Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 24, Shloka 12

कौशल्यारामसंवादः

Kausalya–Rama Dialogue on Exile-Dharma

Devanagari script

भर्तुः किल परित्यागो नृशंसः केवलं स्त्रियाः।स भवत्या न कर्तव्यो मनसाऽपि विगर्हितः।।2.24.12।।

Transliteration

bhartuḥ kila parityāgo nṛśaṃsaḥ kevalaṃ striyāḥ | sa bhavatyā na kartavyo manasā ’pi vigarhitaḥ ||

Translation

女子若弃夫，实为残忍之举；此事你万不可为，连在心中起念亦属可责。

Word by Word

• भर्तुः: of the husband
• भर्तुः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhartṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन

• किल: indeed, as is said
• किल: Bhāva-prakāśaka (भावप्रकाशक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kila (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; खलु/किल (emphatic/quotative particle)

• परित्यागः: abandonment
• परित्यागः: Karta (कर्ता; subject of nominal sentence)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pari+tyāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• नृशंसः: cruel
• नृशंसः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: nṛśaṃsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'परित्यागः')

• केवलम्: only, merely
• केवलम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणार्थ-निबन्धन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय; मर्यादा/परिमाणार्थ (only/merely)

• स्त्रियाः: of a woman
• स्त्रियाः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: strī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), एकवचन (sense: 'of a woman')

• सः: that (act)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता; subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• भवत्या: by you
• भवत्या: Kartṛ (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavatī (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negative particle)

• कर्तव्यः: should be done
• कर्तव्यः: Vidhi (विधि/कर्तव्यता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; तव्यत् (gerundive/obligatory), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय (predicate)

• मनसा: by mind, in thought
• मनसा: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: manas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अपि (even/also)

• विगर्हितः: blameworthy, condemned
• विगर्हितः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi+garh (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त; क्त (past passive participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying 'सः')

Context

For a woman, to desert her husband is a cruel act. You must not do that which is contemptible even to think.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kauśalyā
• Daśaratha (implied as husband)

FAQs

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

The verse teaches steadfast loyalty and care within marriage, condemning abandonment as cruelty and as morally wrong even at the level of intention.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma counsels Kauśalyā not to leave or withdraw from Daśaratha after Rāma departs for exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s moral clarity and protective concern for family order (maryādā) in a moment of emotional upheaval.