Valmiki Ramayana 2.19.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 19, Shloka 21

एकोनविंशः सर्गः (Sarga 19): Rāma’s Unshaken Acceptance of Exile and Kaikeyī’s Urgency

Devanagari script

यदत्र भवतः किञ्चिच्छक्यं कर्तुं प्रियं मया ।

प्राणानपि परित्यज्य सर्वथा कृतमेव तत् ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.19.21

Transliteration

yad atra bhavataḥ kiñcit śakyaṃ kartuṃ priyaṃ mayā |

prāṇān api parityajya sarvathā kṛtam eva tat ||21||

Translation

Was immer—und sei es das Geringste—ich hier tun kann, um meinem ehrwürdigen Vater Freude zu bereiten, das werde ich in jeder Weise vollbringen, selbst wenn es mein Leben kostet.

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Word by Word

• yat: whatever
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; correlating with tat

• atra: here; in this matter
• atra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atra (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb of place (देशवाचक-अव्यय)

• bhavataḥ: of you (hon.)
• bhavataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम-प्रयोग)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular; honorific 'of you/your'

• kiñcit: anything; even a little
• kiñcit: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kiñcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Indeclinable quantifier (परिमाणवाचक-अव्यय)

• śakyam: possible
• śakyam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakya (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक, √śak)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; potential/gerundive sense 'possible/doable'

• kartum: to do
• kartum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (तुमुन्), indeclinable

• priyam: pleasing
• priyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object-complement: 'pleasing (to him)'

• mayā: by me
• mayā: Kartṛkaraṇa (कर्तृकरण/तृतीया)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• prāṇān: life-breaths; life
• prāṇān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• api: even
• api: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (समुच्चय/अपि = even/also)

• parityajya: having given up
• parityajya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), indeclinable

• sarvathā: in every way
• sarvathā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb (प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय)

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicative with yat/tat

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चयार्थक)

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; correlative to yat

Context

If I am able to do anything which pleases my venerable father, it shall be done in every possible manner, may be even at the cost of my life.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha (as 'bhavān/bhavataḥ')
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Filial obligation and the protection of a parent’s honor are treated as dharma worth even life itself.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma affirms that he will do whatever pleases Daśaratha, including accepting exile, regardless of personal loss.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Unconditional devotion to duty and readiness for sacrifice.