Valmiki Ramayana 2.37.32: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 37, Shloka 32

अयोध्याकाण्डे सर्गः ३७ · चीरधारणं, सीतासंकल्पः, वसिष्ठोपदेशः

Bark-Robe Episode and Vasistha’s Admonition

Devanagari script

तत्त्वया पुत्रगर्धिन्या पुत्रस्य कृतमप्रियम् ।

लोके हि स न विद्येत यो न राममनुव्रतः ॥३२॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.37.32

Transliteration

tattvayā putra-gardhinyā putrasya kṛtam apriyam |

loke hi sa na vidyeta yo na rāmam anuvrataḥ ||32||

Translation

ಪುತ್ರಲಾಲಸೆಯಿಂದ ನೀನು ನಿನ್ನ ಮಗನಿಗೇ ಅಪ್ರಿಯವಾದ ಕಾರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಮಾಡಿದೆ; ಏಕೆಂದರೆ ಲೋಕದಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಮನನ್ನು ಅನುಸರಿಸದವನು ಯಾರೂ ಇಲ್ಲ.

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Word by Word

• tat: therefore
• tat: Sambandha (discourse link)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverbial use of pronoun (therefore/that)

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Kartṛ-karaṇa (कर्ता-करण; agent expressed by instrumental)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Ekavacana

• putra-gardhinyā: (you) greedy for your son
• putra-gardhinyā: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier of tvayā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक) + gardhinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā (Instrumental), Ekavacana; 'greedy for a son/son's interest'

• putrasya: of (your) son
• putrasya: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (of the son)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī (Genitive), Ekavacana

• kṛtam: done
• kṛtam: Kriyā-sādhya (verbal predicate in participial construction)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Kta-participle (past passive participle), Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; predicate: 'has been done'

• apriyam: a wrong; something unpleasant
• apriyam: Karma/Phala (फल; the harmful act)
• Type: Noun
• Root: apriya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; predicate complement to kṛtam

• loke: in the world
• loke: Adhikaraṇa (Location: in the world)
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (Locative), Ekavacana

• hi: indeed
• hi: Emphasis
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (indeed)

• saḥ: he (such a person)
• saḥ: Karta (subject of vidyeta)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana

• na: not
• na: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• vidyeta: would exist/be found
• vidyeta: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vid (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana, Ātmanepada; 'would be found/exist'

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (in relative clause)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; relative pronoun

• na: not
• na: Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle

• rāmam: Rama
• rāmam: Karma (object of implied 'follows')
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā (Accusative), Ekavacana

• anuvrataḥ: devoted; following
• anuvrataḥ: Pratijñā/Predicate-adjective (विधेय)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anu-vrata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (Nominative), Ekavacana; 'one devoted/following' (anu + vrata)

Context

Therefore, by greedily guarding your son's interest you are doing him harm. There is none in this world who will not follow Rama.

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Bharata (implied by putra)
• Rāma

FAQs

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

Dharma warns against selfish desire masquerading as care: actions driven by attachment can harm the very person one intends to benefit, and public dharmic allegiance gravitates toward the truly righteous (Rāma).

What is the narrative situation?

Kaikeyī is admonished that her attempt to secure the throne for her son will backfire because society’s loyalty rests with Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s universal moral authority—people naturally align with dharma embodied in him.