Shloka 52

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

प्रैक्षतानिमिषो देवीं प्रियामप्रियवादिनीम्।।।।तां हि वज्रसमां वाचमाकर्ण्य हृदयाप्रियाम्।दुःखशोकमयीं घोरां राजा न सुखितोऽभवत्।।।।

Transliteration

praikṣatānimiṣo devīṃ priyām apriyavādinīm |

tāṃ hi vajrasamāṃ vācam ākarṇya hṛdayāpriyām |

duḥkhaśokamayīṃ ghorāṃ rājā na sukhito 'bhavat ||

Translation

రాజు కన్ను మిటకకుండా ఆ దేవిని చూశాడు—ఆమె ప్రియమైనదే, కానీ అప్రియమైన మాటలు పలికింది. వజ్రంలా కఠినమైన, హృదయానికి బాధ కలిగించే, దుఃఖశోకభరితమైన భయంకర వాక్యాలు విని రాజు సుఖపడలేకపోయాడు।

Word by Word

• praikṣata: looked at/gazed
• praikṣata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• animiṣaḥ: unblinking
• animiṣaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: animiṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण of rājā (understood)

• devīm: the queen
• devīm: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• priyām: beloved
• priyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; devīm qualifies

• apriya-vādinīm: speaking unpleasantly
• apriya-vādinīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक) + vādinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय/उपपद-तत्पुरुष sense: 'one who speaks unpleasant (words)'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; devīm qualifies

• tām: that
• tām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• vajra-samām: thunderbolt-like
• vajra-samām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vajra (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उपमान-तत्पुरुष: 'like a thunderbolt'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; vācam qualifies

• vācam: speech/words
• vācam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-karṇ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): 'having heard/listened'

• hṛdaya-apriyām: heart-unpleasant
• hṛdaya-apriyām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hṛdaya (प्रातिपदिक) + apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'unpleasant to the heart'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; vācam qualifies

• duḥkha-śoka-mayīm: full of grief and sorrow
• duḥkha-śoka-mayīm: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक) + śoka (प्रातिपदिक) + maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (मयट्-अर्थ: 'consisting of/filled with'); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; vācam qualifies

• ghorām: terrible
• ghorām: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; vācam qualifies

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (not)

• sukhitaḥ: happy
• sukhitaḥ: Pradhāna (प्रधान/Predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukhita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicate adjective of rājā

• abhavat: became
• abhavat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

Context

The unhappy king intently fixed his gaze at his beloved queen speaking unpleasant words charged with grief and anguish, unpleasant to the heart like the dreadful thunderbolt.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• thunderbolt (vajra)

FAQs

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

Speech is an ethical act: dharma includes vāṅ-niyama (discipline of speech). Words that are ‘vajra-like’ and heart-wounding create adharma through harm, even before physical actions occur.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, overwhelmed, can only stare at Kaikeyī as her demand lands like a blow; he is robbed of peace by the dreadfulness of her words.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s tenderness and capacity for attachment (priya-bhāva) is highlighted; the tragedy is that love coexists with the pain caused by unrighteous speech.