Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.58: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 58
अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः · Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma
based persuasion of Kausalyā
Spoken by Rama to KausalyaSetting: Ayodhya (ethical discourse context implied)
गुरुश्च राजा च पिता च वृद्धः क्रोधात्प्रहर्षाद्यदि वाऽपि कामात् ।
यद्व्यादिशेत्कार्यमवेक्ष्य धर्मं कस्तन्न कुर्यादनृशंसवृत्तिः ॥५८॥
guruś ca rājā ca pitā ca vṛddhaḥ krodhāt praharṣād yadi vā 'pi kāmāt |
yad vyādiśet kāryam avekṣya dharmaṁ kas tan na kuryād anṛśaṁsavṛttiḥ ||58||
ครู องค์กษัตริย์ บิดา หรือผู้เฒ่าผู้แก่ หากสั่งการใด—ด้วยโทสะ ด้วยความยินดี หรือแม้ด้วยความใคร่—เมื่อพิจารณาราชธรรมและธรรมแล้ว พึงกระทำตาม; ผู้ใดเล่าจะไม่ทำ นอกจากผู้มีใจโหดร้าย?
Sandhi Notes
- Resolved sandhi/pada-splitting: गुरुश्च→गुरुः+च
- वृद्धःक्रोधात्→वृद्धः+क्रोधात्
- प्रहर्षाद्यदि→प्रहर्षात्+यदि
- वाऽपि→वा+अपि
- कामात्।यद्→कामात्+यत्
- यद्व्यादिशेत्→यत्+व्यादिशेत्
- कार्यमवेक्ष्य→कार्यम्+अवेक्ष्य
- धर्मंकस्तन्न→धर्मम्+कः+तत्+न
Whatever a preceptor, an old man, a king and a father commands whether it is out of anger or pleasure or passion must be carried out as dharma. Who will not do it unless he is heartless?
The teaching
Honor commands of guru, king, father, and elders, but execute them with dharma in view; refusal marks cruelty only when dharma is not the true reason.
Duties in tension
- Obedience to authority figures (guru/rājā/pitā/vṛddha)
- Independent assessment of dharma when commands arise from passions (anger/delight/desire)
- Ethical theme
- Authority-obedience moderated by dharma
- How it resolves
- Principled obedience conditioned by dharma-consideration
For your practice
Supports daily practice of humility, guru-bhakti, and ethical discernment; useful for svādhyāya on obedience without moral blindness.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Didactic, grave, self-controlled
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Obedience
- Maryādā
- Filial duty
Karma-yoga-like framing: perform enjoined action with dharma as compass, not merely emotion-driven reaction to the commander’s mood.
Guru centrality echoes Upaniṣadic guru-śiṣya paradigm; dharma as guiding light over transient emotions (krodha/harṣa/kāma).
- disciple and Guru
- Obedience to teacher’s command (reverent)
- Son and Father
- Filial obedience (dutiful)
Mahābhārata, Śānti/Anuśāsana: obedience to elders and guru, with dharma as measure; Bhagavad Gītā: duty performed with dharma-yukta discernment (general parallel); Rāmacaritamānasa: emphasis on guru, pitā, rājā as worthy of obedience
Dharmaśāstra: guru/pitṛ/rājā-vākya as authoritative, conditioned by dharma
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Rāma’s consistent stance—father’s word as dharma; discussions on anṛśaṃsya and maryādā
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Solemn
Steady, low register; clear caesura after each pāda
FAQs
Dharma here is disciplined obedience to legitimate authority figures (guru, king, father, elder), treating their instruction as a binding moral duty rather than a matter of personal preference.
Rāma explains to his mother why he must accept and enact the command that results in his forest exile, grounding his decision in dharma.
Rāma’s steadfast adherence to duty (dharma-niṣṭhā) and refusal to act from resentment, even under painful circumstances.
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