Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 12

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना

Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

तेन वाक्येन संहृष्टा तमभिप्रायमागतम्।व्याजहार महाघोरमभ्यागतमिवान्तकम्।।।।

Transliteration

tena vākyena saṃhṛṣṭā tam abhiprāyam āgatam | vyājahāra mahāghoram abhyāgatam ivāntakam || 2.11.12 ||

Translation

因他的话而欢喜，她便吐露心中已起的意图——极其可怖，宛如死亡骤然降临。

Word by Word

• तेन: by that
• तेन: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया, एकवचन; instrumental ‘by that’

• वाक्येन: by the speech
• वाक्येन: करण
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3/करण), एकवचन; instrumental ‘by words/speech’

• संहृष्टा: delighted
• संहृष्टा: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+√हृष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘delighted’ (predicate of she)

• तम्: that
• तम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; refers to अभिप्रायम्

• अभिप्रायम्: intention
• अभिप्रायम्: कर्म
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिप्राय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• आगतम्: that had come
• आगतम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ+√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; agrees with अभिप्रायम्

• व्याजहार: spoke
• व्याजहार: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि+आ+√हृ (धातु; √हृ ‘to utter/take’, here ‘to speak’)
• Form: लिट् (परफेक्ट), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; perfect 3rd sg ‘she spoke’

• महाघोरम्: very dreadful
• महाघोरम्: कर्म-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महā-घोर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘very dreadful’; qualifies (implicit) वचनम्/अभिप्रायम्

• अभ्यागतम्: approaching
• अभ्यागतम्: उपमान-विशेषण
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+आ+√गम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘having come/approached’; used in simile with अन्तकम्

• इव: like
• इव: उपमा-सूचक
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक-अव्यय (comparative particle ‘like/as’)

• अन्तकम्: death
• अन्तकम्: उपमान (द्वितीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; object in simile ‘death’

Context

Delighted by the words (of the king), Kaikeyi disclosed him her highly dreadful wish which entered her mind like a sudden visitation of death:

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Antaka (Death personified as a simile)

FAQs

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

A dharmic warning about manipulation: extracting promises and then unveiling harmful demands weaponizes satya; dharma requires truth to be used for welfare, not ruin.

What is the narrative situation?

After Daśaratha’s reassuring words, Kaikeyī finally brings out the terrifying demand she has been preparing.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse, by contrast, elevates the virtue of benevolence (hita) in speech—words should not become ‘death-like’ instruments.