Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.56: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 56

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to LakshmanaSetting: Ayodhya (palace discourse setting)

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकामाः खलु तात लोके समीक्षिता धर्मफलोदयेषु ।

ते तत्र सर्वे स्युरसंशयं मे भार्येव वश्याऽभिमता सुपुत्रा ॥५६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.56

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmāḥ khalu tāta loke samīkṣitā dharmaphalodayeṣu |

te tatra sarve syur asaṃśayaṃ me bhāryeva vaśyā 'bhimatā suputrā ||56||

Translation

भाई, इस दुनिया में लोग धरम, पैसा और प्यार को उसके रिज़ल्ट से देखते हैं। मेरे रास्ते में तीनों चीज़ें हैं, कोई शक नहीं। जैसे बीवी का साथ और मा को अच्छे बेटे मिलने का सुख।

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Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकामाः: dharma, artha, and kāma (righteousness, wealth, desire)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, nominative, plural)
• Role: कर्ता (subject)
• Compound: Dvandva

• खलु: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/पदार्थ-निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle of emphasis/assurance)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-निपात (discourse particle)

• तात: O dear one / dear son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, vocative, singular)
• Role: सम्बोधन (address)

• लोके: in the world
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, locative, singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (location)

• समीक्षिताः: considered, examined
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ईक्ष् (धातु) → समीक्षित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘are considered/examined’ (past passive participle, masc. nom. pl.)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषणम् / विधेय (predicate participle of subject)

• धर्मफलोदयेषु: in the arising/attainment of the fruits of righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + फल + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, locative, plural); समासः: धर्मस्य फलस्य उदयः (rise/attainment of the fruit of dharma)
• Role: अधिकरण (sphere/occasion)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ते: they / those (three)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (pronoun, masculine, nominative, plural)
• Role: कर्ता (subject)

• तत्र: there, in that matter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्ग-वाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place/context)
• Role: अधिकरण-निर्देशक (adverbial locator)

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, nominative, plural)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifier of subject)

• स्युः: would be / should be / will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (3rd person plural, optative)
• Role: क्रिया (verbal predicate)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverbial accusative used as indeclinable: ‘without doubt’)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)

• मे: to me / of me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (pronoun, genitive, singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (possessor/relational)

• भार्या: a wife
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (feminine, nominative, singular)
• Role: उपमान (standard of comparison)

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)
• Role: उपमा-निर्देशक (comparison marker)

• वश्याभिमता: obedient and beloved
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वश्या + अभिमता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (feminine, nominative, singular); समासः: वश्या च अभिमता च (obedient and beloved)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective of implied subject ‘they’)
• Compound: Dvandva

• सुपुत्रा: having good sons
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (feminine, nominative, singular); समासः: शोभनाः पुत्राः यस्याः सा (having good sons)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• धर्मार्थकामाः = धर्म + अर्थ + कामाः (द्वन्द्व)
• लोकेसमीक्षिता = लोके + समीक्षिताः
• धर्मफलोदयेषु = धर्म-फल-उदयेषु
• स्युरसंशयम् = स्युः + असंशयम्
• मेभार्येव = मे + भार्या + इव
• वश्याऽभिमता = वश्या + अभिमता (अवग्रह)
• (पाठभेदानुसार ‘वश्याभिमता’ एकपदम्)

Context

Dharma,artha and kama, O my dear! are adjudged in this world according to the fruits of righteous action. All these three are doubtless there (in my decision to go to the forest), like obedience in a wife and love for the mother in good sons.

The teaching

Artha and kāma are rightly pursued when grounded in dharma; dharma’s fruits stabilize all aims.

Ethical theme

Virtue/duty integration (puruṣārtha-samanvaya)

How it resolves

Integration/harmonization

For your practice

Contemplation on ordering life aims: place dharma first; let prosperity and pleasure follow as dharma-phala.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Didactic, balanced, assuring

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Purusharthas
• Satya
• Maryada
• Moral reasoning

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana

FAQs

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

Dharma is the regulating foundation of human aims: artha and kāma gain legitimacy and harmony when they arise in alignment with dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama reasons with Lakshmana, explaining that his decision is not a loss of life’s aims but a dharmic integration of them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Philosophical clarity and balance—Rama articulates a dharma-centered view of the puruṣārthas.