Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 50

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं कैकेयी विरराम ह।विलपन्तं च राजानं न प्रतिव्याजहार सा।।।।

Transliteration

etāvad uktvā vacanaṃ kaikeyī virarāma ha |

vilapantaṃ ca rājānaṃ na prativyājahāra sā ||

Translation

凯凯伊只说到此便沉默了；纵然国王哀号，她也不曾答复。

Word by Word

• etāvat: this much
• etāvat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: etāvat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रमाणवाचक (to this extent)

• uktvā: having spoken
• uktvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive): 'having said/spoken'

• vacanam: words/speech
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• kaikeyī: Kaikeyi
• kaikeyī: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• virarāma: stopped (fell silent)
• virarāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-ram (धातु)
• Form: लिट्/परस्मैपद-परिप्रेक्ष्ये लङ् (Perfect-like narrative aorist usage in epic); प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थ: 'ceased/stopped'

• ha: indeed (particle)
• ha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: स्मरण/वृत्तान्तसूचक-निपात (epic particle)

• vilapantam: lamenting
• vilapantam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-lap (धातु) + śatṛ (कृत्)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; rājānam qualifies

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (and)

• rājānam: the king
• rājānam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

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

• prativyājahāra: replied
• prativyājahāra: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-vi-ā-hṛ (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपदम्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; अर्थ: 'replied/answered'

• sā: she
• sā: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

Kaikeyi, having spoken to this extent remained silent. She heeded not the lament ofthe king.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassion and right speech; Kaikeyī’s refusal to respond to a suffering person illustrates a lapse in empathetic duty within relationships.

What is the narrative situation?

After swearing that only Rama’s exile will satisfy her, Kaikeyī stops speaking and ignores Daśaratha’s grief.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The verse emphasizes (by contrast) karuṇā (compassion) as a virtue—shown here through its absence in Kaikeyī’s conduct.