Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 36, Shloka 14

अयोध्याकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Daśaratha’s orders for Rama’s escort; Kaikeyi’s fear; the Asamañjasa precedent

Devanagari script

वहन्तं किं तुदसि मां नियुज्य धुरि माऽहिते।अनार्ये कृत्यमारब्धं किं न पूर्वमुपारुधः।।।।

Transliteration

vahantaṃ kiṃ tudasi māṃ niyujya dhuri māhite | anārye kṛtyam ārabdhaṃ kiṃ na pūrvam upārudhaḥ || 2.36.14 ||

Translation

恶女啊，你既已将我套上这重担的轭，为何在我拖曳前行时还要刺逼我？卑鄙之人——既然要做此事，为何不在一开始就阻止我？

Word by Word

• vahantam: (me) bearing/drawing
• vahantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vah (धातु)
• Form: Vartamāna-kṛdanta (present active participle/शतृ) Masculine, Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular; referring to speaker 'me' as one who is bearing/drawing

• kim: why?
• kim: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative particle used adverbially (प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय)

• tudasi: do you prod/goad
• tudasi: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: tud (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्) present; Parasmaipada; Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person) Singular

• mām: me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular

• niyujya: having yoked/put (me)
• niyujya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-yuj (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यबन्त); 'having yoked/assigned'

• dhuri: in the yoke/burden
• dhuri: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dhur (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (सप्तमी) Singular

• mā: O
• mā: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: Vocative particle/negation used as address here (सम्बोधनार्थक)

• ahite: O cruel one / O harmful one
• ahite: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Vocative (सम्बोधन) Singular; used as abusive address

• anārye: O ignoble woman
• anārye: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Vocative (सम्बोधन) Singular

• kṛtyam: deed/act
• kṛtyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṛtya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular

• ārabdham: begun/undertaken
• ārabdham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-rabh (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त); Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular; agreeing with kṛtyam

• kim: why?
• kim: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative particle (प्रश्नार्थक अव्यय)

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• pūrvam: earlier/beforehand
• pūrvam: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial accusative (क्रियाविशेषण)

• upārudhaḥ: did you restrain/prevent
• upārudhaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-rudh (धातु)
• Form: Luṅ (लुङ्) aorist; Parasmaipada; Madhyama-puruṣa (2nd person) Singular

Context

O brutal Kaikeyi, you fastened me to the yoke and when I am drawing forward, why do you beat me? O vile woman! why did you not prevent me in the beginning itself?

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

It critiques manipulation after commitment: once a person is bound by satya (a vow), exploiting that bond is ethically blameworthy.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha laments that Kaikeyī allowed him to proceed with plans and only later weaponized his promise to force a painful outcome.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s adherence to pledged truth is implicit; despite anger, he views himself as bound to ‘pull the yoke’ of his word.