Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Kaikeyī Informs Rāma About the two Boons
Text 2.18.18
एतदाचक्ष्व मे देवि तत्त्वेन परिपृच्छतः।
किंनिमित्तमपूर्वोऽयं विकारो मनुजाधिपे॥
etad ācakṣva me devi tattvena paripṛcchataḥ
kiṁ nimittam apūrvo ’yaṁ vikāro manujādhipe
etat1 ācakṣva = please tell; me = me; devi = O queen; tattvena = the truth; paripṛcchataḥ = I humbly ask you this; kim-nimittam = what is the reason for this; apūrvaḥ = is unprecedented; ayam = this; vikāraḥ = transformation; manuja-adhipe = in the king.
O queen, this transformation in the king is unprecedented. What is the reason for this? I humbly ask you this. Please tell me the truth.
1 Technical note: tattvena etat ācakṣva.