Valmiki Ramayana 2.25.3: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 25, Shloka 3
कौशल्याया मङ्गलविधानम् · Kausalya’s Benedictions and Protective Rites for Rama
Spoken by Kausalya to RamaSetting: अयोध्या (blessing context, likely palace)Immediately before forest departure; protective benediction
यं पालयसि धर्मं त्वं धृत्या च नियमेन च ।
स वै राघवशार्दूल धर्मस्त्वामभिरक्षतु ॥३॥
yaṃ pālayasi dharmaṃ tvaṃ dhṛtyā ca niyamena ca |
sa vai rāghavaśārdūla dharmas tvām abhirakṣatu ||3||
إنّ الدارما التي تصونها بثباتٍ وبانضباطٍ، يا نمرَ آلِ راغهو، فلتكن تلك الدارما نفسها حِرزًا لك وحاميةً إياك.
Sandhi Notes
- dharmastvāmabhirakṣatu → dharmaḥ tvām abhirakṣatu
The duty which you are carrying out with courage and self-discipline, O tiger among the descendants of Raghu! will alone protect you.
The teaching
Uphold dharma with courage and restraint; the very order you protect will protect you—externally through trust, internally through fearlessness.
Duties in tension
- राजपुत्र-स्वधर्म (obedience to पिता-वचन/राजधर्म) vs personal सुख/राज्य
- गृहस्थ/पुत्रधर्म vs वनवास-तपस्वी-धर्म
- Ethical theme
- धर्मनिष्ठा (integrity/virtue ethics)
- How it resolves
- Principle affirmation: dharma itself becomes protection when upheld
Devotion and practice
Japa-like recollection for protection through ethical living; suitable as daily sankalpa before difficult duties.
- Deity praised
- धर्म (as divine principle; implicitly नारायण/ईश्वर as dharma-svarūpa)
- Form of praise
- Stuti (a hymn of praise)
- Mantra
- धर्मस्त्वामभिरक्षतु
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Benedictory, steadfast, uplifting
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Maryada
- Ethics
- Benediction
- Self-discipline
Ethical order (dharma) as manifestation of ṛta/Īśvara; aligning with it yields protection—inner fearlessness (abhaya) through right conduct.
‘सत्यं वद, धर्मं चर’ (Taittirīya ethos) and ‘धर्मेण पाप्मानं अपहत्य’—purity and protection through dharma.
महाभारत: ‘धर्मो रक्षति रक्षितः’ (common dharma maxim; thematic parallel); रामचरितमानस: धर्म-पालन से रघुनाथ-रक्षा (conceptual parallel)
तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद् शिक्षावल्ली: dharma-caryā injunctions
अयोध्याकाण्ड: Rama’s vow to uphold father’s word as dharma; repeated blessings by elders
अनुष्टुप् (śloka)
Solemn-benedictory
उदात्त-आशीर्वादात्मक; cadence emphasizing ‘धर्मस्त्वामभिरक्षतु’
FAQs
Dharma is presented as both a personal commitment and a protective force: if one steadfastly upholds righteous duty with courage and restraint, that very righteousness safeguards one’s path.
Rāma is being counseled and blessed as he prepares for hardship; the verse functions as a moral assurance that his adherence to dharma will be his true protection.
Dhṛti (fortitude) and niyama (disciplined self-restraint) as the practical inner supports that enable dharma to be maintained under pressure.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
