Valmiki Ramayana 2.8.2 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 8, Shloka 2

मन्थराकैकेयीसंवादः — Mantharā’s Counsel to Kaikeyī

Ayodhyā’s Succession Alarm

Devanagari script

हर्षं किमिदमस्थाने कृतवत्यसि बालिशे।शोकसागरमध्यस्थमात्मानं नावबुध्यसे।।2.8.2।।

Transliteration

harṣaṃ kim idam asthāne kṛtavaty asi bāliśe | śokasāgara-madhyastham ātmānaṃ nāvabudhyase || 2.8.2 ||

Translation

हे बालिशे! अयोग्य वेळी असा हर्ष का केलास? तू शोकसागराच्या मध्यभागी उभी आहेस हे तुला कळत नाही का?

Word by Word

• harṣam: joy
• harṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: harṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kim: why
• kim: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘why/what’ (adverbial use)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• asthāne: in an improper place/time
• asthāne: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asthāna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/locative), एकवचन; अव्ययीभाववत् प्रयोगः ‘out of place’

• kṛtavatī: having done / having shown
• kṛtavatī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्तवतु-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘having done/made’

• asi: you are
• asi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

• bāliśe: O foolish one
• bāliśe: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन, एकवचन; पुंलिङ्ग (addressing a woman colloquially possible); ‘O foolish one’

• śokasāgaramadhyastham: situated in the midst of an ocean of sorrow
• śokasāgaramadhyastham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka + sāgara + madhyastha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण; समासः (śoka-sāgara = ocean of sorrow; madhyastha = situated in the middle)

• ātmānam: yourself
• ātmānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• avabudhyase: you understand / you realize
• avabudhyase: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ava + budh (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद; मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन

Context

O foolish woman! why do you display this misplaced happiness, little realising that you are in the midst of an ocean of sorrow?

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

The verse illustrates how discernment (viveka) is crucial to dharma: misplaced joy can arise from ignorance, and ethical judgment requires seeing consequences clearly.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā rebukes Kaikeyī’s contentment and begins to frame impending events as disastrous, setting the stage for manipulation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a virtue but a warning-sign: Mantharā appeals to anxiety and shortsightedness, urging Kaikeyī to interpret events through fear rather than truth.