Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 23

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Devanagari script

शुश्रूषुर्जननीं पुत्र स्वगृहे नियतो वसन् ।

परेण तपसा युक्तः काश्यपस्त्रिदिवं गतः ॥२३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.23

Transliteration

śuśrūṣur jananīṃ putra svagṛhe niyato vasan |

pareṇa tapasā yuktaḥ kāśyapas tridivaṃ gataḥ ||23||

Translation

O Sohn, indem er in seinem eigenen Haus in Zucht lebte und seiner Mutter diente, gelangte Kāśyapa—mit höchster Askese (tapas) begabt—zum Himmel.

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Word by Word

• śuśrūṣuḥ: desirous of serving
• śuśrūṣuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śuśrūṣ (धातु/denom)
• Form: Śatṛ/ucchun? (desiderative participle) actually ‘śuśrūṣu’ = desiderative adjective/participle ‘wishing to serve’; Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• jananīm: mother
• jananīm: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: jananī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Sambodhana, Ekavacana

• svagṛhe: in his own home
• svagṛhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva + gṛha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Saptamī vibhakti (7th/सप्तमी), Ekavacana; tatpuruṣa ‘in one’s own house’

• niyataḥ: disciplined/self-restrained
• niyataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niyata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; ni+√yam धातु)
• Form: Kta PPP; Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with kāśyapaḥ

• vasan: dwelling
• vasan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (state of agent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vas (धातु)
• Form: Śatṛ present active participle; Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with kāśyapaḥ

• pareṇa: supreme/highest
• pareṇa: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka (or pum) Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; agrees with tapasā in sense ‘supreme’ (instrumental)

• tapasā: by austerity
• tapasā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• yuktaḥ: endowed/engaged
• yuktaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yukta (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √yuj धातु)
• Form: Kta PPP; Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with kāśyapaḥ

• kāśyapaḥ: Kashyapa
• kāśyapaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kāśyapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• tridivam: heaven
• tridivam: Karma (destination)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tridiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana

• gataḥ: went
• gataḥ: Kriyā (predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gata (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √gam धातु)
• Form: Kta PPP used as finite-like predicate; Pumliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; agrees with kāśyapaḥ

Context

O son! Kasyapa who led a life of self-discipline and served his mother at home, attained heaven credited with (the merit of) the highest penance.

Characters & Entities

• Kausalyā
• Rāma
• Kāśyapa
• Tridiva (heaven)

FAQs

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

Service to one’s mother is presented as a form of tapas (austerity) and a dharmic path that yields spiritual merit.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā cites a traditional exemplar (Kāśyapa) to persuade Rāma that staying home and serving his mother is itself ‘highest penance’.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Self-discipline (niyama) combined with devoted service (śuśrūṣā).