Valmiki Ramayana 2.13.24: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 13, Shloka 24

अयोध्याकाण्डे त्रयोदशः सर्गः | Kaikeyi Presses the Boons; Dasaratha’s Lament and Collapse

Setting: Ayodhyā (palace chamber)

Devanagari script

विशुद्धभावस्य सुदुष्टभावा ताम्रेक्षणस्याश्रुकलस्य राज्ञः ।

श्रुत्वा विचित्रं करुणं विलापं भर्तुर्नृशंसा न चकार वाक्यम् ॥२४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.13.24

Transliteration

viśuddha-bhāvasya suduṣṭa-bhāvā tāmrīkṣaṇasyāśru-kalasya rājñaḥ |

śrutvā vicitraṃ karuṇaṃ vilāpaṃ bhartur nṛśaṃsā na cakāra vākyam ||24||

Translation

ເມື່ອນາງໄດ້ຍິນພຣະຣາຊາຜູ້ມີໃຈບໍລິສຸດ ຮ້ອງໄຫ້ຄຳຄວນອັນແປກແລະນ່າສົງສານຫຼາຍປະການ ດວງຕາແດງແລະເຕັມໄປດ້ວຍນ້ຳຕາ ນາງຜູ້ມີໃຈຊົ່ວແລະໃຈແຂງນັ້ນ ກໍບໍ່ໄດ້ເຮັດຕາມຖ້ອຍຄຳຂອງສາມີ.

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Word by Word

• विशुद्ध-भावस्य: of (one) of pure disposition
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशुद्ध (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/षष्ठीभाव: 'विशुद्धः भावः'); पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• सुदुष्ट-भावा: the wicked-minded woman
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक) + भाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास ('सुदुष्टः भावः यस्याः सा'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• ताम्र-ईक्षणस्य: of the red-eyed (one)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ताम्र (प्रातिपदिक) + ईक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास; पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• अश्रु-कलस्य: of (one) filled with tears
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्रु (प्रातिपदिक) + कल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास ('अश्रुभिः कलः/कलितः'); पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• राज्ञः: of the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: √श्रु (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्ययभाव (indeclinable participle)
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकालक्रिया)

• विचित्रम्: varied/strange
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विलापम् इति विशेषण
• Role: Karma-anvaya (कर्मान्वय)

• करुणम्: piteous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन; विलापम् इति विशेषण
• Role: Karma-anvaya (कर्मान्वय)

• विलापम्: lamentation
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)

• भर्तुः: of (her) husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), षष्ठी (Genitive/6th), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• नृशंसा: heartless/cruel
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन; सुदुष्टभावा इत्यस्य विशेषण
• Role: Karta-anvaya (कर्तृअन्वय; qualifier of subject)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध; negator)

• चकार: did/made
• Type: Verb
• Root: √कृ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन, परस्मैपद
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• वाक्यम्: (his) word/command
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)

Sandhi Notes

• ताम्रेक्षणस्याश्रुकलस्य → ताम्र-ईक्षणस्य अश्रु-कलस्य
• विलापंभर्तुः → विलापम् भर्तुः

Context

The king with a clean heart, whose eyes had been rendered red with weeping wailed piteously. Even after hearing it, that malicious woman full of wicked thoughts did not act upon his word.

The teaching

A wicked inner intent can nullify even rightful speech; dharma requires karuṇā and responsiveness to suffering, not mere legalism.

Duties in tension

• Compassion and marital reciprocity vs insistence on boons/political ambition
• King+c s paternal duty vs coerced adherence to promise

Ethical theme

Dayā vs nṛśaṃsya

How it resolves

Non-resolution (refusal intensifies crisis)

For your practice

Meditation on cultivating compassion and guarding against tamasic hardness; useful for self-audit (svādhyāya) of motives.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Piteous, hard-hearted, tragic

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Itihasa
• Compassion

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Dharma is contrasted with adharma through compassion: refusing a righteous plea despite evident suffering is portrayed as moral hardness.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha weeps and pleads; Kaikeyī remains unmoved and does not accept his request.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s sincerity and emotional truthfulness versus Kaikeyī’s lack of compassion.