Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 19, Shloka 5

एकोनविंशः सर्गः (Sarga 19): Rāma’s Unshaken Acceptance of Exile and Kaikeyī’s Urgency

Devanagari script

हितेन गुरुणा पित्रा कृतज्ञेन नृपेण च।नियुज्यमानो विस्रब्धः किं न कुर्यामहं प्रियम्।।2.19.5।।

Transliteration

hitena guruṇā pitrā kṛtajñena nṛpeṇa ca | niyujyamāno visrabdhaḥ kiṃ na kuryām ahaṃ priyam || 2.19.5 ||

Translation

ਹਿਤਕਾਰੀ, ਗੁਰੂ-ਸਮਾਨ, ਕ੍ਰਿਤਜ੍ਞ ਮਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਅਤੇ ਰਾਜਾ ਪਿਤਾ ਦੇ ਹੁਕਮ ਨਾਲ ਜਦੋਂ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਨਿਯੁਕਤ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਤਾਂ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਿੰਤ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਮੈਂ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਨ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ ਕੰਮ ਕਿਉਂ ਨਾ ਕਰਾਂ?

Word by Word

• हितेन: by the well-wishing (one)
• हितेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hita (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga/Napumsaka, Tṛtīyā, Eka-vacana; adjective used substantively ‘by the well-wisher’

• गुरुणा: by the teacher/elder
• गुरुणा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: guru (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Eka-vacana

• पित्रा: by (my) father
• पित्रा: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Eka-vacana

• कृतज्ञेन: by the grateful (one)
• कृतज्ञेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṛta + jña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa ‘knowing what is done’ = grateful; Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Eka-vacana; adjective of नृपेण

• नृपेण: by the king
• नृपेण: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ + pa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa compound; Puṃliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Eka-vacana

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction

• नियुज्यमानः: being enjoined; being ordered
• नियुज्यमानः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-yuj (धातु)
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्/मान) ‘being appointed/ordered’; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; agrees with अहम्

• विस्रब्धः: without hesitation; confidently
• विस्रब्धः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: visrabdha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; adverbial sense ‘confidently/without hesitation’ qualifying कुर्याम्

• किम्: what? (why)
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana; used idiomatically with न = ‘why not’

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negative particle; with किम् gives rhetorical ‘why not’

• कुर्याम्: should I do
• कुर्याम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: Vidhi-liṅ (विधिलिङ्/Optative), Parasmaipada, Uttama-puruṣa, Eka-vacana

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Sarvanāma, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• प्रियम्: what is pleasing
• प्रियम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana; object of कुर्याम्

Context

Ordered by my father who is my well-wisher, my guru, one with a sense of gratidude and, above all a king, shall I not, without hesitation do what pleases him?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha (father/king)
• Kauśalyā

FAQs

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

Filial duty and obedience to rightful authority: Rāma treats his father’s command as binding dharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma explains to his mother why he will comply with his father’s directive, even if it brings personal loss.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence and responsibility: he recognizes his father as benefactor, teacher, and king, and acts accordingly.