Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Kaikeyī Informs Rāma About the two Boons
Text 2.18.32
पुरा दैवासुरे युद्धे पित्रा ते मम राघव।
रक्षितेन वरौ दत्तौ सशल्येन महारणे॥
purā daivāsure yuddhe pitrā te mama rāghava
rakṣitena varau dattau saśalyena mahā-raṇe
purā = previously; daiva-asure = between the devas and asuras; yuddhe = in a war; pitrā = father; te = Your; mama = by me; rāghava = Rāghava; rakṣitena = was protected and care for; varau = two boons; dattau = [at that time] he gave me; saśalyena = wounded; mahā-raṇe = during a great battle.
Rāghava, previously during a great battle in a war between the devas and asuras, Your wounded father was protected and cared for by me. [At that time] he gave me two boons.
1 Viśva-kośa as quoted by the glossator: śalyaḥ śaṅkau śare vaṁśa-kulñjikāyāṁ ca tomare.
GLOSS. Saśalyena indicates that Rāma’s father had given Kaikeyī two boons while holding an arrow.1 Kṣatriyas indicate their promises by uttering words of oath while holding arrows and so on. [Therefore, the verse can mean: “Rāghava, previously during a great battle in a war between the devas and asuras, your father was protected and cared for by me. At that time, he gave me two boons while holding an arrow.”]