Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Kaikeyī Informs Rāma About the two Boons
Text 2.18.10
स दीन इव शोकार्तो विषण्णवदनद्युतिः।
कैकेयीमभिवाद्यैव रामो वचनमब्रवीत्॥
sa dīna iva śokārto viṣaṇṇa-vadana-dyutiḥ
kaikeyīm abhivādyaiva rāmo vacanam abravīt
saḥ = He; dīnaḥ = afflicted; iva = appeared to be; śoka-ārtaḥ = by sorrow in distress; viṣaṇṇa-vadana-dyutiḥ = with a despondent face and luster; kaikeyīm = to Kaikeyī; abhivādya = offered His obeisances and; eva = then immediately; rāmaḥ = Rāma; vacanam = the following words; abravīt = spoke.
Rāma appeared to be afflicted by sorrow in distress with a despondent face and luster. He offered His obeisances to Kaikeyī and then immediately spoke the following words.1
1 In this chapter, texts 3 to 10 appear to be an elaboration of text 2.
GLOSS. The poet Śrī Vālmīki points out through the word iva (“appeared to be”) that the Lord of the demigods was factually never afflicted by sorrow in distress and so on. He offered His obeisances to Kaikeyī. This indicates that He offered her the respect due to a member of the royalty.