Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.34: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 34

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhya palace (Kaikeyī’s quarters implied)Pre-departure justification of exile

Devanagari script

न खल्वेतन्मयैकेन क्रियते पितृशासनम् ।

एतैरपि कृतं देवि ये मया तव कीर्तिताः ॥३४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.34

Transliteration

na khalv etan mayaikena kriyate pitṛ-śāsanam |

etair api kṛtaṃ devi ye mayā tava kīrtitāḥ ||34||

Translation

ദേവി, പിതൃശാസനം നടപ്പാക്കുന്നത് ഞാൻ ഒരുത്തൻ മാത്രമല്ല; ഞാൻ നിനക്കു പറഞ്ഞവരും അതുപോലെ ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ട്.

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Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negative particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• khalu: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: khalu (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/खल्वर्थक-अव्यय (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• etat: this (act)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun used as 'this'
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• mayā: by me
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन; instrumental 'by me'
• Role: Karana (करण)

• ekena: alone
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; adjective qualifying implied agent 'alone'
• Role: Karana (करण)

• kriyate: is carried out
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive): 'is done/is carried out'
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• pitṛśāsanam: father's command
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ-śāsana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (pitṛṇām śāsanam) 'father's command'
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• etaiḥ: by these (people)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/करण), बहुवचन; 'by these (persons)'
• Role: Karana (करण)

• api: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अप्यर्थक-अव्यय (also/even)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• kṛtam: done
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: कृत (क्त) कृदन्त; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; past passive participle: 'done' (agreeing with etat/pitṛśāsanam sense)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• devi: O देवी
• Type: Noun
• Root: devī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (Vocative/सम्बोधन), एकवचन
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• ye: who
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; relative pronoun 'who'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• mayā: by me
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया (3rd/करण), एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• tava: to you
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/सम्बन्ध), एकवचन; 'of/for you'
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान)

• kīrtitāḥ: mentioned
• Type: Verb
• Root: kīrt (धातु)
• Form: कीर्तित (क्त) कृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; past passive participle: 'mentioned/declared' (agreeing with ye)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• खल्वेतत् = khalu + etat
• मयैकेन = mayā + ekena
• एतैरपि = etaiḥ + api
• पितृशासनम् (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)
• कीर्तिताः (ye इति सम्बन्धः)

Context

I am not O Devi! the only one obeying my father's command. All I have mentioned to you did.

The teaching

Dharma is sustained by continuity: one follows the path validated by the conduct of the righteous, not by personal novelty.

Duties in tension

• Individual preference vs inherited dharma
• Compassion toward self/others vs strict obedience

Ethical theme

Tradition-based virtue ethics (sadācāra)

How it resolves

Appeal to tradition and normalization (not exceptionalism)

For your practice

Encourages humility and adherence to righteous precedent; useful for daily self-governance (niyama).

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Assured, measured, principled

Themes

• Dharma
• Tradition
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Filial obedience

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Kausalya

FAQs

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

Rama appeals to precedent: dharma is also what is consistently practiced by the virtuous across generations, not merely a private moral invention.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama reassures his mother that his choice is not isolated or unprecedented; it aligns with remembered exemplars.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humility and adherence to tradition—Rama does not claim exceptionalism but continuity.