Valmiki Ramayana 2.14.17: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 14, Shloka 17

सत्यपाशः

Kaikeyi’s Demand and the Noose of the King’s Promise

Devanagari script

त्वया सपुत्रया नैव कर्तव्या सलिलक्रिया।व्याहन्ताऽस्यशुभाचारे यदि रामाभिषेचनम्।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.14.17

Transliteration

tvayā saputrayā naiva kartavyā salilakriyā |

vyāhantā ’sy aśubhācāre yadi rāmābhiṣecanam ||

Translation

Wahai wanita berkelakuan buruk—jika engkau menghalang upacara penobatan (abhiseka) Rama, maka setelah aku mangkat, engkau dan puteramu sama sekali tidak boleh melakukan upacara persembahan air (tarpana) untukku.

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Word by Word

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental), एकवचन

• सपुत्रया: together with (your) son
• सपुत्रया: Sahakari (सहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (सह/स- ‘with’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying त्वया)

• न: not
• न: Nishedha (निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• एव: indeed/at all
• एव: Avadharana (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphatic particle)

• कर्तव्या: should be done
• कर्तव्या: Vidhi/Nishedha (विधि/निषेध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (तव्यत्/gerundive); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate)

• सलिलक्रिया: the water-offering rite
• सलिलक्रिया: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल-क्रिया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: सलिलेन क्रिया (तृतीया-तत्पुरुष)

• व्याहन्ता: will obstruct/prevent
• व्याहन्ता: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-आ-हन् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; (contextually ‘will obstruct/prevent’)

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अशुभाचारे: O woman of inauspicious conduct
• अशुभाचारे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशुभ-आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः: अशुभः आचारः यस्य/यः

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• रामाभिषेचनम्: Rama's consecration
• रामाभिषेचनम्: Karma/Visaya (कर्म/विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम-अभिषेचन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः: रामस्य अभिषेचनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

Context

O woman of inauspicious practices, since you are obstructing Rama's coronation, you and your son shall not perform my funeral rite of offering water to the dead.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse foregrounds the moral weight of obstructing a rightful, dharmic succession; Daśaratha frames such obstruction as so grave that it severs even filial funeral obligations.

What is the narrative situation?

In the palace chamber, Daśaratha—devastated by Kaikeyī’s stance against Rāma’s coronation—utters a bitter warning about the consequences if she blocks the abhiṣeka.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s commitment to dharma is implicit: even in anguish, he measures actions by their righteousness and social-religious consequences (rites for the dead).