do not pay them any attention.

The teaching

Material gifts can distract from deeper ethical stakes; discern whether refusal serves dharma or merely intensifies adharma.

Duties in tension

• Accepting royal appeasement to preserve harmony vs. pursuing a political demand
• Artha (wealth) as pacifier vs. dharma of rightful succession (contested)

Ethical theme

Artha-vairāgya / nīti (means vs. ends)

How it resolves

Rejection of material compromise to pursue decisive boon

For your practice

Reflection on impermanence of wealth; cultivate non-attachment without malice.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bibhatsa (disgust), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

World-weary, hardening, unseduced

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Royal politics
• Temptation vs. resolve

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• gems (maṇi)
• pearls (mukta)
• gold (suvarṇa)

FAQs

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

It frames a warning about being swayed by material gifts; ethically, it highlights how desire can distract from one’s chosen aim—though here it is used manipulatively rather than virtuously.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā coaches Kaikeyī to stay focused on securing her political objective, anticipating that Daśaratha may try to appease her with wealth.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a tactical ‘steadfastness of intention’ is urged—steadfastness divorced from dharma, showing how resolve can be ethically misdirected.