Valmiki Ramayana 2.2.37-38: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 2, Shlokas 37-38
यौवराज्य-प्रस्तावः
Proposal for Rāma’s Installation as Heir-Apparent
Spoken by DasharathaSetting: AyodhyaReturning from battle to the capital
सङ्ग्रामात्पुनरागम्य कुञ्जरेण रथेन वा ॥३७॥
पौरान् स्वजनवन्नित्यं कुशलं परिपृच्छति ॥
पुत्रेष्वग्निषु दारेषु प्रेष्यशिष्यगणेषु च ॥३८॥
निखिलेनानुपूर्व्याच्च पितापुत्रानिवौरसान् ॥
saṅgrāmāt punar āgamya kuñjareṇa rathena vā ||37||
paurān svajanavan nityaṁ kuśalaṁ paripṛcchati ||
putreṣv agniṣu dāreṣu preṣyaśiṣyagaṇeṣu ca ||38||
nikhilena anupūrvyā ca pitā putrān ivaurasān ||
യുദ്ധത്തിൽ നിന്ന് മടങ്ങിവന്ന്, ആനപ്പുറത്തായാലും രഥത്തിലായാലും, അദ്ദേഹം പൗരന്മാരെ എപ്പോഴും സ്വന്തം ബന്ധുക്കളെപ്പോലെ കരുതി അവരുടെ ക്ഷേമം അന്വേഷിക്കുന്നു; പിതാവ് തന്റെ ഔരസപുത്രന്മാരെ അന്വേഷിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, ക്രമാനുസൃതമായി സമഗ്രമായി അവരുടെ മക്കൾ, അഗ്നിഹോത്രാദി പവിത്രാഗ്നികൾ, ഭാര്യമാർ, സേവകരും ശിഷ്യഗണവും എന്നിവയെക്കുറിച്ചും ചോദിക്കുന്നു.
Sandhi Notes
- saṅgrāmātpunarāgamya = saṅgrāmāt + punaḥ + āgamya
- paurān svajanavannityam = svajana-vat + nityam
- putreṣvagniṣu = putreṣu + agniṣu (vowel sandhi)
- nikhilena anupūrvyā ca (source has -cc due to ca after ā)
- pitāputrānivaurasān = pitā + putrān + iva + aurasān (vowel sandhi)
While returning from the battlefield, either on a chariot or an elephant Rama stops and enquires in detail and in order, the welfare of the citizens as he would do for his kith and kin. He enquires about the welfare of their children, sacred rituals, wives, their servants and disciples as a father would enquire of his sons.
The teaching
A righteous ruler treats subjects as family, attending to their concrete welfare—home, learning, service, and sacred duties.
- Ethical theme
- Rājadharma / welfare ethics
For your practice
Model for sevā-bhāva: cultivate concern for others’ well-being in practical particulars, not merely sentiment.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)
- Mood
- Paternal, assuring, civic-harmonious
Themes
- Dharma
- Rajadharma
- Compassion
- Social Ethics
- Itihasa
The ruler as a steward of the one Self in all beings—care for others as one’s own (sarvabhūta-ātma-bhāva).
Īśāvāsya-bhāva: governance as trusteeship; seeing the people as one’s own (ātma-vat sarva-bhūteṣu).
- Rama and Citizens of Ayodhya
- Ideal-king to subjects (paternal governance) (benevolent)
- Rama and Citizens
- Dharma-based kinship (rājadharma as familial duty) (affectionate)
Mahābhārata 12 (Śānti Parva): rājadharma sections on king as father to subjects; Rāmacaritamānasa Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Rāma’s compassion and concern for all
Vedic ideal of gṛhapati and agni as household center (gārhapatya symbolism)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.1–2.2: citizens’ praise of Rāma’s virtues; Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.5–1.7: Daśaratha’s care for subjects (kingly ideal)
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Narrative
Madhyama-gati, gentle udātta emphasis on welfare-phrases (kuśalaṃ, paripṛcchati)
FAQs
Rajadharma is parental care: a righteous ruler treats citizens as family, actively checking their welfare—material, domestic, and ritual—rather than ruling from distance.
After military engagements, Rāma’s conduct toward the townspeople is described: he personally enquires about their well-being in an orderly, attentive manner.
Empathetic responsibility—his leadership is expressed as intimate concern and respectful attentiveness to every household’s condition.
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