Valmiki Ramayana 2.18.40: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 40

अष्टादशः सर्गः

Kaikeyī Discloses the Boons: Exile to Daṇḍaka and Bharata’s Consecration

Devanagari script

एतत्कुरु नरेन्द्रस्य वचनं रघुनन्दन।सत्येन महता राम तारयस्व नरेश्वरम्।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.18.40

Transliteration

etat kuru narendrasya vacanaṁ raghunandana | satyena mahatā rāma tārayasva nareśvaram ||

Translation

एतत्कुरु नरेन्द्रस्य वचनं रघुनन्दन। सत्येन महता राम तारयस्व नरेश्वरम्॥

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Word by Word

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Prathamā/Dvitīyā (1st/2nd), Eka-vacana; here used as object with implied ‘this (request)’

• कुरु: do; carry out
• कुरु: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/Imperative), Parasmaipada, Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person/मध्यमपुरुष), Eka-vacana

• नरेन्द्रस्य: of the king
• नरेन्द्रस्य: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + indra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (6th/षष्ठी), Eka-vacana

• वचनम्: word; command; promise
• वचनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd), Eka-vacana

• रघुनन्दन: O joy of the Raghus
• रघुनन्दन: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: raghu + nandana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative/सम्बोधन), Eka-vacana

• सत्येन: by truth; by truthfulness
• सत्येन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā vibhakti (3rd), Eka-vacana; instrumental of means (करण)

• महता: great
• महता: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā vibhakti, Eka-vacana; adjective qualifying सत्येन

• राम: O Rama
• राम: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana (vocative), Eka-vacana

• तारयस्व: save; deliver
• तारयस्व: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tṛ (धातु)
• Form: Causative (णिच्) stem: tāray-; Loṭ-lakāra (imperative), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Madhyama-puruṣa, Eka-vacana

• नरेश्वरम्: the king (lord of men)
• नरेश्वरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nara + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā vibhakti (2nd), Eka-vacana

Context

The more Rama reflected on the incomprehensible sorrow of the king, the more he became perturbed like an ocean on the new Moon day.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyi
• Rama
• Dasaratha
• Raghu dynasty

FAQs

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

Satya as dharma: the moral imperative to uphold a pledged word, even at personal cost, is presented as a way to ‘save’ the king from the sin of broken promise.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī urges Rāma to comply with Daśaratha’s promise (the boons), positioning Rāma’s obedience as the means to preserve the king’s truth.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s truthfulness and obedience to dharma—his willingness to shoulder hardship to protect another’s integrity.