Valmiki Ramayana 1.21.3: Bala Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 3

बालकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Daśaratha’s Promise, Vasiṣṭha’s Counsel, and Viśvāmitra’s Weapon

Lore

Spoken by Viśvāmitra to King DaśarathaSetting: Ayodhyā (Daśaratha’s court)

Devanagari script

यदीदं ते क्षमं राजन् गमिष्यामि यथाऽगतम् ।

मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञः काकुत्स्थ सुखीभव सबान्धवः ॥३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 1.21.3

Transliteration

yad idaṃ te kṣamaṃ rājan gamiṣyāmi yathāgatam |

mithyā-pratijñaḥ kākutstha sukhī bhava sabāndhavaḥ ||3||

Translation

அரசே, இது உமக்கு ஏற்றதாக இருந்தால், நான் வந்தபடியே திரும்பிச் செல்வேன். காகுத்ஸ்தரே! உமது பிரதிஞ்ஞையைப் பொய்யாக்கி, உறவினருடன் கூடி நலமுடன் இருங்கள்॥

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Word by Word

• yadi: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: Conditional particle (शर्त-अव्यय)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/condition)

• idam: this
• Type: Noun
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता; subject of kṣamam)

• te: to you
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; enclitic form
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/to you)

• kṣamam: acceptable / proper
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kṣama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; predicate adjective with idam
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण/predicate qualifier)

• rājan: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)

• gamiṣyāmi: I shall go
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/predicate)

• yathā-āgatam: as I came / back the way I came
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय) + āgata (कृदन्त; √gam क्त)
• Form: Avyayībhāva compound functioning adverbially; indeclinable sense: 'as (I) came'
• Role: Kala/Desha (क्रम/रीति)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

• mithyā-pratijñaḥ: false to (your) promise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mithyā (अव्यय) + pratijña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; कर्मधारयः: 'false (as) a promiser'
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण; addressing/qualifying)
• Compound: Karmadharaya

• kākutstha: O Kākutstha
• Type: Noun
• Root: kākutstha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Vocative (8th/सम्बोधन), Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/address)

• sukhī-bhava: be happy
• Type: Verb
• Root: sukhī (प्रातिपदिक) + √bhū (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 2nd person (मध्यमपुरुष), Singular; parasmaipada; denominative-style predicate 'be happy'
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/command)

• sa-bāndhavaḥ: together with (your) relatives
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (अव्यय/उपसर्ग) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; सह-तत्पुरुषः (बान्धवैः सह)
• Role: Visheshana (विशेषण; qualifier of implied 'tvam')
• Compound: Tatpurusha

Sandhi Notes

• yadīdaṃ = yadi + idaṃ (यदीदं)
• yathā'gatam = yathā + āgatam (यथाऽगतम्)
• mithyāpratijñaḥ (मिथ्याप्रतिज्ञः) compound
• sabāndhavaḥ = sa + bāndhavaḥ (सबान्धवः)

Context

O king, if this act of yours is appropriate to you, I will go back (to the places) where from I came. O scion of the race of kakutstha, you have proved false to your promise. Live happily with your relatives".

The teaching

A king’s word is a public sacrament; breaking it harms not only reputation but cosmic order and lineage honor.

Duties in tension

• Rāja-dharma: protect one’s son/heir
• Satya-dharma: keep one’s promise to a sage
• Atithi-dharma: honor a guest’s request
• Loka-saṅgraha: prevent cosmic disturbance by appeasing tapas

Ethical theme

Satya (truthfulness) and rāja-dharma

How it resolves

Counsel-led reaffirmation of dharma (via Vasiṣṭha)

For your practice

Practice of satya and vow-keeping; restraint in speech—do not promise what cannot be fulfilled.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Karuna (compassion)

Mood

Ultimatum, wounded-pride, foreboding

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Pratijna
• Rajadharma
• Ethics
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Viśvāmitra
• Daśaratha
• Kakutstha (Ikṣvāku lineage)

FAQs

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

A vow must not be emptied of truth. The verse underscores that social and royal dharma collapse when a spoken commitment is treated as optional.

What is the narrative situation?

Viśvāmitra, offended by Daśaratha’s wavering, declares he will leave, explicitly calling the king ‘false to his promise.’

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Accountability to one’s word—especially for rulers whose promises function as public guarantees.