Shloka 100

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

महार्हवस्त्रसंवीतो भूत्वा चिरसुखोषितः।।।।काषायपरिधानस्तु कथं भूमौनिवत्स्यति।

Transliteration

mahārha-vastra-saṃvīto bhūtvā cira-sukhoṣitaḥ | kāṣāya-paridhānas tu kathaṃ bhūmau nivatsyati ||

Translation

മഹാമൂല്യ വസ്ത്രങ്ങൾ ധരിച്ചു ദീർഘകാലം സുഖത്തിൽ വളർന്ന അവൻ, കാഷായവസ്ത്രം മാത്രം ധരിച്ചു നിർവസ്ത്ര ഭൂമിയിൽ എങ്ങനെ വസിച്ച് (ശയിച്ച്) ജീവിക്കും?

Word by Word

• कस्य: of whom
• कस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन; प्रश्न (whose)

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Visheshya (विशेष्य/Head noun determiner)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; अत्र विशेष्यं वाक्यम्

• धारुणम्: dreadful
• धारुणम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण वाक्यस्य

• वाक्यम्: statement/words
• वाक्यम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एवंविधम्: of this kind
• एवंविधम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एवं-विध (प्रातिपदिक; एवम् + विध)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘of such a kind’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण वाक्यस्य

• अचिन्तितम्: unthought-of/inconceivable
• अचिन्तितम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-चिन्तित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्यय (past participle) from चिन्त् (धातु) with negation; विशेषण वाक्यस्य

• रामस्य: of Rama
• रामस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अरण्यगमनम्: going to the forest
• अरण्यगमनम्: Vishaya (विषय/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरण्य-गमन (प्रातिपदिक; अरण्य + गमन)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (going to the forest); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; वाक्यस्य विषय (appositional)

• भरतस्य: of Bharata
• भरतस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अभिषेचनम्: consecration/installation
• अभिषेचनम्: Vishaya (विषय/Topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

How will he who was habituated to wearing expensive apparels and to (royal) comforts over a long period of time live (sleep) on the ground, putting on saffronrobes?

Characters & Entities

• Dasaratha
• Kaikeyi
• Rama

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassion and proportionality: Daśaratha highlights the human cost of exile, questioning the righteousness of imposing severe hardship on one who has done no wrong.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha imagines Rama’s sudden shift from royal comfort to ascetic hardship in the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s paternal tenderness; implicitly, Rama’s capacity for renunciation is contrasted with his prior princely life.