Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 4

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Lakṣmaṇa to RamaSetting: Ayodhya (royal court/palace; debate over exile)Places named: rāṣṭra (kingdom), vana (forest)Pre-departure; decision phase before forest journey

Devanagari script

नास्यापराधं पश्यामि नापि दोषं तथाविधम् ।

येन निर्वास्यते राष्ट्राद्वनवासाय राघवः ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.4

Transliteration

nāsyāparādhaṃ paśyāmi nāpi doṣaṃ tathāvidham |

yena nirvāsyate rāṣṭrād vanavāsāya rāghavaḥ ||4||

Translation

രാഘവനില്‍ എനിക്ക് യാതൊരു അപരാധവും കാണുന്നില്ല; അങ്ങനെ രാജ്യം വിട്ടു വനവാസത്തിന് അയക്കേണ്ടതായ ഒരു ദോഷവും അവനില്‍ ഇല്ല.

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Word by Word

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

• asya: of him / his
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam/tad-pronoun stem asmad? actually 'asya' from 'idam' (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• aparādham: offence
• Type: Noun
• Root: aparādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• paśyāmi: I see / find
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present/वर्तमान), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), Uttama-puruṣa (1st person/उत्तम), Singular
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

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

• api: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (निपात), additive/emphatic
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• doṣam: fault
• Type: Noun
• Root: doṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tathāvidham: of such a kind
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tathā-vidha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; agrees with doṣam/aparādham; compound: tathā + vidha (of such a kind)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• yena: by which / for which reason
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular; relative pronoun
• Role: Karaṇa (करण)

• nirvāsyate: is banished
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-vas (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd person), Singular; Passive sense (कर्मणि प्रयोगः) 'is banished'
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• rāṣṭrāt: from the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāṣṭra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)

• vanavāsāya: for forest-dwelling / for exile in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana-vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; compound: vana + vāsa (dwelling in forest)
• Role: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• rāghavaḥ: Rāghava (Rama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

Sandhi Notes

• nāsya = na + asya
• nāpi = na + api
• rāṣṭrādvanavāsāya = rāṣṭrāt + vanavāsāya (t/d sandhi)
• aparādhaṃ/doṣaṃ before paśyāmi show anusvāra sandhi

Context

I do not see any fault in Rama nor any offence committed by him for which he is exiled from the kingdom.

The teaching

Daṇḍa without doṣa is adharma; legitimacy of rule depends on justice, not mere power or promise.

Duties in tension

• King’s promise/boon obligation vs just governance
• Punishment/banishment vs absence of offense
• Political stability vs moral legitimacy

Ethical theme

Rāja-dharma / justice

How it resolves

Unresolved protest (ethical objection raised against the decree)

For your practice

Invites reflection on fairness and restraint in judgment; devotionally, reinforces Rama’s nirdoṣa (spotless) ideal for dhyāna.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Raudra (fury)

Mood

Indignant, pained, protesting

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Justice
• Rajadharma
• Innocence of Rama

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāghava (Rāma)
• rāṣṭra (kingdom of Ayodhyā, implied)
• vanavāsa (forest exile)

FAQs

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

The verse appeals to justice as part of dharma: punishment (exile) should correspond to a real offence or fault. It asserts that Rāma’s banishment lacks moral grounds.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma is being sent to the forest instead of being installed as heir. Lakṣmaṇa reacts by insisting that Rāma has committed no wrongdoing deserving exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s fierce loyalty and moral clarity—his refusal to accept unjust suffering inflicted upon the righteous.