Valmiki Ramayana 2.21.21 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21, Shloka 21

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः

Lakṣmaṇa’s militant counsel and Rāma’s dharma-based persuasion of Kausalyā

Devanagari script

न चाधर्म्यं वच श्रुत्वा सपत्न्या मम भाषितम्।विहाय शोकसन्तप्तां गन्तुमर्हसि मामितः।।2.21.21।।

Transliteration

na cādharmyaṃ vacaḥ śrutvā sapatnyā mama bhāṣitam | vihāya śokasantaptāṃ gantum arhasi mām itaḥ || 2.21.21 ||

Translation

Nghe những lời bất chính do người vợ đồng thất của mẹ (Kaikeyī) thốt ra, con không nên bỏ mẹ đang bị sầu đau thiêu đốt mà rời khỏi nơi này để đi xa.

Word by Word

• na: not
• na: Nipāta
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Niṣedha-avyaya (निषेध) negation

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

• adharmyam: unrighteous
• adharmyam: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adharmya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; agrees with vacaḥ

• vacaḥ: words
• vacaḥ: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana (vacas is neuter a-stem-like in epic); object of śrutvā

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta absolutive

• sapatnyā: by the co-wife
• sapatnyā: Karta (कर्ता; in passive sense with bhāṣitam) / Karaṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: sapatnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana

• mama: my
• mama: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ṣaṣṭhī, Ekavacana

• bhāṣitam: spoken
• bhāṣitam: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhāṣita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √bhāṣ धातु)
• Form: Kta PPP; Napumsaka, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; agrees with vacaḥ; ‘spoken’

• vihāya: leaving
• vihāya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-hā (धातु)
• Form: Ktvānta absolutive; ‘having abandoned/left’

• śokasantaptām: grief-stricken
• śokasantaptām: Viśeṣaṇa
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śoka + santapta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; agrees with mām; tatpuruṣa ‘grief-scorched’

• gantum: to go
• gantum: Prayojana/Anukriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: Tumunanta infinitive

• arhasi: ought/should
• arhasi: Kriyā
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh (धातu)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Madhyama-puruṣa, Ekavacana; parasmaipada; with na → ‘you should not’

• mām: me
• mām: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strī? (speaker) Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; pronoun

• itaḥ: from here
• itaḥ: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: itaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: Apādāna-avyaya (अपादानार्थक) adverb ‘from here’

Context

By heeding the unrighteous words of my co-wife (Kaikeyi) it does not behove you to leave me grief-stricken and go away from here.

Characters & Entities

• Kausalyā
• Rāma
• Kaikeyī

FAQs

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

Kausalyā appeals to dharma in the form of compassion and filial responsibility: a son should not abandon his mother in acute suffering, especially when the cause is rooted in adharma (unrighteous counsel).

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā, devastated by the impending exile, pleads with Rāma not to depart after he has heard Kaikeyī’s harsh demands.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kausalyā highlights the virtue of familial care and moral discernment—urging Rāma to recognize and resist adharma-driven speech.