Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.36: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 36

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhya (royal precincts; within the palace context of the exile announcement)Places named: bhū (the world/earth)

Devanagari script

तदेतत्तु मया कार्यं क्रियते भुवि नान्यथा ।

पितुर्हि वचनं कुर्वन्न कश्चिन्नाम हीयते ॥३६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.36

Transliteration

tad etat tu mayā kāryaṃ kriyate bhuvi nānyathā |

pitur hi vacanaṃ kurvan na kaścin nāma hīyate ||36||

Translation

Darum ist dies meine Pflicht, und in dieser Welt werde ich sie selbst erfüllen, auf keine andere Weise; denn niemand, wahrlich, fällt vom Dharma ab, wenn er das Wort des Vaters ausführt.

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Word by Word

• tat: that
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; demonstrative 'that' (correlative)
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• etat: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'this'
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tu: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: विरोध/अन्वयार्थक-अव्यय (but/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• mayā: by me
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• kāryam: duty
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'duty/what must be done'
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• kriyate: is done
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि (passive)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• bhuvi: in the world
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhū (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/अधिकरण), एकवचन; 'in the world/on earth'
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• anyathā: otherwise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: anyathā (अव्यय)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्यय (adverb)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• pituḥ: of (my) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• hi: for/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (for/indeed)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• vacanam: command/word
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• kurvan: while fulfilling
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; 'doing/fulfilling' (agent implied)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• kaścit: anyone
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaścid (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; indefinite pronoun 'anyone'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• nāma: indeed/at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nāma (अव्यय)
• Form: पादपूरण/निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• hīyate: perishes/is diminished
• Type: Verb
• Root: hā (धातु)
• Form: लट्, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोग: 'is diminished/perishes'
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• नान्यथा = na + anyathā
• पितुर्हि = pituḥ + hi
• कुर्वन्न = kurvan + na (anusvāra/nn sandhi)
• कश्चिन्नाम = kaścit + nāma

Context

I will not do as duty anything contrary to what is done by others in this world. No one who obeys the commands of his father falls off the path of righteousness.

The teaching

One does not decline from dharma by carrying out a father’s word; steadfastness in truth is itself protection.

Duties in tension

• Obedience to father’s command (pitṛ-dharma)
• Personal welfare/royal entitlement (rājya-bhoga)
• Duty to protect mother’s happiness (mātṛ-sukha)

Ethical theme

Satya-dharma / filial duty

How it resolves

Prioritization of satya and pitṛ-vacana as highest immediate dharma

For your practice

Practice of vrata-like steadfastness: choosing dharma over convenience; useful for daily sankalpa and truthfulness disciplines.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Resolute, principled, unshaken

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Pitṛ-vākya
• Maryada
• Ethics

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Kausalya
• father (Dasaratha—implicit)
• world (bhuvi)

FAQs

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

Rama asserts that obedience to a rightful father’s command is dharma-preserving: fulfilling it is portrayed as spiritually non-degrading and ethically stabilizing.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama concludes his justification to Kausalya by stating firmly that he will carry out the command without deviation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Firmness (niścaya) and fidelity to truth-bound duty.