← 2.10 Kaikeyī claims the two boons · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.12 Daśaratha summons Rāma →

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 11: Daśaratha’s pleas fail to move Kaikeyī

Summary. Kaikeyī insists that Daśaratha honour his promise, his night-long appeals fail to change her demands

Sequence

Kaikeyī insists on the boons and challenges Daśaratha's reputation for keeping his word (2.11.1–3)
he protests that Rāma's departure will kill him and sees disgrace whichever way he turns (2.11.4–6)
night falls while he is still lamenting (2.11.7–9)
he first begs the night not to end, then wishes it would pass so that he need no longer look at Kaikeyī → with folded hands, he appeals to her compassion (2.11.10–13)
she remains unmoved and continues to demand the exile → he loses consciousness again. (2.11.14–15)

Verses 2.11.1–15

2.11.1

atadarhaṃ mahārājaṃ śayānam atathocitam
yayātim iva puṇyānte devalokāt paricyutam

She looked upon the great king, who did not deserve this, lying in a manner unbefitting him, like Yayāti fallen from the world of the gods at the exhaustion of his merit.

Words: atadarhaṃ — undeserving of this; mahārājaṃ — the great king; śayānam — lying; atathocitam — unaccustomed to such a state; yayātim — Yayāti; iva — like; puṇyānte — at the exhaustion of (his) merit; devalokāt — from the world of the gods; paricyutam — fallen

2.11.2

anartharūpā siddhārthā abhītā bhayadarśinī
punar ākārayām āsa tam eva varam aṅganā

That woman, ruin embodied, her purpose accomplished, unafraid though a sight to inspire fear, once more called for that very boon.

Words: anartharūpā — ruin embodied; siddhārthā — her purpose accomplished; abhītā — unafraid; bhayadarśinī — a sight inspiring fear; punar — again; ākārayām āsa — summoned, called for; tam — that; eva — very; varam — boon; aṅganā — the woman

2.11.3

tvaṃ katthase mahārāja satyavādī dṛḍhavrataḥ
mama cemaṃ varaṃ kasmād vidhārayitum icchasi

You boast, O great king, that you speak the truth and are firm in your vows; why then do you wish to withhold this boon from me?

Words: tvaṃ — you; katthase — you boast; mahārāja — O great king; satyavādī — truth-speaking; dṛḍhavrataḥ — firm in vows; mama — from me; cemaṃ — and this; varaṃ — boon; kasmād — why; vidhārayitum — to withhold; icchasi — you wish

2.11.4

evam uktas tu kaikeyyā rājā daśarathas tadā
pratyuvāca tataḥ kruddho muhūrtaṃ vihvalann iva

Thus addressed by Kaikeyī, King Daśaratha then, enraged, after being for a moment as if reeling, replied:

Words: evam — thus; uktas — addressed; tu — and; kaikeyyā — by Kaikeyī; rājā — the king; daśarathas — Daśaratha; tadā — then; pratyuvāca — replied; tataḥ — then; kruddho — enraged; muhūrtaṃ — for a moment; vihvalann — reeling, bewildered; iva — as if

2.11.5

mṛte mayi gate rāme vanaṃ manujapuṃgave
hantānārye mamāmitre rāmaḥ pravrājito vanam

When I am dead and Rāma, that bull among men, has gone to the forest — alas, O ignoble one, my enemy! — (then) Rāma will have been banished to the forest.

Words: mṛte mayi — when I am dead (loc. abs.); gate rāme — when Rāma has gone (loc. abs.); vanaṃ — to the forest; manujapuṃgave — the bull among men (loc.); hantānārye — alas, O ignoble one; mamāmitre — O my enemy; rāmaḥ — Rāma; pravrājito — banished; vanam — to the forest

2.11.6

yadi satyaṃ bravīmy etat tad asatyaṃ bhaviṣyati
akīrtir atulā loke dhruvaṃ paribhavaś ca me

If I do speak this as truth, it will (yet) turn to falsehood; and surely there will be for me measureless infamy in the world, and disgrace.

Words: yadi — if; satyaṃ — as truth; bravīmy — I speak; etat — this; tad — then; asatyaṃ — untrue, falsehood; bhaviṣyati — will become; akīrtir — infamy; atulā — measureless, unequalled; loke — in the world; dhruvaṃ — surely; paribhavaś — disgrace; ca — and; me — for me

2.11.7

tathā vilapatas tasya paribhramitacetasaḥ
astam abhyagamat sūryo rajanī cābhyavartata

As he lamented thus, his mind whirling, the sun went to its setting and night came on.

Words: tathā — thus; vilapatas — of (him) lamenting; tasya — his; paribhramitacetasaḥ — his mind whirling; astam — to (its) setting; abhyagamat — went; sūryo — the sun; rajanī — night; cābhyavartata — and came on

2.11.8

sa triyāmā tathārtasya candramaṇḍalamaṇḍitā
rājño vilapamānasya na vyabhāsata śarvarī

That night of three watches, adorned with the disc of the moon, did not shine for the king so afflicted, as he lamented.

Words: sa — that; triyāmā — the (three-watch) night; tathārtasya — of (him) so afflicted; candramaṇḍalamaṇḍitā — adorned with the moon's disc; rājño — of the king; vilapamānasya — of (him) lamenting; na — not; vyabhāsata — shone forth; śarvarī — the night

2.11.9

tathaivoṣṇaṃ viniḥśvasya vṛddho daśaratho nṛpaḥ
vilalāpārtavad duḥkhaṃ gaganāsaktalocanaḥ

Sighing hot breaths likewise, the aged King Daśaratha, his eyes fixed on the sky, lamented his sorrow like one in anguish.

Words: tathaivoṣṇaṃ — likewise hot (breath); viniḥśvasya — having sighed; vṛddho — aged; daśaratho — Daśaratha; nṛpaḥ — the king; vilalāpārtavad — lamented like one afflicted; duḥkhaṃ — (his) sorrow; gaganāsaktalocanaḥ — his eyes fixed on the sky

2.11.10

na prabhātaṃ tvayecchāmi mayāyaṃ racito 'ñjaliḥ
atha vā gamyatāṃ śīghraṃ nāham icchāmi nirghṛṇām
nṛśaṃsāṃ kaikeyīṃ draṣṭuṃ yatkṛte vyasanaṃ mahat

O night, I do not wish you to bring on the dawn; this reverent gesture I make to you (to hold it back); or rather, pass quickly! I do not wish to look upon the pitiless, cruel Kaikeyī, on whose account this great calamity has come.

Words: na — not; prabhātaṃ — the dawn; tvayecchāmi — I wish through you; mayāyaṃ — by me this; racito — is made; 'ñjaliḥ — reverent (cupped-hand) gesture; atha vā — or rather; gamyatāṃ — let (it) pass; śīghraṃ — quickly; nāham — I do not; icchāmi — wish; nirghṛṇām — the pitiless (woman); nṛśaṃsāṃ — the cruel; kaikeyīṃ — Kaikeyī; draṣṭuṃ — to see; yatkṛte — on whose account; vyasanaṃ — calamity; mahat — great

2.11.11

evam uktvā tato rājā kaikeyīṃ saṃyatāñjaliḥ
prasādayām āsa punaḥ kaikeyīṃ cedam abravīt

Having spoken thus, the king then, with hands joined in supplication, sought to appease Kaikeyī, and said this to her once more:

Words: evam — thus; uktvā — having spoken; tato — then; rājā — the king; kaikeyīṃ — Kaikeyī; saṃyatāñjaliḥ — with hands joined; prasādayām āsa — sought to appease; punaḥ — again; kaikeyīṃ — Kaikeyī; cedam — and this; abravīt — said

2.11.12

sādhuvṛttasya dīnasya tvadgatasya gatāyuṣaḥ
prasādaḥ kriyatāṃ devi bhadre rājño viśeṣataḥ

Grant your favour, O queen, O gracious lady, and above all to the king — a man of virtuous conduct, wretched, devoted to you, his life ebbing away.

Words: sādhuvṛttasya — of (one of) good conduct; dīnasya — of the wretched (one); tvadgatasya — of (one) devoted to you; gatāyuṣaḥ — of (one) whose life is ebbing; prasādaḥ — favour, grace; kriyatāṃ — let (it) be shown; devi — O queen; bhadre — O gracious lady; rājño — to the king; viśeṣataḥ — especially

2.11.13

śūnyena khalu suśroṇi mayedaṃ samudāhṛtam
kuru sādhu prasādaṃ me bāle sahṛdayā hy asi

Surely, O fair-hipped one, it was by a witless man that this was said; grant me your gracious favour, O girl, for you are kind-hearted.

Words: śūnyena — by an empty(-minded) man; khalu — surely; suśroṇi — O fair-hipped one; mayedaṃ — by me this; samudāhṛtam — was uttered; kuru — do, grant; sādhu — kindly, well; prasādaṃ — favour; me — to me; bāle — O girl, O young one; sahṛdayā — kind-hearted; hy — for; asi — you are

2.11.14

viśuddhabhāvasya hi duṣṭabhāvā tāmrekṣaṇasyāśrukalasya rājñaḥ
śrutvā vicitraṃ karuṇaṃ vilāpaṃ bhartur nṛśaṃsā na cakāra vākyam

But the evil-natured woman, hearing the strange and piteous lament of the pure-hearted king — his eyes red, his voice choked with tears — cruel as she was, did not heed her husband's plea.

Words: viśuddhabhāvasya — of (the king) of pure nature; hi — indeed; duṣṭabhāvā — the evil-natured (woman); tāmrekṣaṇasyāśrukalasya — of (him) with red eyes and tear-choked (voice); rājñaḥ — of the king; śrutvā — having heard; vicitraṃ — strange, manifold; karuṇaṃ — piteous; vilāpaṃ — lament; bhartur — of (her) husband; nṛśaṃsā — the cruel (woman); na — not; cakāra — did (heed); vākyam — the word, plea

2.11.15

tataḥ sa rājā punar eva mūrchitaḥ priyām atuṣṭāṃ pratikūlabhāṣiṇīm
samīkṣya putrasya vivāsanaṃ prati kṣitau visaṃjño nipapāta duḥkhitaḥ

Then the king, swooning once again, having looked upon his beloved — unappeased and speaking against him about his son's banishment — fell senseless to the ground, stricken with grief.

Words: tataḥ — then; sa — that; rājā — king; punar — again; eva — even; mūrchitaḥ — swooning; priyām — (his) beloved; atuṣṭāṃ — unappeased; pratikūlabhāṣiṇīm — speaking adversely; samīkṣya — having looked upon; putrasya — of (his) son; vivāsanaṃ — banishment; prati — regarding; kṣitau — on the ground; visaṃjño — senseless; nipapāta — fell down; duḥkhitaḥ — stricken with grief

← 2.10 Kaikeyī claims the two boons · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.12 Daśaratha summons Rāma →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

Plain text: /text/2/11.md · JSON: /data/2/11.json