Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 68: Daśaratha Delighted
Text 1.68.9
सेयं मम सुता राजन् विश्वामित्रपुरःसरैः।
यदृच्छयागतैर्वीरैर्निर्जिता तव पुत्रकैः॥
seyaṁ mama sutā rājan viśvāmitra-puraḥsaraiḥ
yadṛcchayāgatair vīrair nirjitā tava putrakaiḥ
sā iyam = this; mama sutā = daughter of mine; rājan = O king; viśvāmitra-puraḥsaraiḥ = following Viśvāmitra; yadṛcchaya = by my good fortune; āgataiḥ = who arrived; vīraiḥ = respectable heroic; nirjitā = has been conquered; tava = your; putrakaiḥ = by boy.
O king, by my good fortune this daughter of mine has been conquered by your respectable heroic boy who arrived following Viśvāmitra.1
Janaka’s daughter was sought after by all [for marriage]. Janaka considered himself fit to be in a matrimonial relationship with Daśaratha. He also points out that King Daśaratha would need to come to Janaka’s city. Putrakaiḥ indicates that Janaka honored Rāma. He did this for two reasons: (1) he considered himself to be Rāma’s father-in-law, and (2) Rāma is the son of a great king. [Instead of using the word putraiḥ, he has used the word putrakaiḥ] indicating that Rāma was a [mere] boy.2
Anticipating Daśaratha’s question, “But how was she conquered by Rāma?” Janaka’s message answered it in the next verse.
1. While putraiḥ refers to sons, putrakaiḥ refers to young sons, that is, mere boys.