Valmiki Ramayana 2.9.52: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 52

मन्थराप्रेरणा · वरद्वय-स्मरणं च

Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons

Spoken by Kaikeyi to MantharaSetting: Ayodhya (palace service quarters/court implied)

Devanagari script

तवापि कुब्जाः कुब्जायास्सर्वाभरणभूषिताः ।

पादौ परिचरिष्यन्ति यथैव त्वं सदा मम ॥५२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.9.52

Transliteration

tavāpi kubjāḥ kubjāyāḥ sarvābharaṇabhūṣitāḥ |

pādau paricariṣyanti yathaiva tvaṃ sadā mama ||52||

Translation

Nawet inne garbate, przyozdobione wszelkimi klejnotami, będą służyć twoim stopom, tak jak ty zawsze służyłaś moim.

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Word by Word

• तव: of you; your
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), समुच्चय/अपि-अर्थ (also/even)
• Role: सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse particle)

• कुब्जाः: hunchback women
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुब्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)

• कुब्जायाः: of the hunchback (woman)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुब्जा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)

• सर्व-आभरण-भूषिताः: adorned with all ornaments
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आभरण (प्रातिपदिक) + भूषित (कृदन्त; √भूष् क्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (Past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural) — कुब्जाः इति विशेषणम्; तत्पुरुष-समासः (सर्वैः आभरणैः भूषिताः)
• Role: विशेषण (Qualifier) (कर्तुः)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• पादौ: (your) two feet
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/2nd), द्विवचन (Dual)
• Role: कर्म (Karma/Object)

• परिचरिष्यन्ति: will serve/attend
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि + √चर् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)
• Role: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)

• यथा एव: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय) + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समूह (indeclinable phrase): यथा (as) + एव (indeed/just)
• Role: उपमान/प्रकार (Manner marker)

• त्वम्: you
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Karta/Subject) (उपमान-वाक्ये)

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)
• Role: कालाधिकरण (Time adjunct)

• मम: of me; my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (Pronoun), षष्ठी-विभक्ति (Genitive/6th), एकवचन (Singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)

Sandhi Notes

• तवापि = तव + अपि
• कुब्जायास्सर्वाभरणभूषिताः = कुब्जायाः + सर्वाभरणभूषिताः
• यथैव = यथा + एव

Context

Other hunchbacks adorned with all sorts of ornament shall also serve you in the same manner as you are serving me.

The teaching

Service becomes bondage when it is performed to gain power over others rather than to uphold dharma.

Duties in tension

• Service as humility vs service as ladder to domination
• Loyalty to mistress vs ethical restraint in harming others

Ethical theme

Sadācāra / social ethics

How it resolves

Valorization of pride and social subjugation

For your practice

Cultivate seva as offering (arpana) without craving for superiority; practice humility.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bibhatsa (disgust), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Hierarchical, vainglorious, coercive

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Power reversal
• Service
• Pride

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Mantharā

FAQs

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

The verse shows how power can distort values: service becomes a currency for domination rather than care. Dharma teaches humility and responsibility, not prideful reversal.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī promises Mantharā a future of elevated status where others will serve her as she has served Kaikeyī.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The desired trait is not virtue but superiority; it contrasts with the epic’s ideal of dignified service grounded in devotion and righteousness.