Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 11, Shloka 27

कैकेयीवरप्रार्थना

Kaikeyi Demands the Two Boons

Devanagari script

भरतो भजतामद्य यौवराज्यमकण्टकम्।।।।एष मे परमः कामो दत्तमेव वरं वृणे।अद्य चैव हि पश्येयं प्रयान्तं राघवं वनम्।।।।

Transliteration

bharato bhajatām adya yauvarājyam akaṇṭakam | eṣa me paramaḥ kāmo dattam eva varaṁ vṛṇe | adya caiva hi paśyeyaṁ prayāntaṁ rāghavaṁ vanam ||

Translation

愿婆罗多今日便承受副王之位，无人作梗、无刺相碍。这是我至高的愿望；我索取那已赐下的恩典。并且就在今日，让我亲见罗伽婆启程入林。

Word by Word

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• bhajatām: let him enjoy/possess
• bhajatām: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhaj (भज् धातु)
• Form: Loṭ-lakāra (लोट्/imperative), 3rd person, Singular; Ātmanepada (भजताम्)

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक अव्यय)

• yauvarājyam: the prince-regency
• yauvarājyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuvan (प्रातिपदिक) + rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound (तत्पुरुष; 'youth-kingship' = prince-regency); Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular

• akaṇṭakam: unobstructed/without thorns (rivals)
• akaṇṭakam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (नञ्) + kaṇṭaka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Negative adjective (नञ्-समासार्थ), Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular; agrees with yauvarājyam

• eṣaḥ: this
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• me: my
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Genitive (षष्ठी/6), Singular (enclitic)

• paramaḥ: supreme
• paramaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular; agrees with kāmaḥ

• kāmaḥ: desire
• kāmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1), Singular

• dattam: given/granted
• dattam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dā (धा॒ धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Past passive participle used adjectivally (क्त), Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular; qualifies varam

• eva: indeed/just
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निश्चय/अवधारण अव्यय)

• varam: boon
• varam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (contextually masculine), Accusative (2), Singular

• vṛṇe: I choose/ask for
• vṛṇe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vṛ (वृ धातु; 'choose')
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/present), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular, Ātmanepada

• adya: today/now
• adya: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (कालवाचक)

• ca: and
• ca: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• eva: itself/indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (हेतौ/निश्चये)

• paśyeyam: may I see
• paśyeyam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: Liṅ-lakāra (लिङ्/optative), 1st person, Singular, Parasmaipada

• prayāntam: departing
• prayāntam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√yā (या धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (कर्तरि वर्तमानकृदन्त/शतृ), Masculine, Accusative (2), Singular; qualifies rāghavam

• rāghavam: Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2), Singular

• vanam: to the forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2), Singular; goal-accusative with prayāntam (गत्यर्थकर्म)

Context

O Kaikeyi, in the name of Rama without seeing whom I, for sure, cannot live a momment, I swear I will fulfil your desire.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha
• Bharata
• Rāghava (Rāma)
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

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

It tests satya-dharma: a boon once granted becomes a moral bond. The verse frames a conflict between the king’s truth-keeping and the justice of the demand imposed through that bond.

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī states her first boon explicitly: Bharata’s installation as prince-regent, and Rāma’s immediate departure into forest-exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s expected virtue—truthfulness to his pledged boon—is the focal pressure point, even as the request itself appears adharma-oriented toward Rāma.