Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 26, Shloka 3

ताटकावधः

The Slaying of Tāṭakā

Devanagari script

अनुशिष्टोऽस्म्ययोध्यायां गुरुमध्ये महात्मना।पित्रा दशरथेनाहं नावज्ञेयं हि तद्वच:।।1.26.3।।

Transliteration

anuśiṣṭo ’smy ayodhyāyāṃ gurumadhye mahātmanā | pitrā daśarathenāhaṃ nāvajñeyaṃ hi tad vacaḥ ||

Translation

ໃນເມືອງອະໂຍທະຍາ ທ່າມກາງຜູ້ເຖົ້າຜູ້ແກ່ ແລະຄູອາຈານ ຂ້າພະເຈົ້າໄດ້ຮັບການສັ່ງສອນຈາກພຣະບິດາຜູ້ມີໃຈຍິ່ງ ຄືພຣະທະສະຣະຖະ; ແທ້ຈິງ ພຣະດຳຣັດຂອງພຣະອົງບໍ່ຄວນຖືກມອງຂ້າມ.

Word by Word

• अनुशिष्टः: commanded/instructed
• अनुशिष्टः: कर्मणि-भाव (Predicate participle; passive sense)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + शास् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘instructed/commanded’

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: क्रिया (Copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अयोध्यायाम्: in Ayodhyā
• अयोध्यायाम्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अयोध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• गुरुमध्ये: in the midst/presence of elders
• गुरुमध्ये: अधिकरण (Location/context)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु + मध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: ‘गुरूणां मध्ये’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: करण (Instrument/agent in passive; by)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; विशेषण of पित्रा दशरथेन

• पित्रा: by (my) father
• पित्रा: करण/कर्ता (Agent in passive; by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन

• दशरथेन: by Daśaratha
• दशरथेन: करण/कर्ता (Agent in passive; by)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दशरथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन; apposition to पित्रा

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अवज्ञेयम्: to be disobeyed/disregarded
• अवज्ञेयम्: विधेय (Predicate necessity/propriety)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: कृत्य-प्रत्ययान्त (यत्/अनीयर्-भावे) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; ‘to be disregarded’ (with न = ‘not to be disregarded’)

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बोधक-निपात (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन; विशेषण of वचः

• वचः: word(s)
• वचः: कर्म/विषय (Object/topic of ‘disregard’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

Context

In Ayodhya in the presence of elders and spiritual masters (of Dasaratha's court), I have been ordered by my magnanimous father to act according to your instructions and his words cannot be disobeyed.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Ayodhyā
• Daśaratha
• gurus/elders (guru-madhye)
• Viśvāmitra (contextual recipient)

FAQs

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

Filial and royal dharma: a son—especially a prince—treats the father’s command as binding when given rightly in the presence of elders and teachers.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma explains to Viśvāmitra that he has been formally commissioned by Daśaratha and therefore must follow the sage’s instructions.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Satya and obedience—faithfulness to a pledged duty and reverence for legitimate authority.