Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.8 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 8

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

यदा ते जननीतुल्यां वृत्तिं वहति राघव: ।।।।तस्यैव त्वमनर्थाय किंनिमित्तमिहोद्यता ।

Transliteration

yadā te jananītulyāṁ vṛttiṁ vahati rāghavaḥ | tasyaiva tvam anarthāya kiṁnimittam ihodyatā ||

Translation

രാഘവൻ (ശ്രീരാമൻ) നിന്നോടു മാതാവിനോടുള്ളതുപോലെ ആദരപൂർവ്വം പെരുമാറുമ്പോൾ, അത്തരം മഹാത്മാവിന് അനർത്ഥം വരുത്താൻ നീ ഇവിടെ ഏതു കാരണത്താൽ ഉത്സുകയായി നില്ക്കുന്നു?

Word by Word

• यदा: when
• यदा: सम्बन्ध/कालाधिकरण (temporal setting)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb/conjunction)

• ते: of you / for you
• ते: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation: 'of/for you')
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Genitive singular)

• जननी-तुल्याम्: (as) like (his) mother
• जननी-तुल्याम्: कर्म-विशेषण (qualifier of object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जननी (प्रातिपदिक) + तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समासः (जननी-तुल्या = 'mother-like'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular feminine)

• वृत्तिम्: conduct / behavior
• वृत्तिम्: कर्म (object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular feminine)

• वहति: carries / maintains
• वहति: क्रिया (action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (Present), परस्मैपदम्; प्रथम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular)

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• राघवः: कर्ता (agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Nominative singular masculine)

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive: 'of him')
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Genitive singular)

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः (emphatic particle)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (Nominative singular)

• अनर्थाय: for harm / for injustice
• अनर्थाय: सम्प्रदान (purpose/for)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Dative singular masculine/neuter stem used as masculine here)

• किम्: what
• किम्: कर्म (object within interrogative phrase)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (Interrogative, accusative singular)

• निमित्तम्: reason / purpose
• निमित्तम्: कर्म (object: 'for what reason/purpose')
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचनम् (Accusative singular neuter)

• इह: here
• इह: अधिकरण (location)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्ययम् (locative adverb)

• उद्यताः: ready / intent / attempting
• उद्यताः: कर्ता-विशेषण (predicate adjective of the agent)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद् + यत (धातु: यत्) → उद्यत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृत्/कृत-प्रत्ययान्त विशेषणम् (past participial adjective: 'raised/ready/intent'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचनम् (Nominative plural masculine)

Context

Then Rama was conducting himself in relation to you as his own mother, for what purpose are you seeking injustice to such a person?

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma (Rāghava)

FAQs

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

It upholds maryādā and gratitude: harming one who behaves with filial reverence is adharma and a violation of truth-based moral reciprocity.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha argues that Rāma has treated Kaikeyī like a mother, so her hostility toward him is unjustified.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s virtue of respectful conduct (mātṛvat-vṛtti) is highlighted as the standard of dharmic behavior.