Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 16, Shloka 28

पायसप्रादुर्भावः

The Manifestation of the Divine Payasa and the Avatara Resolution

Devanagari script

कौसल्यायै नरपति: पायसार्धं ददौ तदा।अर्धादर्धं ददौ चापि सुमित्रायै नराधिप:।।1.16.27।।कैकेय्यै चावशिष्टार्धं ददौ पुत्रार्थकारणात्। प्रददौ चावशिष्टार्धं पायसस्यामृतोपमम्।।1.16.28।। अनुचिन्त्य सुमित्रायै पुनरेव महीपति:।एवं तासां ददौ राजा भार्याणां पायसं पृथक् ।।1.16.29।।

Transliteration

kausalyāyai narapatiḥ pāyasārdhaṃ dadau tadā | ardhād ardhaṃ dadau cāpi sumitrāyai narādhipaḥ ||

kaikeyyai cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ dadau putrārtha-kāraṇāt | pradadau cāvaśiṣṭārdhaṃ pāyasasyāmṛtopamam ||

anucintya sumitrāyai punar eva mahīpatiḥ | evaṃ tāsāṃ dadau rājā bhāryāṇāṃ pāyasaṃ pṛthak ||

Translation

于是国王将帕耶萨的一半赐给考萨利娅；又从剩下的一半中再分出一半赐给苏弥特拉。为求得子嗣，他把余下的一半赐给凯凯伊；随后大地之主再次思量，又将最后剩余的一份——如甘露般的帕耶萨——赐给苏弥特拉。就这样，国王把帕耶萨分别分给诸位王后。

Word by Word

• कैकेय्यै: to Kaikeyi
• कैकेय्यै: सम्प्रदान (Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कैकेयी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अवशिष्ट-अर्धम्: the remaining half
• अवशिष्ट-अर्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवशिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √शिष्) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मधारय ('remaining half')

• ददौ: gave
• ददौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• पुत्र-अर्थ-कारणात्: for the sake of sons
• पुत्र-अर्थ-कारणात्: हेतु (Hetu/Cause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक) + कारण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (purpose-cause: 'from the reason of (obtaining) sons')

• प्रददौ: gave
• प्रददौ: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; intensive sense 'gave forth'

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Conjunction)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, समुच्चय

• अवशिष्ट-अर्धम्: the remaining half
• अवशिष्ट-अर्धम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवशिष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √शिष्) + अर्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• पायसस्य: of the pāyasa
• पायसस्य: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पायस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• अमृत-उपमम्: nectar-like
• अमृत-उपमम्: कर्मविशेषण (Object-qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमृत (प्रातिपदिक) + उपम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमान-तत्पुरुष ('comparable to nectar') qualifying (अवशिष्टार्धम्/पायसम्)

Context

Then Dasaratha gave half the portion of payasam to Kausalya, half of the remaining half to Sumitra, half of the remaining portion (one-eighth of original) to Kaikeyi for the sake of a son. On further thinking, he gave the remaining one-eighth portion to Sumitra. In this manner the king divided and distributed the payasam among his wives separately.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• Sumitrā
• Kaikeyī
• pāyasa

FAQs

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

Dharma in household governance: the king allocates a sacred resource with deliberation (anucintya) and fairness within the structure of his family responsibilities.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha apportions the divine pāyasa among Kausalyā, Sumitrā, and Kaikeyī, adjusting the final portion after reflection.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Prudence and responsible decision-making—he considers outcomes (progeny) and acts thoughtfully rather than impulsively.