Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.16: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 16
अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma
based persuasion of Kausalyā
अनुरक्तोऽस्मि भावेन भ्रातरं देवि तत्त्वतः ।
सत्येन धनुषा चैव दत्तेनेष्टेन ते शपे ॥१६॥
anurakto 'smi bhāvena bhrātaraṃ devi tattvataḥ |
satyena dhanuṣā caiva datteneiṣṭena te śape ||16||
हे देवी माता! मैं हृदय से सत्यतः अपने भ्राता के प्रति अनुरक्त हूँ। मैं तुम्हें अपने सत्य की, अपने धनुष की, तथा अपने दान और यज्ञ-इष्ट के पुण्य की शपथ देता हूँ।
O mother!, (Lakshmana now tells Kausalya) I am truly loyal to my brother from the bottom of my heart. I swear this by my bow, on my merits earned through charity, by my truthfulness and by the good deeds I have done.
FAQs
Satya (truthfulness) and steadfast loyalty are treated as sacred commitments; vows grounded in truth and earned merit are presented as morally binding.
Lakṣmaṇa reassures Kauśalyā of his unwavering allegiance to Rāma during the crisis of exile.
Unshakable devotion to one’s elder brother and integrity expressed through solemn oath-taking.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.