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

Spoken by Kausalya to RamaSetting: Ayodhyā (Kaushalyā speaking)Places named: svagṛha (one’s own home), tridiva (heaven)

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

हे पुत्र! अपने ही घर में संयमपूर्वक रहते हुए और जननी की शुश्रूषा करते हुए, परम तप से युक्त काश्यप स्वर्गलोक को प्राप्त हुआ।

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Word by Word

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sandhi Notes

• śuśrūṣurjananīm = śuśrūṣuḥ + jananīm (visarga sandhi)
• kāśyapastridivaṃ = kāśyapaḥ + tridivam (ḥ+t→s)

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.

The teaching

Service to one’s mother, performed with discipline at home, is itself a high tapas yielding exalted fruit.

Duties in tension

• Rāma’s filial duty to mother (service)
• Rāma’s obedience to father’s command of exile

Ethical theme

Filial piety; karma-yoga in household life

For your practice

Encourages daily seva as spiritual practice; reframes austerity as disciplined care within family.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Exemplary, instructive, restrained-grief

Themes

• Dharma
• Tapas
• Ethics
• Filial Piety
• Exemplary Narrative

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

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).