Valmiki Ramayana 2.7.20 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 7, Shloka 20

मन्थराप्रवेशः

Manthara Observes Ayodhya and Incites Kaikeyi

Devanagari script

अक्षय्यं सुमहद्देवि प्रवृत्तं त्वद्विनाशनम्।रामं दशरथो राजा यौवराज्येऽभिषेक्ष्यति।।।।

Transliteration

akṣayyaṃ sumahad devi pravṛttaṃ tvadvināśanam | rāmaṃ daśaratho rājā yauvarājye 'bhiṣekṣyati ||

Translation

హే దేవీ! నీ వినాశానికి మహత్తరమైన, అక్షయమైన కారణం ఇప్పుడు ప్రారంభమైంది—రాజు దశరథుడు శ్రీరాముని యువరాజ్యాభిషేకం చేయబోతున్నాడు।

Word by Word

• akṣayyam: unending, inexhaustible
• akṣayyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣayya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (pravṛttam)

• su-mahat: very great, immense
• su-mahat: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: su (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (‘su’ intensifier), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (pravṛttam)

• devi: O queen
• devi: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• pravṛttam: has started, is underway
• pravṛttam: Kriyā (क्रिया) (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vṛt (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: कृदन्त (past passive participle/क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘has begun/has set in’

• tvad-vināśanam: your ruin
• tvad-vināśanam: Karta (कर्ता) (of ‘pravṛttam’ as subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + vināśana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘tava vināśanam’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rāmam: Rāma
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• daśarathaḥ: Daśaratha
• daśarathaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśaratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; apposition to daśarathaḥ

• yauvarājye: in the heir-apparent office
• yauvarājye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yauvarājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• abhiṣekṣyati: will consecrate, will crown
• abhiṣekṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-√sic (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्गः अभि-

Context

O queen!, your end is approaching, and it has no end and it is overwhelming. King Dasaratha is crowning Rama as heir-apparent.

Characters & Entities

• Mantharā
• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Yauvarājya (heir-apparency)

FAQs

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

It highlights the tension between rājadharma (a king’s duty to establish rightful succession) and personal desire; the verse itself is framed as alarm, but the dharmic backdrop is the legitimacy of Rāma’s consecration.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā informs Kaikeyī that Daśaratha is about to anoint Rāma as heir-apparent, presenting it as a dire threat to Kaikeyī.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Indirectly, Daśaratha’s commitment to royal procedure is implied; however, Mantharā’s speech foregrounds fear-mongering rather than virtue.