Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 21

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Spoken by Dasharatha to KaikeyiSetting: Ayodhya (royal inner apartments)

Devanagari script

ननु ते राघवस्तुल्यो भरतेन महात्मना ।

बहुशो हि सुबाले त्वं कथाः कथयसे मम ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.21

Transliteration

nanu te rāghavas tulyo bharatena mahātmanā |

bahuśo hi subāle tvaṃ kathāḥ kathayase mama ||21||

Translation

Zaprawdę, o dziecinna, często mi powiadałaś, że Rama jest ci tak drogi jak wielkoduszny Bharata.

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Word by Word

• ननु: indeed?/surely (introducing a pointed remark)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ननु (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle), प्रश्नार्थ-आक्षेपार्थे (interrogative/emphatic)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-प्रवर्तक (discourse particle)

• ते: your / of you
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (pronoun, gender-neutral); षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) एकवचन; enclitic form of तव
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation: 'of you/your')

• राघवः: Rāghava (Rāma)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राघव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative) एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (subject)

• तुल्यः: equal, comparable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying राघवः)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective of the subject)

• भरतेन: with Bharata / to Bharata (as the equal)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental) एकवचन
• Role: करण/सह (standard of comparison; 'with/to')

• महात्मना: high-souled, noble
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया-विभक्ति एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying भरतेन)
• Role: विशेषण (adjectival to the instrumental noun)

• बहुशः: many times, repeatedly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बहुशस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb)
• Role: क्रिया-विशेषण (adverbial modifier)

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निपात (particle) हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (for/indeed)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-सम्बोधक (emphatic particle)

• सुबाले: O good/innocent child (O childish one)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सम्बोधन-विभक्ति (Vocative) एकवचन; समासः कर्मधारयः (सु=शोभनः + बालः)
• Role: सम्बोधन (address)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• त्वम्: you
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; प्रथमा-विभक्ति एकवचन
• Role: कर्ता (subject)

• कथाः: stories, accounts
• Type: Noun
• Root: कथा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग; द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative) बहुवचन
• Role: कर्म (object)

• कथयसे: you tell, you narrate
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु) + णिच् (causative) → कथय (धातु-प्रयोग)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present); मध्यम-पुरुष (2nd person); एकवचन; आत्मनेपद
• Role: क्रिया (verbal action)

• मम: to me / of me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive) एकवचन; enclitic form of मम
• Role: सम्प्रदान/सम्बन्ध (recipient/relational: 'to me' in sense)

Sandhi Notes

• राघवस्तुल्यो = राघवः + तुल्यः (विसर्ग-सन्धि: ः + त → स् + त)
• त्वङ् = त्वम् (अनुस्वार/निग्रह-रूप-लेखनभेद in IAST)
• श्लोकपाठे 'मम' षष्ठी-रूपेण, अर्थतः 'to me' (सम्प्रदानार्थ) इति ग्रहणीयम्।

Context

O childish one, you used to tell me several times that Rama is as dear to you as the highsouled Bharata.

The teaching

A sudden reversal of declared affection signals adharma’s entry; memory of one’s own words becomes a moral mirror.

Duties in tension

• Maternal/stepmaternal affection and protection of Rāma
• Political ambition for Bharata’s succession
• Truthfulness/consistency with prior commitments

Ethical theme

Family duty vs political desire

For your practice

Practice of satya and steadiness of saṅkalpa; examine motives before speech hardens into harmful action.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Reproachful, bewildered, foreboding

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Family Duty
• Affection vs Partiality
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Bharata

FAQs

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

Dharma here points to fairness and consistency in one’s declared affections—partiality that contradicts one’s own stated values is ethically suspect.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha confronts Kaikeyī after her harsh demands, reminding her of her earlier claim that she loved Rāma as much as Bharata.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha appeals to integrity (alignment of speech and intention), urging Kaikeyī to remain true to what she previously professed.