Valmiki Ramayana 2.26.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 26, Shloka 21

अयोध्याकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः

Rama’s Departure and Sita’s Questions; Disclosure of Exile and Counsel on Courtly Conduct

Devanagari script

राज्ञा सत्यप्रतिज्ञेन पित्रा दशरथेन च।कैकेय्यै मम मात्रे तु पुरा दत्तौ महावरौ।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.26.21

Transliteration

rājñā satyapratijñena pitrā daśarathena ca | kaikeyyai mama mātre tu purā dattau mahāvarau ||

Translation

సత్యప్రతిజ్ఞుడైన నా తండ్రి రాజు దశరథుడు పూర్వం నా తల్లి కైకేయికి రెండు మహావరాలు ఇచ్చెను.

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Word by Word

• राज्ञा: by the king
• राज्ञा: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सत्य-प्रतिज्ञेन: true to his vow
• सत्य-प्रतिज्ञेन: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रतिज्ञ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (सत्यं प्रतिज्ञा यस्य/सत्यप्रतिज्ञ = true to promise); पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (राज्ञा)

• पित्रा: by (my) father
• पित्रा: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• दशरथेन: by Dasharatha
• दशरथेन: कर्ता (Agent in passive/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; पित्रा इति विशेषण/अप्पोजिशन

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Conjunction/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

• कैकेय्यै: to Kaikeyi
• कैकेय्यै: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (Dative, 4th), एकवचन

• मम: my
• मम: सम्बन्ध (Possessor/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• मात्रे: to (my) mother
• मात्रे: सम्प्रदान (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन; (कैकेय्यै) समानाधिकरण/अप्पोजिशन

• तु: indeed/but
• तु: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अवधारण-अव्यय (particle 'but/indeed')

• पुरा: formerly
• पुरा: कालाधिकरण (Temporal/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (formerly)

• दत्तौ: were given
• दत्तौ: क्रिया-सम्बन्ध (Predicate/विधेय)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √दा (धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (PPP, क्त) used predicatively; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; (वरौ) विशेषण = given

• महावरौ: two great boons
• महावरौ: कर्म (Object in passive/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् वरः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन

Context

My father, king Dasaratha, true to his promise, had earlier granted two great boonsto my mother Kaikeyi.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• Rāma
• two boons (mahāvarau)

FAQs

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

Satya as royal dharma: Daśaratha’s identity is anchored in keeping his promise, showing that truth-binding commitments govern even kings.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma begins the causal explanation of his exile by recounting Daśaratha’s earlier grant of two boons to Kaikeyī.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s satyaniṣṭhā (steadfastness in truth/promise), which becomes the moral engine driving the ensuing events.