Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.6: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 6

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to LakṣmaṇaSetting: Ayodhya (palace)

Devanagari script

देवकल्पमृजुं दान्तं रिपूणामपि वत्सलम् ।

अवेक्षमाणः को धर्मं त्यजेत्पुत्रमकारणात् ॥६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.6

Transliteration

devakalpam ṛjuṁ dāntaṁ ripūṇām api vatsalam |

avekṣamāṇaḥ ko dharmaṁ tyajet putram akāraṇāt ||6||

Translation

ദേവസദൃശനും, ഋജുവും, ദാന്തനും (ഇന്ദ്രിയനിഗ്രഹിയുമായ), ശത്രുക്കൾക്കുപോലും പ്രിയനായ പുത്രനെ—ധർമ്മം അവഗണിച്ച്—കാരണമില്ലാതെ ആര് ഉപേക്ഷിക്കും?

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Word by Word

• deva-kalpam: god-like
• Type: Adjective
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular; upamā/tatpuruṣa 'like a god'
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ṛjum: upright
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṛju (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• dāntam: self-controlled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dānta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Past participial adjective from √dam (दम्) 'tamed'; Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• ripūṇām: of enemies
• Type: Noun
• Root: ripu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th), Plural (बहुवचन)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• api: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• vatsalam: affectionate
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vatsala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular; 'affectionate' (towards ripūṇām api)
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• avekṣamāṇaḥ: considering / looking at
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ava-īkṣ (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ/वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; 'looking at/considering'
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• kaḥ: who?
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; interrogative pronoun
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• dharmam: righteousness/duty
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• tyajet: would abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (Optative), Parasmaipada, 3rd person, Singular
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• putram: son
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• akāraṇāt: without cause
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-kāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th), Singular; compound: a (neg.) + kāraṇa 'cause'
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• devakalpamṛjum = deva-kalpam + ṛjum
• ripūṇāmapi = ripūṇām + api
• tyajetputram = tyajet + putram

Context

With no cause nor concern for righteousness, will any one abandon his son who is nearly equal to god, upright, self-restrained and loved even by his enemies ?

The teaching

To abandon the virtuous without cause is adharma; virtue obligates protection and honor, even amid political pressure.

Duties in tension

• Parental attachment and protection of a virtuous son vs. acceptance of royal decree/exile as dharma
• Justice (no abandonment without cause) vs. political obligation

Ethical theme

Justice and parental duty

How it resolves

Appeal/argument from virtue and fairness (not yet resolved within this verse)

Devotion and practice

Bhāva-bhakti through guṇa-smaraṇa: remembering Rama’s virtues (ṛjutā, dama, vatsalatā) as a contemplative practice.

Deity praised

Rama (as devakalpa, dharma-svarūpa)

Form of praise

Stuti (a hymn of praise)

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Pleading, praising, indignant

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Royal duty
• Familial duty

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• son (putra)
• enemies (ripu)

FAQs

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

Dharma forbids abandoning the innocent without just cause; moral governance and family duty require fairness, restraint, and reasoned judgment.

What is the narrative situation?

In Ayodhyā, amid the turmoil around Daśaratha’s decision and the impending exile, Rāma argues that abandoning a virtuous son without cause would violate dharma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s portrayal emphasizes self-control, uprightness, and universal goodwill—so exemplary that even enemies feel affection.