Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 22

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Spoken by Dasharatha to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhya (palace)Places named: forest (vana)

Devanagari script

तस्य धर्मात्मनो देवि वनवासं यशस्विनः ।

कथं रोचयसे भीरु नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.22

Transliteration

tasya dharmātmano devi vanavāsaṃ yaśasvinaḥ |

kathaṃ rocayase bhīru nava varṣāṇi pañca ca ||22||

Translation

Wahai permaisuri, bagaimana mungkin engkau berkenan agar Rāma, yang berjiwa dharma dan termasyhur, tinggal di rimba selama empat belas tahun?

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Word by Word

• तस्य: of him/that
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/षष्ठी), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग-सम्भव (context: Rama)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• धर्मात्मनः: of the righteous-souled one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharmātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; समास: धर्म + आत्मन् (तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• देवि: O queen/lady
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन-प्रथमा (Vocative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• वनवासम्: forest-dwelling/exile to the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vanavāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/द्वितीया), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग; समास: वन + वास (तत्पुरुष)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• यशस्विनः: of the illustrious one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yaśasvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• कथम्: how/why
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)
• Role: Prashna (प्रश्न/भाव)

• रोचयसे: you approve/you desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: ruc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; causative sense in usage (to approve/like)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• भीरु: O timid one
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhīru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सम्बोधन (Vocative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• नव: nine
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: विशेषण; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया/प्रथमा बहुवचन-समरूप (agreeing with वर्षाणि)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• वर्षाणि: years
• Type: Noun
• Root: varṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), बहुवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• पञ्च: five
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañca (अव्यय/संख्याशब्द)
• Form: संख्या (numeral), अव्ययवत् प्रयोग (indeclinable numeral)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

Sandhi Notes

• धर्मात्मनो = धर्मात्मनः (visarga before voiced consonant)
• वनवासं (m before y in next word in recitation)
• नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च = ‘nine years and five’ (i.e., fourteen)

Context

O lady how do you wish this righteous and illustrious Rama to dwell in the forest for fourteen years?

The teaching

To will suffering for the righteous is a sign of adharma; power must be restrained by compassion and justice.

Duties in tension

• Queenly/political maneuvering for Bharata
• Compassion and justice toward the righteous heir
• Upholding dharma by protecting the dharmātmā

Ethical theme

Abuse of authority vs righteousness

For your practice

Contemplate Rāma as dharmātmā; cultivate ahiṃsā in intention—do not ‘desire’ another’s hardship.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Indignant, protective, alarmed

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Royal Duty
• Compassion
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Forest exile (vanavāsa)

FAQs

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

The verse invokes dharma as moral fitness: it is wrong to impose severe suffering on a righteous person without just cause.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī has demanded Rāma’s banishment for fourteen years; Daśaratha protests, highlighting Rāma’s righteousness and fame.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s dharmic character (dharmātman) and honorable reputation (yaśas) are foregrounded as reasons such treatment is unjust.