Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.30: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 30

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhya (speech context)

Devanagari script

ऋषिणा च पितुर्वाक्यं कुर्वता व्रतचारिणा ।

गौर्हता जानता धर्मं कण्डुनाऽपि विपश्चिता ॥३०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.30

Transliteration

ṛṣiṇā ca pitur vākyaṃ kurvatā vratacāriṇā |

gaur hatā jānatā dharmaṃ kaṇḍunā ’pi vipaścitā ||30||

Translation

कंडु नाम का एक रिशि था। वो बहुत पंडित था, धरम को समझता था, व्रत भी रखता था। फिर भी उसने बाप की बात मान के गाय मारी। गौ हत्या बड़ा पाप है, फिर भी उसने किया।

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Word by Word

• ऋषिणा: by the sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘and’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• पितुः: of (his) father
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• वाक्यम्: command
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• कुर्वता: while fulfilling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kurvat (कृदन्त; √kṛ कृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘doing/fulfilling’ (agreeing with ऋषिणा)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• व्रतचारिणा: by a vow-observer
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrata (प्रातिपदिक) + cārin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास: ‘one who practices vows’; पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन (agreeing with ऋषिणा)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• गौः: a cow
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• हता: was slain
• Type: Verb
• Root: hata (कृदन्त; √han हन्)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोग: ‘was slain’ (agreeing with गौः)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• जानता: by one knowing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: jānat (कृदन्त; √jñā ज्ञा)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; ‘knowing’ (agreeing with कण्डुना/विपश्चिता)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• धर्मम्: dharma
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• कण्डुना: by Kandu
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaṇḍu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• अपि: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): ‘even/also’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• विपश्चिता: by the learned (one)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vipaścit (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन; विशेषण: ‘learned/wise’ (agreeing with कण्डुना)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• गौर्हता = गौः + हता
• कण्डुनाऽपि = कण्डुना + अपि

Context

Learned sage Kandu who knew what is righteousness and a strict observant of vows, slew a cow for carrying out the command of his father.

The teaching

Dharma can become subtle and painful when duties collide; obedience is praised, yet the narrative warns that even the wise can err when dharma is misconstrued.

Duties in tension

• Obedience to father’s command vs ahiṃsā and protection of the cow
• Vrata/ascetic discipline vs a harmful act done for obedience

Ethical theme

Dharma-saṅkaṭa; hierarchy of duties (pitṛ-ājñā vs ahiṃsā)

How it resolves

Exemplum used to argue that father’s word is weighty even when costly (though ethically fraught)

For your practice

Encourages discernment (viveka) in duty and compassion (dayā) alongside obedience; useful for reflective japa/adhyātma inquiry on ‘what is higher dharma here?’

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shanta (peace)

Mood

Didactic, sobering, reflective

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Pitṛ-vākya (obedience to father)
• Ethics
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kandu
• father (of Kandu)

FAQs

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

The verse foregrounds pitṛ-vākya-pālana—treating a father’s command as a binding duty—even when the action appears morally troubling, thereby presenting obedience as a powerful (and complex) dharmic claim in traditional narratives.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama is consoling Kausalya and defending his resolve to follow his father’s order; he cites earlier exemplars to show that such obedience has precedent among revered figures.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Steadfastness in duty (dharma-niṣṭhā) expressed as unwavering commitment to fulfilling a पिता’s command.