Valmiki Ramayana 2.4.24: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 4, Shloka 24

अयोध्याकाण्डे चतुर्थः सर्गः · Rāma Summoned; Pushya Coronation Decision

Spoken by Dasharatha to RamaSetting: Ayodhyā palace precinctsPlaces named: Ayodhyā

Devanagari script

सुहृदश्चाप्रमत्तास्त्वां रक्षन्त्वद्य समन्ततः ।

भवन्ति बहु विघ्नानि कार्याण्येवंविधानि हि ॥२४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.4.24

Transliteration

suhṛdaś cāpramattās tvāṃ rakṣantv adya samantataḥ |

bhavanti bahu vighnāni kāryāṇy evaṃvidhāni hi ||24||

Translation

आज से तुम्हारे दोस्त भी तुम्हारा ध्यान रखना, चारो तरफ से। ऐसे काम में काफी रुकावटें आती हैं, इसलिए सावधान रहना।

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Word by Word

• suhṛdaḥ: friends / well-wishers
• Type: Noun
• Root: suhṛd (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• apramattāḥ: vigilant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-pramatta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of suhṛdaḥ)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• tvām: you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• rakṣantu: let (them) protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• adya: today
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: adya (अव्यय)
• Form: काल-अव्यय
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)

• samantataḥ: on all sides
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: samantataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: देश-अव्यय (on all sides)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)

• bhavanti: arise / occur
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• bahu: many
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bahu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of vighnāni)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• vighnāni: obstacles
• Type: Noun
• Root: vighna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• kāryāṇi: undertakings / tasks
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• evaṅvidhāni: of this sort
• Type: Adjective
• Root: evaṃ (अव्यय) + vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (of such a kind), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; विशेषण (of kāryāṇi)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

• hi: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

Sandhi Notes

• suhṛdaścāpramattāstvāṅ = suhṛdaḥ + ca + apramattāḥ + tvām
• rakṣantvadya = rakṣantu + adya
• kāryāṇyēvaṅvidhāni = kāryāṇi + evaṅvidhāni

Context

Many impediments befall acts of this sort indeed. Alert your friends to protect you from all sides today onwards.

The teaching

Do not be negligent: noble aims still require practical safeguards; dharma includes prudence.

Duties in tension

• Trust in kin/court vs need for vigilance against intrigue
• Ritual sanctity/peace vs political security measures

Ethical theme

Rājadharma / apramāda (non-negligence)

How it resolves

Preventive counsel (risk management)

For your practice

Cultivating apramāda—daily vigilance over speech, action, and intention; protecting one’s vows from ‘vighnas’.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Bhayanaka (fear), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Vigilant, foreboding, guarded

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Rajadharma
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Security
• Prudence

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• suhṛd (friends/allies)

FAQs

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

Prudent protection of lawful succession is part of rajadharma; negligence can invite adharma through intrigue and disruption.

What is the narrative situation?

With the coronation imminent, Daśaratha warns that such political-ritual acts attract obstacles and therefore require vigilance.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Pramāda-rahitatā (freedom from carelessness): alertness and precaution in executing a righteous public act.