Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 87, Shloka 23
गुहसंवादः—रामस्य रात्रिवासवर्णनम्
Dialogue with Guha: Account of Rama’s Night Halt
तत स्त्वहंचोत्तमबाणचापधृत् स्थितोऽभवं तत्र स यत्र लक्ष्मणः।अतन्द्रितैर्ज्ञातिभिरात्तकार्मुकैर्महेन्द्रकल्पं परिपालयंस्तदा।।।।
tatas tv ahaṃ cottamabāṇacāpadhṛt sthito ’bhavaṃ tatra sa yatra lakṣmaṇaḥ |
atandritair jñātibhir āttakārmukair mahendrakalpaṃ paripālayan tadā ||
Thereafter, bow and excellent arrows in hand, I remained stationed where Lakṣmaṇa stood, and together with my indefatigable kinsmen—bows readied—I guarded Rāma, who was like Mahendra (Indra), at that time.
Then, holding the best of arrows and bow along with my indefatigable kinsmen similarly armed with bows, I stood by the side of Lakshmana guarding Rama who is comparable to Indra.ইত্যার্ষে শ্রীমদ্রামাযণে বাল্মীকীয আদিকাব্যে অযোধ্যাকাণ্ডে সপ্তাশীতিতমস্সর্গঃ৷৷Thus ends the eightyseventh sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
FAQs
Dharma here is vigilant protection of the righteous and faithful service: Guha and his men stand guard to ensure Rāma’s safety, treating safeguarding a virtuous person as a moral duty.
During Rāma’s forest-exile journey, Guha describes how he positioned himself near Lakṣmaṇa, with armed kinsmen, to guard Rāma through the night/at that time.
Loyalty and alert guardianship—steadfast readiness to protect without fatigue (atandrita), reflecting disciplined devotion to a noble guest and to righteousness.