Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.25: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 25

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Kausalya to RamaSetting: Ayodhyā palace (speech context)

Devanagari script

त्वद्वियोगान्न मे कार्यं जीवितेन सुखेन वा ।

त्वया सह मम श्रेयस्तृणानामपि भक्षणम् ॥२५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.25

Transliteration

tvad-viyogān na me kāryaṃ jīvitena sukhena vā |

tvayā saha mama śreyas tṛṇānām api bhakṣaṇam ||25||

Translation

ତୁମ ବିୟୋଗରେ ମୋ ପାଇଁ ଜୀବନ କିମ୍ବା ସୁଖର କୌଣସି ଅର୍ଥ ନାହିଁ। ତୁମ ସହିତ ରହିବା—ତୃଣ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭକ୍ଷଣ କରିବାକୁ ପଡ଼ିଲେ ମଧ୍ୟ—ମୋର ଶ୍ରେୟ।

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Word by Word

• त्वद्वियोगात्: from separation from you
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम) + viyoga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष): ‘त्वद्-वियोग’ = ‘separation from you’; पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

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

• मे: for me / of me
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• कार्यम्: any purpose
• Type: Noun
• Root: kārya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘purpose/need’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• जीवितेन: with life
• Type: Noun
• Root: jīvita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• सुखेन: with happiness
• Type: Noun
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Karana (करण)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (conjunction): ‘or’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• त्वया: with you
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, तृतीया, एकवचन
• Role: Saha (सह/साकं)

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: saha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition): ‘with’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• मम: for me / my
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, षष्ठी, एकवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• श्रेयः: is preferable
• Type: Noun
• Root: śreyas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘the better/preferable’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• तृणानाम्: of grass
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• अपि: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): ‘even/also’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• भक्षणम्: eating
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhakṣaṇa (प्रातिपदिक; from √bhakṣ भक्ष्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियानाम (verbal noun) ‘eating’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• त्वद्वियोगान्न = त्वद्वियोगात् + न
• श्रेयस्तृणानामपि = श्रेयः + तृणानाम् + अपि

Context

Separated from you, I have no use of this life or happiness. I prefer to live with you even if it means eating grass.

The teaching

Love can revalue all comforts: togetherness is deemed 'śreyas' even amid extreme austerity.

Duties in tension

• Rāma’s duty to accept exile
• Kaushalyā’s maternal need and duty to keep son near
• Ideal of endurance of hardship vs preservation of life/household order

Ethical theme

Compassion ethics; relational duty under crisis

For your practice

Meditation on impermanence of comfort and the primacy of presence; also a cautionary mirror for attachment.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Shringara (love)

Mood

Heartbroken, clinging, self-effacing

Themes

• Dharma
• Maternal Love
• Renunciation
• Ethics
• Pathos

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Kausalyā
• Rāma
• Vana (implied by hardship/grass-eating)

FAQs

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

The verse stresses relational dharma: the mother-son bond is portrayed as so essential that hardship with the righteous is preferable to comfort without them.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā expresses that Rāma’s exile would make her life meaningless, and she would rather share his austerities than remain behind.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Unconditional attachment grounded in care (vātsalya) and willingness to endure austerity for loved ones.