Valmiki Ramayana 2.9.32: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 32

मन्थराप्रेरणा · वरद्वय-स्मरणं च

Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons

Spoken by Manthara to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhya (palace; Kaikeyī’s apartments)Prelude to approaching Daśaratha for boons

Devanagari script

रामप्रव्राजनं चैव देवि याचस्व तं वरम् ।

एवं सिद्ध्यन्ति पुत्रस्य सर्वार्थास्तव भामिनि ॥३२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.9.32

Transliteration

rāmapravrājanaṃ caiva devi yācasva taṃ varam |

evaṃ siddhyanti putrasya sarvārthās tava bhāmini ||32||

Translation

Wahai Dewi Permaisuri, mohonlah juga daripadanya anugerah berupa pembuangan Rāma; demikianlah, wahai wanita yang bersemangat, segala maksud puteramu akan terlaksana.

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Word by Word

• rāmapravrājanam: Rama's exile
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक) + pravrājana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī-tatpuruṣa (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): rāmasya pravrājanam; Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• eva: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), emphasis
• Role: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्धबोधक)

• devi: O queen/lady
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• yācasva: request/beg
• Type: Verb
• Root: √yāc (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (लोट्, imperative), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• tam: him
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम); Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; refers to the king
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• varam: a boon
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• evam: thus/in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (क्रियाविशेषण अव्यय)
• Role: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• siddhyanti: are accomplished
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sidh (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्, present), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Plural
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• putrasya: of (your) son
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• sarvārthāḥ: all aims/interests
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Karmadhāraya: sarve arthāḥ; Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural; subject of siddhyanti
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• tava: your
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• bhāmini: O lovely lady
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhāminī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

Sandhi Notes

• caiva = ca + eva
• sarvārthās tava = sarvārthāḥ + tava (visarga sandhi)

Context

O Devi! demand Rama's exile as a boon. O lovely queen! this way all the interestsof your son will be fulfilled (protected).

The teaching

A promise used as a weapon turns satya into bondage; dharma requires both truthfulness and right intention.

Duties in tension

• Daśaratha’s duty to keep his promise (satya) vs duty to install the rightful heir and protect his son
• Kaikeyī’s duty as queen to uphold dharma vs manipulation of royal vows

Ethical theme

Satya-dharma vs svārtha

How it resolves

Procedural (boon invoked) leading to moral catastrophe

For your practice

Practice of satya with śuddha-bhāva (pure intent); examine motives before invoking rights/entitlements.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Pressing, fateful, unyielding

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Ends vs means
• Family loyalty

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kaikeyī
• Bharata (as 'son')
• boon (vara)

FAQs

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

It demonstrates ‘ends justify means’ reasoning, which the epic ultimately critiques; dharma demands that rightful aims be pursued through righteous means.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā presses Kaikeyī to include Rāma’s exile explicitly among the boons to secure Bharata’s position.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Maternal partiality is invoked—concern for one’s child—yet it is pushed beyond dharma into harmful favoritism.