Valmiki Ramayana 2.12.32: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 32

द्वादशः सर्गः — Kaikeyi’s Boons and Dasaratha’s Moral Collapse

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

न स्मराम्यप्रियं वाक्यं लोकस्य प्रियवादिनः।स कथं त्वत्कृते रामं वक्ष्यामि प्रियमप्रियम्।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.12.32

Transliteration

na smarāmy apriyaṃ vākyaṃ lokasya priyavādinaḥ |

sa kathaṃ tvatkṛte rāmaṃ vakṣyāmi priyam apriyam ||

Translation

Ta chẳng nhớ Rāma—đấng nói lời êm dịu làm vui lòng mọi người—từng thốt một câu nào thô bạo; vậy vì bà, sao ta có thể nói với Rāma yêu kính của ta những lời vừa đau đớn vừa trái ý?

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Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-nipāta (negation/निषेध)

• smarāmi: I remember
• smarāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ lakāra (Present/वर्तमान), Uttama puruṣa (1st person), Ekavacana (sg.), Parasmaipada

• apriyam: unpleasant
• apriyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana (sg.); qualifying vākyaṃ

• vākyam: word, speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/कर्म), Ekavacana (sg.)

• lokasya: of the world/people
• lokasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), Ekavacana (sg.)

• priya-vādinaḥ: of one who speaks pleasantly
• priya-vādinaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक) + vādin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Ṣaṣṭhī vibhakti (Genitive/सम्बन्ध), Ekavacana (sg.); tatpuruṣa: 'priyaṃ vadati' = one who speaks pleasantly

• saḥ: he / such a one
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma (pronoun), Puṃliṅga (m.), Prathamā vibhakti (Nominative), Ekavacana (sg.)

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: Praśna-avyaya (interrogative adverb/प्रश्न)

• tvat-kṛte: for your sake
• tvat-kṛte: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (प्रातिपदिक) + kṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Saptamī vibhakti (Locative/अधिकरण), Ekavacana (sg.); tatpuruṣa: 'tvayā kṛte' = for your sake

• rāmam: to Rama
• rāmam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (m.), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative/कर्म), Ekavacana (sg.)

• vakṣyāmi: I will say
• vakṣyāmi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Luṭ lakāra (Periphrastic future/परस्मैपदी भविष्यत्), Uttama puruṣa (1st person), Ekavacana (sg.), Parasmaipada

• priyam: pleasant (thing/word)
• priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana (sg.); used substantively

• apriyam: unpleasant (thing/word)
• apriyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsakaliṅga (n.), Dvitīyā vibhakti (Accusative), Ekavacana (sg.); used substantively

Context

How can I, for your sake, speak harsh to my beloved Rama who uses pleasing words to the people of the world, and never an unpleasant word which I can recall?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Dharma includes vāṅmaya-saṃyama (ethical speech): one should not repay gentleness with cruelty, nor force unrighteous speech upon the righteous.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha struggles with the idea of addressing Rāma with unwelcome words because Kaikeyī’s demand compels him toward painful action.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s priyavāditā—habitual courteous, pleasing speech toward all.