Valmiki Ramayana 2.9.20 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 9, Shloka 20

मन्थराप्रेरणा—वरद्वय-स्मरणं च

Manthara’s Provocation and the Recalling of Two Boons

Devanagari script

तौ वरौ याच भर्तारं भरतस्याभिषेचनम्।प्रव्राजनं च रामस्य त्वं वर्षाणि चतुर्दश।।।।

Transliteration

tau varau yāca bhartāraṃ bharatasyābhiṣecanam |

pravrājanaṃ ca rāmasya tvaṃ varṣāṇi caturdaśa ||

Translation

“จงทูลขอพรทั้งสองจากพระสวามี: ขอให้ประกอบพิธีอภิเษกพระภรต และขอให้เนรเทศพระรามไปอยู่ป่าเป็นเวลาสิบสี่ปี”

Word by Word

• तौ: those two
• तौ: कर्म (object) — ‘वरौ’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्विवचनम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative dual, masculine; pronoun)

• वरौ: two boons
• वरौ: कर्म (object) — ‘याच’ इत्यस्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे द्विवचनम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative dual, masculine)

• याच: beg (you should ask)
• याच: क्रिया (verbal action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: याच् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (Imperative), मध्यम-पुरुषः, एकवचनम्; परस्मैपदम् (2nd person singular imperative, parasmaipada)

• भर्तारम्: husband (lord)
• भर्तारम्: कर्म (object) — ‘याच’ इत्यस्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे एकवचनम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular, masculine)

• भरतस्य: of Bharata
• भरतस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) — ‘अभिषेचनम्’ इत्यस्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे एकवचनम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive singular, masculine)

• अभिषेचनम्: installation, consecration
• अभिषेचनम्: कर्म (object) — ‘याच’ इत्यस्य (द्वितीयं याच्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिषेचन (प्रातिपदिक; √सिच् ‘to sprinkle’ इत्यस्मात्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular, neuter)

• प्रव्राजनम्: banishment, exile
• प्रव्राजनम्: कर्म (object) — ‘याच’ इत्यस्य (तृतीयं याच्य-वस्तु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रव्राजन (प्रातिपदिक; √व्रज् ‘to go’ इत्यस्मात् causative/nominal sense)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे एकवचनम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative singular, neuter)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• रामस्य: of Rama
• रामस्य: सम्बन्ध (genitive relation) — ‘प्रव्राजनम्’ इत्यस्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे एकवचनम्, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive singular, masculine)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: कर्ता (agent) — ‘याच’ इत्यस्य
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: एकवचनम्, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative singular; 2nd-person pronoun)

• वर्षाणि: years
• वर्षाणि: अधिकरण/कालाधिकरण (temporal extent) — ‘प्रव्राजनम्’ इत्यस्य काल-परिमाणम्
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे बहुवचनम्, द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (Accusative plural, neuter; duration/extent)

• चतुर्दश: fourteen
• चतुर्दश: विशेषण (qualifier) — ‘वर्षाणि’ इत्यस्य
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + दश (संख्या-प्रातिपदिके)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषणम्; नपुंसकलिङ्गे बहुवचन-द्वितीया-सामानाधिकरण्यम् ‘वर्षाणि’ इत्यनेन (numeral adjective agreeing with ‘varṣāṇi’)

Context

To-day I shall at once banish Rama from here into the forest and get Bharata coronated as heir-apparent without delay.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha (implied as husband)
• Bharata
• Rāma
• two boons (vara)
• fourteen years

FAQs

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

The verse foregrounds how promises/boons can be weaponized; dharma demands that power and vows be guided by justice, not exploited to harm the innocent.

What is the narrative situation?

Mantharā instructs Kaikeyī to invoke two promised boons from Daśaratha to secure Bharata’s installation and Rāma’s exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

It highlights the importance (by contrast) of a king’s integrity in keeping vows—an integrity others may attempt to manipulate.