Valmiki Ramayana 2.36.27 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 36, Shloka 27

अयोध्याकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Daśaratha’s orders for Rama’s escort; Kaikeyi’s fear; the Asamañjasa precedent

Devanagari script

न हि कञ्चन पश्यामो राघवस्यागुणं वयम्।दुर्लभो ह्यस्य निरय श्शशाङ्कस्येव कल्मषम्।।।।

Transliteration

na hi kañcana paśyāmo rāghavasyāguṇaṃ vayam | durlabho hy asya nirayaḥ śaśāṅkasyeva kalmaṣam ||

Translation

إنّا لا نرى في راغهافا أدنى عيب. فالعثور على شائبةٍ فيه عسيرٌ كالعثور على ما يُزعم من لطخةٍ في القمر.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)

• hi: indeed/for
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ-प्रयोग

• kañcana: anything/any (even a little)
• kañcana: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kañcana (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रमाणवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• paśyāmaḥ: we see
• paśyāmaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (दृश् धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• rāghavasya: of Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (राघव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• aguṇam: fault/defect
• aguṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-guṇa (अगुण प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (कर्म), एकवचन; नञ्-पूर्वक (absence of good quality)

• vayam: we
• vayam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (कर्ता), बहुवचन

• durlabhaḥ: hard to find
• durlabhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dur-labha (दुर्लभ प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता/विशेष्य-समन्वय), एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying ‘nirayaḥ’)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), निश्चयार्थ/हेतौ

• asya: of him/of this (Rama)
• asya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• nirayaḥ: hell (i.e., a blemish)
• nirayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niraya (निरय प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (कर्ता), एकवचन

• śaśāṅkasya: of the moon
• śaśāṅkasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśāṅka (शशाङ्क प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (सम्बन्ध), एकवचन

• iva: like/as
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/comparison marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• kalmaṣam: stain/blemish
• kalmaṣam: Upamāna/Upameya (उपमान/उपमेय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalmaṣa (कल्मष प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; उपमेय (stain/blemish)

Context

We see no fault in Rama. Unlike the stain in the Moon it is difficult to find any blemish in him.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Moon (Śaśāṅka)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma here is moral discernment and justice: condemnation or punishment must rest on real fault. The verse asserts Rāma’s integrity and warns against judging without evidence.

What is the narrative situation?

In Ayodhyā, amid the crisis caused by Kaikeyī’s demands, the speaker argues that Rāma is blameless and thus unworthy of harsh treatment like exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s spotless conduct (śīla) and freedom from vice—his life is portrayed as so pure that any defect is nearly impossible to locate.