Valmiki Ramayana 2.1.5: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 1, Shloka 5

गुणप्रशंसा-युवराजनिर्णयः

Praise of Rama’s Virtues and the Decision on the Heir-Apparent

Devanagari script

सर्व एव तु तस्येष्टा श्चत्वारः पुरुषर्षभाः ।

स्वशरीराद्विनिर्वृत्ताश्चत्वार इव बाहवः ॥५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.1.5

Transliteration

sarva eva tu tasyeṣṭāś catvāraḥ puruṣarṣabhāḥ |

svaśarīrād vinirvṛttāś catvāra iva bāhavaḥ ||5||

Translation

Para él, los cuatro hijos —los mejores entre los hombres— eran igualmente amados, como cuatro brazos nacidos de su propio cuerpo.

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Word by Word

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; qualifying puruṣarṣabhāḥ

• eva: indeed, just
• eva: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle

• tu: and/but
• tu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• iṣṭāḥ: dear, beloved
• iṣṭāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: iṣṭa (कृदन्त, क्त) < √iṣ (धातु)
• Form: Kta participle used adjectivally ‘dear’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• catvāraḥ: four
• catvāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; numeral qualifying puruṣarṣabhāḥ

• puruṣarṣabhāḥ: best of men
• puruṣarṣabhāḥ: Kartā (कर्ता/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + ṛṣabha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: puruṣeṣu ṛṣabhāḥ ‘bulls among men’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• svaśarīrāt: from (his) own body
• svaśarīrāt: Apādāna (अपादान/source)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva (प्रातिपदिक) + śarīra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: sva-śarīra ‘own body’; Napuṃsakaliṅga, Pañcamī, Ekavacana

• vinirvṛttāḥ: originated, sprung forth
• vinirvṛttāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-nis-√vṛt (धातु)
• Form: Kta participle ‘originated/issued forth’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; qualifying puruṣarṣabhāḥ

• catvāraḥ: four
• catvāraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catvāri (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; qualifying bāhavaḥ

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā-dyotaka (उपमा-द्योतक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; simile marker

• bāhavaḥ: arms
• bāhavaḥ: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

Context

Dasaratha, a bull among men, loved all his four sons equally just as the arms of his own body.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Bharata
• Śatrughna

FAQs

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

Fairness within the family: a father’s dharma includes impartial affection and responsibility toward all children, not favoritism.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator describes Daśaratha’s relationship with his sons, establishing the family harmony that frames later tensions in the story.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Parental equanimity and integrity—love expressed as equal regard, aligned with satya (truthful, consistent conduct).