Valmiki Ramayana 2.14.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 14, Shloka 22

सत्यपाशः · Kaikeyi’s Demand and the Noose of the King’s Promise

Spoken by Kaikeyi to DasharathaSetting: Ayodhyā palace (inner apartments)Places named: Ayodhyā, forest (vana)

Devanagari script

स्थाप्य राज्ये मम सुतं कृत्वा रामं वनेचरम् ।

निस्सपत्नां च मां कृत्वा कृतकृत्यो भविष्यसि ॥२२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.14.22

Transliteration

sthāpya rājye mama sutaṃ kṛtvā rāmaṃ vane-caram |

niḥsapatnāṃ ca māṃ kṛtvā kṛta-kṛtyo bhaviṣyasi ||22||

Translation

ต่อเมื่อทรงสถาปนาพระโอรสของข้าพเจ้าไว้ในราชสมบัติ ให้พระรามเป็นผู้อาศัยป่า และทำให้ข้าพเจ้าไร้คู่แข่งแล้วเท่านั้น พระองค์จึงจักเป็นผู้สำเร็จหน้าที่โดยสมบูรณ์

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Word by Word

• स्थाप्य: having installed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: णिच्-प्रेरण (causative: स्थापयति) + क्त्वा-लोप (absolutive); ‘having installed’
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)

• राज्ये: in the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: राज्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative), एकवचन
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• मम: my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)

• सुतम्: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• कृत्वा: having made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive)
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)

• रामम्: Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• वनेचरम्: a forest-dweller
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन-चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; समासः: वने चरति (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• निःसपत्नाम्: without rivals
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः-सपत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (निः = without); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying माम्)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय
• Role: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)

• माम्: me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• कृत्वा: having made
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्यय (absolutive)
• Role: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)

• कृतकृत्यः: having fulfilled (your) duty
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying implied ‘त्वम्’); कर्मधारयः: कृतं कृत्यं येन (one whose duty is done)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• भविष्यसि: you will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Future), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• वनेचरम् = वन-चरम्
• निस्सपत्नाम् = निः + सपत्नाम् (visarga assimilation)
• कृतकृत्यः = कृत-कृत्यः

Context

Only after you have installed my son in the kingdom and sent Rama to the forest and made me free from rivals, you shall have your duty fulfiled.

The teaching

When desire seeks ‘rival-less’ supremacy, it turns relationships into instruments; dharma without discernment becomes a chain.

Duties in tension

• Keeping pledged boons vs protecting the innocent (Rāma)
• Rāja-dharma of impartial succession vs favoritism induced by Kaikeyī
• Duty to queens vs duty to the realm’s stability

Ethical theme

Adharma of envy; misuse of promised boons

How it resolves

Coerced compliance (boon-enforcement)

For your practice

Vairāgya reflection: craving for exclusive status (‘nissapatnā’) breeds suffering; cultivate contentment and fairness.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Hard ultimatum, cold ambition, moral violence

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Ambition
• Adharma

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Bharata (implied as 'my son')
• kingdom (rājya)
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

It frames how power can misuse the language of duty: Kaikeyī recasts Daśaratha’s dharma (truth to promises) into a program of injustice against Rāma.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī explicitly states her terms: Bharata must be enthroned, and Rāma must be sent to the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negatively, it highlights the vice of jealousy and political ambition; dharmic kingship is contrasted with self-serving demands.