Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Kaikeyī Informs Rāma About the two Boons
Text 2.18.23
अतिसृज्य ददानीति वरं मम विशां पतिः।
स निरर्थं गतजले सेतुं बन्धितुमिच्छति॥
atisṛjya dadānīti varaṁ mama viśāṁ patiḥ
sa nirarthaṁ gata-jale setuṁ bandhitum icchati
atisṛjya = having promised in the past; dadāni iti = I will fulfill your boon [whenever you ask for it]; varam1 mama = me; viśām patiḥ = king; saḥ = the; nirartham = meaninglessly; gata-jale = after the water has receded; setum = a dam; bandhitum = to build; icchati = now desires.
Having promised me in the past, “I will fulfill your boon [whenever you ask for it],” the king now meaninglessly desires to build a dam after the water has receded.
1 Technical note: atisṛjya varam.
“The king now meaninglessly desires to build a dam when the water has receded.” He had granted her boons in the past. So it is useless to attempt to undo [what he had already done]. This was Kaikeyī’s point.