Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.63: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 63
अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma
based persuasion of Kausalyā
Setting: Ayodhyā palace (mother’s presence)Places named: Daṇḍaka, Daṇḍakāraṇya (implied)Setting out toward Daṇḍaka for exile
प्रसादयन्नरवृषभ स्समातरं पराक्रमाज्जिगमिषुरेव दण्डकान् ।
अथानुजं भृशमनुशास्य दर्शनं चकार तां हृदि जननीं प्रदक्षिणम् ॥६३॥
prasādayan naravṛṣabhaḥ samātaraṁ parākramāj jigamiṣur eva daṇḍakān |
athānujaṁ bhṛśam anuśāsya darśanaṁ cakāra tāṁ hṛdi jananīṁ pradakṣiṇam ||63||
ເມື່ອພະຣາມາ—ຜູ້ປະເສີດທີ່ສຸດໃນຫມູ່ມະນຸດ—ໄດ້ປອບປະໂລມໃຫ້ແມ່ສະຫງົບໃຈ ແລະດ້ວຍຄວາມກ້າຫານອັນໝັ້ນຄົງຕັ້ງຈິດຈະໄປດັນຑະກະ; ຈາກນັ້ນພະອົງໄດ້ກຳຊັບສອນນ້ອງຊາຍຢ່າງເຂັ້ມງວດ ແລະດ້ວຍພັກຕິໃນໃຈ ພະອົງໄດ້ເວັນປະທັກສິນາອ້ອມພະມານດາ.
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेदः: प्रसादयन् | नरवृषभः | सः | मातरम् | पराक्रमात् | जिगमिषुः | एव | दण्डकान् | अथ | अनुजम् | भृशम् | अनुशास्य | दर्शनम् | चकार | ताम् | हृदि | जननीम् | प्रदक्षिणम् || संधिः: प्रसादयन्+नरवृषभः → प्रसादयन्नरवृषभः
- सः+मातरम् → समातरम्
- मातरं+पराक्रमात् → मातरं पराक्रमात् (अनुस्वार/विराम-लेखनभेदः)
- पराक्रमात्+जिगमिषुः → पराक्रमाज्जिगमिषुः (त्→ज्ज्)
- जिगमिषुः+एव → जिगमिषुरेव
- अथ+अनुजम् → अथानुजम्
- अनुजं+भृशम् → अनुजं भृशम्
- अनुशास्य+दर्शनम् → अनुशास्य दर्शनम्
- दर्शनम्+चकार → दर्शनं चकार
- ताम्+हृदि → तां हृदि
Rama, the best among men, thus pacified his mother insisting on his desire to depart for Dandaka forest with courage. And elaborately instructed his brother about his good intentions after which he circumambulated his mother with all his heart.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē ēkaviṅśassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the twentyfirst sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
The teaching
Before undertaking harsh duty, settle relationships through compassion and reverence; dharma is strengthened by honoring elders and guiding dependents.
Duties in tension
- Duty to depart for exile vs. duty to console and honor mother
- Leadership duty to guide younger brother vs. emotional strain of separation
- Ethical theme
- Filial duty and fraternal responsibility
- How it resolves
- Ritualized honoring (pradakṣiṇā) and clear instruction (anuśāsana) before departure
Devotion and practice
Cultivate ‘mātṛ-devatā’ attitude; perform respectful gestures (pradakṣiṇā/namaskāra) to elders as a grounding practice before major actions.
- Deity praised
- Mother as pratyakṣa-devatā (implicit)
- Form of praise
- Vandana (salutation)
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Dutiful, steadfast, tender
Themes
- Dharma
- Maryādā
- Devotion to parents
- Resolution
- Narrative transition
Seeing the divine in the immediate (mother as pratyakṣa-devatā); action done with inner reverence becomes yajña.
Taittirīya Upaniṣad’s ‘मातृदेवो भव’ in lived form through pradakṣiṇā and heartfelt reverence.
- Rama and Kausalya
- Son-mother; pacifying and circumambulating (devotional)
- Rama and Lakshmana
- Elder brother instructing younger; comrades-in-exile (protective)
- Rama and Dandaka
- Traveler-destination; exile field (resolute)
Taittirīya Upaniṣad 1.11: ‘मातृदेवो भव’ (conceptual parallel); Rāmacaritamānasa Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Rāma taking leave of mothers and instructing Lakṣmaṇa
Gṛhya-sūtra ritual culture: pradakṣiṇā as reverential act
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: repeated scenes of leave-taking and blessings; Lakṣmaṇa’s resolve to accompany Rāma
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Narrative
Steady gait; slight uplift on ‘प्रदक्षिणम्’ to mark ritual completion
FAQs
Dharma is enacted through respectful conduct: calming elders, guiding juniors responsibly, and honoring one’s mother with reverence even amid personal hardship.
After persuading his mother and preparing for exile, Rāma instructs Lakṣmaṇa and performs a reverential circumambulation of Kauśalyā before departure.
Rāma’s composure and reverence—courage in action joined with gentleness toward family and strict adherence to proper conduct.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
