Valmiki Ramayana 2.36.32: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 36, Shloka 32

अयोध्याकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Daśaratha’s orders for Rama’s escort; Kaikeyi’s fear; the Asamañjasa precedent

Devanagari script

एतद्वचो नेच्छसि पापवृत्ते हितं न जानासि ममात्मनो वा।आस्थाय मार्गं कृपणं कुचेष्टा चेष्टा हि ते साधुपथादपेता।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.36.32

Transliteration

etad vaco necchasi pāpavṛtte hitaṃ na jānāsi mamātmano vā | āsthāya mārgaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ kuceṣṭā ceṣṭā hi te sādhupathād apetā ||

Translation

О женщина греховного нрава, эти слова тебе не по сердцу; ты не ведаешь, что истинно полезно — ни мне, ни самой себе. Избрав низкий путь, твои деяния, рожденные злым умыслом, воистину уклонились от стези благих.

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Word by Word

• etat: this
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (एतद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• vacaḥ: speech/words
• vacaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (वचस् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• icchasi: you desire/accept
• icchasi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• pāpavṛtte: O evil-minded one
• pāpavṛtte: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa-vṛtti (पापवृत्ति प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (pāpa + vṛtti)

• hitam: what is beneficial
• hitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hita (हित प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय

• jānāsi: you know
• jānāsi: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (ज्ञा धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• ātmanaḥ: of yourself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (आत्मन् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; अत्र ‘of yourself’ अर्थे

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (or)

• āsthāya: having adopted
• āsthāya: Kriya (क्रिया/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√sthā (स्था धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerund) उपसर्ग ‘ā-’; ‘having adopted/taken to’

• mārgam: path
• mārgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mārga (मार्ग प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन

• kṛpaṇam: wretched/vile
• kṛpaṇam: Karma (कर्म/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛpaṇa (कृपण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘mārgam’)

• kucēṣṭā: wicked effort
• kucēṣṭā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ku-ceṣṭā (कुचेष्टा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (ku + ceṣṭā)

• ceṣṭā: conduct/effort
• ceṣṭā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ceṣṭā (चेष्टा प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (indeed)

• te: your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (युष्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• sādhupathāt: from the good path
• sādhupathāt: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sādhu-patha (साधुपथ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (अपादान), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (sādhu + patha)

• apētā: departed/strayed
• apētā: Karta (कर्ता/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apa-ita (अपेत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त-विशेषण (gone away/departed) qualifying ‘ceṣṭā’

Context

O Kaikeyi of vicious behaviour, you do not aceept even the words of Siddhartha. You woman of wicked acts, having adopted vile ways, and abjured the right path cannot know what is good either for you or for me.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Dharma (implied as sādhupatha)

FAQs

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

Dharma is knowing true welfare (hita) and staying on the sādhupatha (path of the good). Desire-driven schemes are portrayed as adharma that harms both self and others.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, shattered by events, openly condemns Kaikeyī’s stance as a deviation from righteous conduct.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral clarity in naming wrongdoing—Daśaratha asserts that real ‘benefit’ must align with righteousness, not manipulation.