Valmiki Ramayana 2.48.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 22

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्

Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation

Spoken by Citizens of AyodhyaSetting: अयोध्या

Devanagari script

यया पुत्रश्च भर्ता च त्यक्तावैश्वर्यकारणात् ।

कं सा परिहरेदन्यं कैकेयी कुलपांसनी ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.48.22

Transliteration

yayā putraś ca bhartā ca tyaktāv aiśvarya-kāraṇāt |

kaṁ sā parihared anyaṁ kaikeyī kula-pāṁsanī ||22||

Translation

ഐശ്വര്യവും പ്രഭാവവും നേടുവാൻ പുത്രനെയും ഭർത്താവിനെയും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച ആ കുലകലങ്കിനിയായ കൈകേയി—മറ്റാരെയെങ്കിലും അവൾ എപ്പോഴെങ്കിലും വിട്ടുവീഴ്ച ചെയ്യുമോ?

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Word by Word

• yayā: by whom
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Relative pronoun, Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• putraḥ: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, Conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• bhartā: husband
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, Conjunction
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• tyaktau: (were) abandoned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyakta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; past passive participle from tyaj/त्यज्)
• Form: Kṛdanta (PPP/क्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Dvivacana (Dual/द्विवचन); predicate for putraḥ and bhartā
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• aiśvarya-kāraṇāt: for the sake of power/wealth
• Type: Noun
• Root: aiśvarya (प्रातिपदिक) + kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa = aiśvaryasya kāraṇam; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Pañcamī (Ablative/पञ्चमी), Ekavacana
• Role: Hetu (हेतु/कारण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• kam: whom
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• sā: she
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• pariharet: would spare / avoid
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari + hṛ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ/विधिलिङ्), Prathama puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• anyam: another
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; Viśeṣaṇa of kam
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• kaikeyī: Kaikeyi
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; apposition to sā
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• kula-pāṃsanī: disgrace of the lineage
• Type: Noun
• Root: kula (प्रातिपदिक) + pāṃsanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa = kulasya pāṃsanī (disgrace/dust of the family); Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• putraś ca = putraḥ ca
• tyaktāv = tyaktau (o + a sandhi)
• parihared anyaṃ = pariharet anyam (t/d alternation in transmission)

Context

Can Kaikeyi, who has brought disgrace to the race by abandoning her husband and son for the sake of wealth, spare others?

The teaching

Duties in tension

• रानी का पतिव्रत/गृहधर्म बनाम राजलोभ
• माता का पुत्र-रक्षण बनाम सत्ता-प्राप्ति
• राजपरिवार की मर्यादा बनाम स्वार्थ

Ethical theme

राजधर्म/गृहधर्म-भंग

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Bibhatsa (disgust)

Mood

Indignant, accusatory, scathing

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Family ethics
• Adharma
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Rāma (implied as 'son')
• Daśaratha (implied as 'husband')

FAQs

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

Dharma includes loyalty to family obligations; betrayal of the closest bonds (husband and son) for power is presented as a sign of ethical unreliability toward all.

What is the narrative situation?

In public grief and anger after Rāma’s exile, the citizens denounce Kaikeyī’s actions as socially and morally dangerous.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast, fidelity and protection within family and kingdom—values the citizens feel Kaikeyī has violated.