Valmiki Ramayana 2.13.12: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 13, Shloka 12

अयोध्याकाण्डे त्रयोदशः सर्गः | Kaikeyi Presses the Boons; Dasaratha’s Lament and Collapse

Devanagari script

यदि दुःखमकृत्वाऽद्य मम संक्रमणं भवेत् ।

अदुःखार्हस्य रामस्य तत स्सुखमवाप्नुयाम् ॥१२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.13.12

Transliteration

yadi duḥkham akṛtvādya mama saṅkramaṇaṃ bhavet |

aduḥkhārhasya rāmasya tataḥ sukham avāpnuyām ||12||

Translation

Kung ngayon ay dumating sa akin ang kamatayan nang hindi ko napasakitan si Rāma—na hindi nararapat magdusa—kung gayon, mula roon ay matatamo ko ang kapayapaan.

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Word by Word

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्तसूचक-अव्यय)

• duḥkham: sorrow; suffering
• duḥkham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• akṛtvā: without doing; not having caused
• akṛtvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (कृ धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), negated with a-; ‘having not done’

• adya: today; now
• adya: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of time (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• saṅkramaṇam: passing away; death; departure
• saṅkramaṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṅkramaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhavet: might be; could happen
• bhavet: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aduḥkhārhasya: of one not deserving suffering
• aduḥkhārhasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-duḥkha-arha (प्रातिपदिक); duḥkha + arha with negation a-
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); compound: duḥkhasya arhaḥ (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष) with negation a-

• rāmasya: of Rama
• rāmasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tataḥ: therefrom; then
• tataḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तस्मात्-अर्थे अव्यय)

• sukham: happiness
• sukham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• avāpnuyām: I might obtain; I would attain
• avāpnuyām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप् धातु) with ava-
• Form: Optative (विधिलिङ्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

Context

If death comes to me right now I shall be very happy because I will not have to inflict suffering on Rama who does not deserve it.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• death

FAQs

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

Not harming the innocent is central to dharma; Daśaratha views causing pain to the blameless Rāma as morally unbearable.

What is the narrative situation?

In despair over the exile decision, Daśaratha expresses that dying now would be preferable to living while causing Rāma suffering.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s innocence and deservingness of happiness; Daśaratha’s conscience and remorse.