Valmiki Ramayana 2.38.7 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 38, Shloka 7

अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sita in Bark Garments; Public Outcry and Dasaratha’s Lament

Devanagari script

अजीवनार्हेण मया नृशंसाकृता प्रतिज्ञा नियमेन तावत्।तवया हि बाल्यात् प्रतिपन्नमेतत्तन्मां दहेद्वेणुमिवात्मपुष्पम्।।।।

Transliteration

ajīvanārheṇa mayā nṛśaṃsākṛtā pratijñā niyamena tāvat | tvayā hi bālyāt pratipannam etat tan māṃ dahed veṇum ivātmapuṣpam ||

Translation

ด้วยคำปฏิญาณอันโหดร้ายนี้ ซึ่งถูกผูกไว้ด้วยสัตย์สาบาน เราทำตนให้ไม่ควรแก่การมีชีวิตอยู่ เจ้าเป็นผู้ยึดถือมันมาตั้งแต่วัยเยาว์ด้วยความดื้อดึง บัดนี้มันเผาเรา ดุจไม้ไผ่ที่ถูกดอกของตนเองเผาผลาญ

Word by Word

• अजीवनार्हेण: by/with (something) unfit for living
• अजीवनार्हेण: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-जीवन-अर्ह (प्रातिपदिकम्: अजीवनार्ह)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, neuter); नञ्-तत्पुरुषः: अजीवनम् + अर्हः = अजीवनार्हः

• मया: by me
• मया: कर्तृ (Agent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular); उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• नृशंसाकृता: cruelly made
• नृशंसाकृता: विशेषणम् (Qualifier of प्रतिज्ञा)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नृशंस + कृ (धातु) → कृता (कृदन्तः, क्त-प्रत्ययः); समासः: नृशंसा + कृता
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, feminine); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि/भूतकृत् (past passive participle) ‘कृता’

• प्रतिज्ञा: promise, vow
• प्रतिज्ञा: कर्तृ/विषय (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिज्ञा (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, feminine)

• नियमेन: with a rule/vow, by a binding observance
• नियमेन: करण (Instrument/means)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular, masculine)

• तावत्: so far; at least; for the present
• तावत्: सम्बन्ध/अव्ययार्थ (Adverbial modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle/adverb); अर्थे: ‘तावन्मात्रम्/एतावता’ = ‘so far/at least/for the present’

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: कर्तृ (Agent) (प्रतिपन्नम् इत्यस्य कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: तृतीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Instrumental singular); मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed; for
• हि: सम्बन्ध/अव्ययार्थ (Emphasis/causal particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्ययम्)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle); निश्चय/कारणार्थे (indeed/for)

• बाल्यात्: from childishness; out of folly
• बाल्यात्: अपादान (Source/cause: ‘from/out of’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्य (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Ablative singular, neuter)

• प्रतिपन्नम्: accepted; undertaken
• प्रतिपन्नम्: क्रियाविशेषण/विधेय (Predicative participle with एतत्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति + पद् (धातु) → प्रतिपन्न (कृदन्तः, क्त-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, neuter); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त-भूतकर्मणि (past passive participle) — ‘accepted/undertaken’

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: कर्तृ/विषय (Subject of प्रतिपन्नम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, neuter)

• तत्: that (promise/act)
• तत्: कर्तृ/विषय (Subject of दहेत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Nominative singular, neuter); अन्वयः: ‘तत् (एतत् प्रतिज्ञारूपम्)’

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular)

• दहेत्: should burn
• दहेत्: क्रिया (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातुः) (परस्मैपदी)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम् (3rd person singular); परस्मैपदम्

• वेणुम्: bamboo
• वेणुम्: उपमान (Standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेणु (प्रातिपदिकम्)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, masculine)

• इव: like
• इव: सम्बन्ध/अव्ययार्थ (Comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्ययम्)
• Form: अव्ययम् (particle); उपमायाम् (comparative ‘like/as’)

• आत्मपुष्पम्: its own flower
• आत्मपुष्पम्: उपमेय-विशेषण/उपमानोपपद (Qualifier within simile: ‘with its own flower’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् + पुष्प (प्रातिपदिके) → आत्मपुष्प
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे द्वितीया-विभक्तिः एकवचनम् (Accusative singular, neuter); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: आत्मनः पुष्पम् = ‘its own flower’

Context

By giving this cruel promise through importunity, I have rendered myself unfit to live. This promise was made as a child's play and it (now) destroys me like a bamboo destroyed by its own flowers.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Dharma highlights the danger of vows made without wisdom: truth-binding promises must be guided by discernment (viveka), or they become instruments of harm.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha laments that the boon-promise extracted by Kaikeyī now destroys him inwardly, even though he remains bound to keep it.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

A painful commitment to satya (truth-keeping) is implied, alongside Daśaratha’s recognition of his own failure of judgment.