Valmiki Ramayana 2.87.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 87, Shloka 23

गुहसंवादः—रामस्य रात्रिवासवर्णनम्

Dialogue with Guha: Account of Rama’s Night Halt

Devanagari script

तत स्त्वहंचोत्तमबाणचापधृत् स्थितोऽभवं तत्र स यत्र लक्ष्मणः।अतन्द्रितैर्ज्ञातिभिरात्तकार्मुकैर्महेन्द्रकल्पं परिपालयंस्तदा।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.87.23

Transliteration

tatas tv ahaṃ cottamabāṇacāpadhṛt sthito ’bhavaṃ tatra sa yatra lakṣmaṇaḥ |

atandritair jñātibhir āttakārmukair mahendrakalpaṃ paripālayan tadā ||

Translation

それから私は、弓と優れた矢を手に、ラクシュマナの立つ場所に留まった。弓を取り、怠ることなき一族の者たちと共に、その時、マヘーンドラ（インドラ）に比すべきラーマを守護した。

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: thereafter
• tataḥ: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, काल/अनन्तरार्थक (thereafter)

• tu: but/and
• tu: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुषार्थ, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ca: and
• ca: Discourse connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• uttamabāṇacāpadhṛt: holding the best arrows and bow
• uttamabāṇacāpadhṛt: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: uttama (प्रातिपदिक) + bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + cāpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhṛt (√dhṛ, धातु; क्तिन्/क्विप्-प्रत्यय)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (उत्तमान् बाणान् च चापं च धरति), धृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (aham)

• sthitaḥ: standing
• sthitaḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √sthā (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भावे/कर्तरि प्रयोग: 'standing'

• abhavam: I remained/was
• abhavam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन

• tatra: there
• tatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक अव्यय (locative adverb)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• yatra: where
• yatra: Deśa-adhikaraṇa (देशाधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक अव्यय (relative adverb: where)

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Adhikaraṇa-sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• atandritaiḥ: with the indefatigable
• atandritaiḥ: Karaṇa/Sahakārī (करणम्/सहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-tandrita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नञ्-समास/उपपद (a+tandrita = indefatigable), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (jñātibhiḥ)

• jñātibhiḥ: with kinsmen
• jñātibhiḥ: Sahakārī (सहकारी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jñāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• ātta-kārmukaiḥ: armed with bows
• ātta-kārmukaiḥ: Sahakārī (सहकारी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ātta (√dā/√ā-dā, धातु; क्त) + kārmuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (ātta = taken/held + kārmuka = bow), पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (jñātibhiḥ)

• mahendra-kalpam: Indra-like
• mahendra-kalpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahendra (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (उपमान-सम्बन्ध: mahendra-iva kalpaḥ), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (saḥ = Rama)

• paripālayan: protecting
• paripālayan: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pari-√pāl (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त वर्तमानकृदन्त (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समकाल (while)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक अव्यय (then)

Context

Then, holding the best of arrows and bow along with my indefatigable kinsmen similarly armed with bows, I stood by the side of Lakshmana guarding Rama who is comparable to Indra.ইত্যার্ষে শ্রীমদ্রামাযণে বাল্মীকীয আদিকাব্যে অযোধ্যাকাণ্ডে সপ্তাশীতিতমস্সর্গঃ৷৷Thus ends the eightyseventh sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• Mahendra (Indra)
• Guha
• kinsmen (Guha’s people)

FAQs

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

Dharma here is vigilant protection of the righteous and faithful service: Guha and his men stand guard to ensure Rāma’s safety, treating safeguarding a virtuous person as a moral duty.

What is the narrative situation?

During Rāma’s forest-exile journey, Guha describes how he positioned himself near Lakṣmaṇa, with armed kinsmen, to guard Rāma through the night/at that time.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty and alert guardianship—steadfast readiness to protect without fatigue (atandrita), reflecting disciplined devotion to a noble guest and to righteousness.