Valmiki Ramayana 2.11.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 18
कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना
Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons
स्मर राजन् पुरावृत्तं तस्मिन् दैवासुरे रणे।तत्र चाच्यावयच्छत्रुस्तव जीवितमन्तरा।।।।
smara rājan purāvṛttaṃ tasmin daivāsure raṇe | tatra cācyāvayac chatrus tava jīvitam antarā ||
स्मर, राजन्, पुरावृत्तं तस्मिन् दैवासुरे रणे। तत्र शत्रुणा सर्वं तव हृतं, जीवितमात्रं तु शेषितम्॥
O king, recall the event that happened long ago in the war between gods and asuras where the enemy destroyed all your forces except your life.
FAQs
The verse invokes moral accountability through memory: past benefaction creates a binding obligation, especially for a king whose dharma includes gratitude and faithful response to what was done for him.
Kaikeyī begins reminding Daśaratha of an earlier crisis (the daiva–āsura battle) as groundwork for claiming the boons he had promised her.
The implied virtue is the king’s satya (truthfulness/keeping one’s word) and kṛtajñatā (gratitude), which Kaikeyī is about to leverage.
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