Shloka 7

एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma

Devanagari script

एकस्याः खलु कैकेय्याः कृतेऽयं क्लिश्यते जनः।स्वार्थे प्रयतमानायाः संश्रित्य निकृतिं त्विमाम्।।2.39.7।।

Transliteration

ekasyāḥ khalu kaikeyyāḥ kṛte 'yaṃ kliśyate janaḥ | svārthe prayatamānāyāḥ saṃśritya nikṛtiṃ tv imām || 2.39.7 ||

Translation

Sesungguhnya, kerana Kaikeyī seorang jua, rakyat menanggung derita; demi kepentingan dirinya, dia bersandar pada tipu daya ini.

Word by Word

एकस्याःof one (woman)

खलुindeed

कैकेय्याःof Kaikeyi

कृतेfor the sake (of)

अयम्this

क्लिश्यतेsuffers

जनःpeople

स्वार्थेin selfish interest

प्रयतमानायाःof (her) striving

संश्रित्यresorting to

निकृतिम्deceit

तुindeed/but

इमाम्this

Context

While Rama said so, there arose a loud cry of the wives of the king like the cry of the female herons.

Characters & Entities

Daśaratha

Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Condemnation of svārtha (selfishness) and nikṛti (deceit): private ambition that violates truth and harms the many is portrayed as adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha attributes the widespread misery in the palace to Kaikeyī’s self-serving plot that triggers Rāma’s exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment—recognizing deceit as ethically corrosive and socially destructive.