Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 61, Shloka 12

कौसल्याविलापः

Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship

Devanagari script

भोजयन्ति किल श्राद्धे केचित्स्वानेव बान्धवान्।ततः पश्चात्समीक्षन्ते कृतकार्या द्विजर्षभान्।।2.61.12।।

Transliteration

bhojayanti kila śrāddhe kecit svān eva bāndhavān |

tataḥ paścāt samīkṣante kṛtakāryā dvijarṣabhān ||

Translation

ເຂົາເວົ້າກັນວ່າ ບາງຄົນໃນພິທີ śrāddha ກ່ອນອື່ນໃຫ້ອາຫານແກ່ຍາດພີ່ນ້ອງຂອງຕົນເທົ່ານັ້ນ; ແລ້ວຈຶ່ງຄ່ອຍ—ຄິດວ່າໜ້າທີ່ສຳເລັດແລ້ວ—ຊອກຫາພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ປະເສີດ.

Word by Word

• भोजयन्ति: feed
• भोजयन्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज् (धातु) (णिच्)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; णिच्-प्रत्यय (causative) = 'cause to eat/feed'

• किल: indeed/they say
• किल: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (hearsay/emphasis particle)

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• केचित्: some (people)
• केचित्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (indefinite pronoun)

• स्वान्: their own
• स्वान्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् for बान्धवान्

• एव: only
• एव: Nipata (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-अव्यय (restrictive particle)

• बान्धवान्: relatives
• बान्धवान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बान्धव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रम/अपादानार्थक-अव्यय (thereafter/from that)

• पश्चात्: afterwards
• पश्चात्: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पश्चात् (अव्यय)
• Form: कालार्थक-अव्यय (afterwards)

• समीक्षन्ते: look for/seek
• समीक्षन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद

• कृतकार्याः: having finished (the rite)
• कृतकार्याः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + कार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—कृतं कार्यं येषाम् (having completed the task)

• द्विजर्षभान्: the best of the twice-born
• द्विजर्षभान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज + ऋषभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः—द्विजानां ऋषभाः (best among brahmins)

Context

Some first feed their own relatives in shraddha ceremony and thereafter look for the best of brahmins to feed.

Characters & Entities

• śrāddha
• brāhmaṇas (dvija)
• dvijarṣabha

FAQs

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

Dharma includes proper order and respect in ritual and society: honoring the worthy is not an afterthought but a principled priority.

What is the narrative situation?

Kauśalyā uses a ritual analogy to argue that what is ‘rightful’ should not be treated as secondary or leftover.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kauśalyā’s rhetorical wisdom—she frames political injustice through a culturally understood ethical example.