Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 12, Shloka 72

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

Ayodhya Kanda 12

Devanagari script

कृपणं बत वैदेही श्रोष्यति द्वयमप्रियम्।।।।मां च पञ्चत्वमापन्नं रामं च वनमाश्रितम्।

Transliteration

kṛpaṇaṃ bata vaidehī śroṣyati dvayam apriyam,

māṃ ca pañcatvam āpannaṃ rāmaṃ ca vanam āśritam.

Translation

唉，可怜的毗提诃之女将听闻两件不悦之事：我已归于死亡，而罗摩已投身林野为依。

Word by Word

• वैदेही: Vaidehi (Sita)
• वैदेही: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैदेही (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• बत: alas
• बत: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: बत (अव्यय)
• Form: शोकसूचक निपात

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘my’

• प्राणान्: life-breaths/life
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन; Accusative plural

• शोचन्ती: lamenting
• शोचन्ती: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुच् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; agrees with वैदेही ‘lamenting’

• क्षपयिष्यति: will waste away
• क्षपयिष्यति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षपि (धातु, causative)
• Form: णिच्-प्रयोजक (causative) + लृट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Future ‘will waste away/destroy’

• हीना: bereft
• हीना: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हा (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘bereft of’

• हिमवतः: of Himavat (Himalaya)
• हिमवतः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हिमवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; Genitive singular

• पार्श्वे: at the side/slopes
• पार्श्वे: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्श्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; Locative singular

• किन्नरेण: by/with a Kinnara
• किन्नरेण: Sahakari (सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; Instrumental singular ‘by/with a Kinnara’

• इव: like
• इव: Upama (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमावाचक निपात

• किन्नरी: a Kinnari (female Kinnara)
• किन्नरी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किन्नरी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (upameya)

Context

In seeing the insult meted out to Rama and his journey to the forest, how will frightened Sumitra have confidence in me?

Characters & Entities

• Vaidehī (Sītā)
• Daśaratha (implied as 'me')
• Rāma
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Dharma is sensitive to the ripple effects of decisions: harming the righteous (Rāma) inflicts suffering on innocents (Sītā) as well. Ethical action considers consequences for all dependents.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha foresees that his own death from grief and Rāma’s exile will together devastate Sītā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Empathy: Daśaratha’s mind turns to Sītā’s pain, highlighting the compassionate awareness expected of elders and kings.