Valmiki Ramayana 2.18.19 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 19

अष्टादशः सर्गः

Kaikeyī Discloses the Boons: Exile to Daṇḍaka and Bharata’s Consecration

Devanagari script

एवमुक्ता तु कैकेयी राघवेण महात्मना।उवाचेदं सुनिर्लज्जा धृष्टमात्महितं वचः।।।।

Transliteration

evam uktā tu kaikeyī rāghaveṇa mahātmanā | uvācedaṃ sunirlajjā dhṛṣṭam ātmahitaṃ vacaḥ ||

Translation

Setelah ditegur demikian oleh Rāghava yang berhati mulia, Kaikeyī—tanpa sedikit pun rasa malu—mengucapkan kata-kata berani yang mengutamakan kepentingan dirinya sendiri.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• uktā: having been spoken to / addressed
• uktā: Karta (कर्ता) (as predicate qualifier of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vac (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kṛdanta past passive participle (क्त-प्रत्यय), feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन); agrees with ‘kaikeyī’

• tu: but
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/विरोधसूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya, particle/conjunction (निपात)

• kaikeyī: Kaikeyi
• kaikeyī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), nominative (प्रथमा) singular (एकवचन)

• rāghaveṇa: by Raghava (Rama)
• rāghaveṇa: Karaṇa/Hetu (करण/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), instrumental (तृतीया) singular (एकवचन)

• mahātmanā: by the great-souled
• mahātmanā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: mahā + ātman (कर्मधारय); masculine, instrumental (तृतीया) singular; qualifies ‘rāghaveṇa’

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष) singular (एकवचन), parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म) (object of ‘uvāca’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular; qualifies ‘vacaḥ’ (as ‘this’)

• sunirlajjā: utterly shameless
• sunirlajjā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su + nirlajjā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: su (अव्यय ‘very’) + nirlajjā (निर्लज्जा) (अव्ययीभाव); feminine, nominative singular; qualifies ‘kaikeyī’

• dhṛṣṭam: impudent
• dhṛṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhṛṣṭa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular; qualifies ‘vacaḥ’

• ātmahitam: self-serving / in her own interest
• ātmahitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātman + hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Compound: ātman + hita (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘for oneself’); neuter, accusative singular; qualifies ‘vacaḥ’

• vacaḥ: words
• vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म) (object of ‘uvāca’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), accusative (द्वितीया) singular

Context

When Kaikeyi was thus asked by the magnanimous scion of the Raghus (Rama) sheuttered unashamed these impudent words in her own interest.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse frames a dharmic warning: when self-interest overrides shame and moral restraint, speech becomes a tool of adharma and harms the righteous.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rāma’s repeated inquiries, the narration signals that Kaikeyī is about to respond with audacious, self-serving demands.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

By contrast: Rāma’s nobility (mahātman) is highlighted against Kaikeyī’s shameless self-interest, sharpening the moral tension of the scene.