Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.57: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 57

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

based persuasion of Kausalyā

Spoken by Rama to LakshmanaSetting: Ayodhya (palace discourse)

Devanagari script

यस्मिंस्तु सर्वे स्युरसन्निविष्टा धर्मो यत स्स्यात्तदुपक्रमेत ।

द्वेष्यो भवत्यर्थपरो हि लोके कामात्मता खल्वपि न प्रशस्ता ॥५७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.21.57

Transliteration

yasmiṃs tu sarve syur asanniviṣṭā dharmo yataḥ syāt tad upakrameta |

dveṣyo bhavaty arthaparo hi loke kāmātmatā khalv api na praśastā ||57||

Translation

แต่เมื่อทั้งสามประการไม่อาจตั้งอยู่ร่วมกันได้ พึงเริ่มกระทำในทางที่รักษาธรรมไว้ เพราะในโลกนี้ ผู้หมกมุ่นแต่อรรถย่อมเป็นที่ชัง และความเป็นผู้ขับเคลื่อนด้วยกามก็หาเป็นที่สรรเสริญของบัณฑิตไม่

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Word by Word

• यस्मिन्: in which (person/situation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative, case 7), एकवचनम् (singular); सम्बन्धार्थे (relative pronoun: 'in which/where')
• Role: अधिकरण (Locative/Adhikaraṇa)

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (निपात)
• Form: निपातः (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थकः (adversative/emphatic: 'but/indeed')
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), बहुवचनम् (plural)
• Role: कर्ता (Agent/Subject)

• स्युः: would be/should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), बहुवचनम् (plural); धातुः—अस् (to be)
• Role: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)

• असन्निविष्टाः: not properly united/settled
• Type: Adjective
• Root: असन् + निविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √विश् (धातु) + नि- उपसर्ग; क्त-प्रत्ययः), नञ्-समासः (अ-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), बहुवचनम् (plural); क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (past passive participle: 'entered/settled'), नञ्-पूर्वकः (negated: 'not properly settled/combined')
• Role: कर्तृविशेषण (Adjectival to subject)

• धर्मः: righteousness/duty
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), एकवचनम् (singular)
• Role: कर्ता (Agent/Subject)

• यतः: from which/whereby
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययम् (indeclinable), तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्तः (ablatival adverb: 'from which/whereby/for which reason')
• Role: हेतु (Cause/Reason)

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); धातुः—अस् (to be)
• Role: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)

• तत्: that (thing/act)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे (neuter), द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative, case 2), एकवचनम् (singular); कर्मनिर्देशः ('that' as object)
• Role: कर्म (Object)

• उपक्रमेत: should undertake/begin
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप + क्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); परस्मैपदम्; उपसर्गः—उप (to undertake/begin)
• Role: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)

• द्वेष्यः: hateful/one to be hated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वेष्य (प्रातिपदिक; √द्विष् (धातु) + यत्-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), एकवचनम् (singular); यत्-प्रत्ययान्तः (gerundive/fit-to-be: 'to be hated')
• Role: कर्तृविशेषण (Predicate adjective to subject)

• भवति: becomes/is
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present indicative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular); परस्मैपदम्
• Role: क्रिया (Verbal predicate)

• अर्थपरः: wealth-oriented/intent on gain
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थ + पर (प्रातिपदिकौ) (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpurusha: 'devoted to/intent on wealth')
• Role: कर्तृविशेषण (Adjectival to subject)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (निपात)
• Form: निपातः (particle), हेत्वर्थकः/निश्चयार्थकः ('for/indeed')
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)

• लोके: in the world
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative, case 7), एकवचनम् (singular)
• Role: अधिकरण (Locative/Adhikaraṇa)

• कामात्मता: being desire-driven/sensuality
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम + आत्मन् + ता (प्रातिपदिकौ + तद्धित-प्रत्ययः) (समास-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), एकवचनम् (singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (genitive tatpurusha: 'having desire as one’s nature' → 'sensuality'); तद्धितः—ता (abstract noun suffix -tā)
• Role: कर्ता (Subject)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• खलु: certainly/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: खलु (निपात)
• Form: निपातः (particle), निश्चय/प्रसिद्ध्यर्थकः ('certainly/indeed')
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (निपात)
• Form: निपातः (particle), समुच्चय/अप्यर्थकः ('also/even')
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-निपात)
• Form: निषेधार्थकः अव्ययः (negation particle)
• Role: सम्बन्ध (Negation)

• प्रशस्ता: praiseworthy/approved
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्र + शस्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √शंस्/शस् (धातु) + क्त-प्रत्ययः)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative, case 1), एकवचनम् (singular); क्त-प्रत्ययान्तः (PPP: 'praised/approved'), उपसर्गः—प्र
• Role: कर्तृविशेषण (Predicate adjective to subject)

Sandhi Notes

• Sandhi resolution applied: यस्मिंस्तु → यस्मिन् + तु
• स्युरसन्निविष्टा → स्युः + असन्निविष्टाः
• यत स्स्यात् → यतः + स्यात्
• तदुपक्रमेत → तत् + उपक्रमेत
• भवत्यर्थपरो → भवति + अर्थपरः
• लोकेकामात्मता → लोके + कामात्मता
• खल्वपि → खलु + अपि

Context

If actions which combine these three (dharma, artha and kama), cannot be performed (which is likely), resort to righteousness. (For) one who seeks wealth is abhorred and one who seeks fulfilment of desires does not attract admiration in this world.

The teaching

When life’s aims collide, choose the path that secures dharma; greed and desire invite contempt and are not praised by the wise.

Duties in tension

• Pursuit of artha and kāma vs. safeguarding dharma when they cannot co-exist

Ethical theme

Normative hierarchy of values (śreyas over preyas)

How it resolves

Hierarchical prioritization (dharma first)

For your practice

Daily discernment practice: when torn, select the dhārmika option; treat desire/greed as signals to pause and re-evaluate.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Shanta (peace)

Mood

Principled, cautionary, clear-eyed

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Ethics
• Purusharthas
• Renunciation
• Moral hierarchy

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• dharma
• artha
• kāma

FAQs

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

When values conflict, dharma has precedence; artha and kāma are ethically inferior if pursued as the ruling motive.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama concludes a moral argument to Lakshmana: if the three human aims cannot be harmonized, choose the path that preserves righteousness.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral prioritization—Rama’s commitment to dharma as the supreme guide in decision-making.