Shloka 2.87.23
गुहसंवादः—रामस्य रात्रिवासवर्णनम् (Dialogue with Guha: Account of Rama’s Night Halt)
तत स्त्वहंचोत्तमबाणचापधृत् स्थितोऽभवं तत्र स यत्र लक्ष्मणः।अतन्द्रितैर्ज्ञातिभिरात्तकार्मुकैर्महेन्द्रकल्पं परिपालयंस्तदा।।।।
tatas tv ahaṃ cottamabāṇacāpadhṛt sthito ’bhavaṃ tatra sa yatra lakṣmaṇaḥ |
atandritair jñātibhir āttakārmukair mahendrakalpaṃ paripālayan tadā ||
Thereafter, with bow and excellent arrows in hand, I remained stationed where Lakṣmaṇa stood; and together with my indefatigable kinsmen, bows readied, I guarded Rāma then, who was like Mahendra (Indra).
Then, holding the best of arrows and bow along with my indefatigable kinsmen similarly armed with bows, I stood by the side of Lakshmana guarding Rama who is comparable to Indra.ইত্যার্ষে শ্রীমদ্রামাযণে বাল্মীকীয আদিকাব্যে অযোধ্যাকাণ্ডে সপ্তাশীতিতমস্সর্গঃ৷৷Thus ends the eightyseventh sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
Dharma here is vigilant protection of the righteous and faithful service: Guha and his men stand guard to ensure Rāma’s safety, treating safeguarding a virtuous person as a moral duty.
During Rāma’s forest-exile journey, Guha describes how he positioned himself near Lakṣmaṇa, with armed kinsmen, to guard Rāma through the night/at that time.
Loyalty and alert guardianship—steadfast readiness to protect without fatigue (atandrita), reflecting disciplined devotion to a noble guest and to righteousness.