Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.56: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 56

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to LakshmanaSetting: Ayodhya (palace discourse setting)

Devanagari script

धर्मार्थकामाः खलु तात लोके समीक्षिता धर्मफलोदयेषु ।

ते तत्र सर्वे स्युरसंशयं मे भार्येव वश्याऽभिमता सुपुत्रा ॥५६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.56

Transliteration

dharmārthakāmāḥ khalu tāta loke samīkṣitā dharmaphalodayeṣu |

te tatra sarve syur asaṃśayaṃ me bhāryeva vaśyā 'bhimatā suputrā ||56||

Translation

Wahai adikku, di dunia ini dharma, artha dan kāma dinilai menurut buah yang lahir daripada dharma. Pada jalan yang kupilih, ketiga-tiganya ada tanpa ragu—seperti isteri yang setia menurut, dan seperti kasih yang dihargai pada seorang ibu yang diberkati dengan anak-anak yang baik.

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Word by Word

• धर्मार्थकामाः: dharma, artha, and kāma (righteousness, wealth, desire)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + अर्थ + काम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, nominative, plural)
• Role: कर्ता (subject)
• Compound: Dvandva

• खलु: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपातः/पदार्थ-निश्चयार्थक-अव्ययम् (particle of emphasis/assurance)
• Role: सम्बन्ध/वाक्य-निपात (discourse particle)

• तात: O dear one / dear son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सम्बोधन-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, vocative, singular)
• Role: सम्बोधन (address)

• लोके: in the world
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (masculine, locative, singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (location)

• समीक्षिताः: considered, examined
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + ईक्ष् (धातु) → समीक्षित (कृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्तः (क्त), पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगे ‘are considered/examined’ (past passive participle, masc. nom. pl.)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषणम् / विधेय (predicate participle of subject)

• धर्मफलोदयेषु: in the arising/attainment of the fruits of righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म + फल + उदय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, सप्तमी-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, locative, plural); समासः: धर्मस्य फलस्य उदयः (rise/attainment of the fruit of dharma)
• Role: अधिकरण (sphere/occasion)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• ते: they / those (three)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (pronoun, masculine, nominative, plural)
• Role: कर्ता (subject)

• तत्र: there, in that matter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र (अव्यय)
• Form: देश/प्रसङ्ग-वाचक-अव्ययम् (adverb of place/context)
• Role: अधिकरण-निर्देशक (adverbial locator)

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, बहुवचनम् (masculine, nominative, plural)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifier of subject)

• स्युः: would be / should be / will be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथम-पुरुषः, बहुवचनम् (3rd person plural, optative)
• Role: क्रिया (verbal predicate)

• असंशयम्: without doubt
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अ + संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्रियाविशेषण-अव्ययम् (adverbial accusative used as indeclinable: ‘without doubt’)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण (adverbial modifier)

• मे: to me / of me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (pronoun, genitive, singular)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (possessor/relational)

• भार्या: a wife
• Type: Noun
• Root: भार्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (feminine, nominative, singular)
• Role: उपमान (standard of comparison)

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमा-वाचक-अव्ययम् (comparative particle)
• Role: उपमा-निर्देशक (comparison marker)

• वश्याभिमता: obedient and beloved
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वश्या + अभिमता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (feminine, nominative, singular); समासः: वश्या च अभिमता च (obedient and beloved)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective of implied subject ‘they’)
• Compound: Dvandva

• सुपुत्रा: having good sons
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु + पुत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, एकवचनम् (feminine, nominative, singular); समासः: शोभनाः पुत्राः यस्याः सा (having good sons)
• Role: कर्तृ-विशेषण (predicate adjective)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• धर्मार्थकामाः = धर्म + अर्थ + कामाः (द्वन्द्व)
• लोकेसमीक्षिता = लोके + समीक्षिताः
• धर्मफलोदयेषु = धर्म-फल-उदयेषु
• स्युरसंशयम् = स्युः + असंशयम्
• मेभार्येव = मे + भार्या + इव
• वश्याऽभिमता = वश्या + अभिमता (अवग्रह)
• (पाठभेदानुसार ‘वश्याभिमता’ एकपदम्)

Context

Dharma,artha and kama, O my dear! are adjudged in this world according to the fruits of righteous action. All these three are doubtless there (in my decision to go to the forest), like obedience in a wife and love for the mother in good sons.

The teaching

Artha and kāma are rightly pursued when grounded in dharma; dharma’s fruits stabilize all aims.

Ethical theme

Virtue/duty integration (puruṣārtha-samanvaya)

How it resolves

Integration/harmonization

For your practice

Contemplation on ordering life aims: place dharma first; let prosperity and pleasure follow as dharma-phala.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Didactic, balanced, assuring

Themes

• Dharma
• Ethics
• Purusharthas
• Satya
• Maryada
• Moral reasoning

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana

FAQs

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

Dharma is the regulating foundation of human aims: artha and kāma gain legitimacy and harmony when they arise in alignment with dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama reasons with Lakshmana, explaining that his decision is not a loss of life’s aims but a dharmic integration of them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Philosophical clarity and balance—Rama articulates a dharma-centered view of the puruṣārthas.