Valmiki Ramayana 2.19.22 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 19, Shloka 22

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

Devanagari script

न ह्यतो धर्मचरणं किञ्चिदस्ति महत्तरम्।यथा पितरिशुश्रूषा तस्य वा वचनक्रिया।।2.19.22।।

Transliteration

na hy ato dharmacaraṇaṃ kiñcid asti mahattaram | yathā pitari śuśrūṣā tasya vā vacanakriyā ||2.19.22||

Translation

یقیناً دھرم کی کوئی ریاضت اس سے بڑھ کر نہیں کہ باپ کی خدمت کی جائے، یا اس کے فرمان کو بجا لایا جائے۔

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Negation particle (निषेध)

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (हेतौ/निश्चयार्थक)

• ataḥ: than this; from this
• ataḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ataḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Ablatival adverb (तस्मात्/अतः = than this/from this)

• dharma-caraṇam: practice of righteousness
• dharma-caraṇam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक) + caraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'practice of dharma'

• kiñcit: anything
• kiñcit: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiñcit (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; 'anything'

• asti: is
• asti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (Present/लट्), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Singular

• mahattaram: greater
• mahattaram: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; comparative degree (तरप्) qualifying dharmacaraṇam/kiñcit

• yathā: as
• yathā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमान/यथा = as)

• pitari: towards/in regard to father
• pitari: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• śuśrūṣā: service; obedience
• śuśrūṣā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śuśrūṣā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: Disjunctive particle (विकल्पार्थक)

• vacana-kriyā: carrying out his command
• vacana-kriyā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक) + kriyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'performance of (his) word/command'

Context

There is no greater observance of righteousness than doing service to one's father or carrying out his orders.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daśaratha
• Kaikeyī
• dharma

FAQs

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

Serving one’s father and fulfilling his spoken word are framed as the highest dharma in this context.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma justifies his acceptance of exile by stating that obedience to his father is the supreme moral act.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reverence for elders and disciplined obedience (maryādā).