संश्रुत्यैवं करिष्यामीत्यकुर्वाणस्य राघव। इष्टापूर्तवधो भूयात्तस्माद्रामं विसर्जय।।1.21.8।।
Meaning
"O Raghava, if you fail to do what you promised to do, the merit of your charitable and pious works will perish — therefore send Rama forth."
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| saṃśrutya evam kariṣyāmi iti | संश्रुत्य एवम् करिष्यामि इति | having promised 'thus I shall do' | Gerund + quoted speech |
| akurvāṇasya rāghava | अकुर्वाणस्य राघव | of one who does not do it, O descendant of Raghu | Genitive singular |
| iṣṭa-apūrta-vadhaḥ bhūyāt | इष्ट-अपूर्त-वधः भूयात् | there would be destruction of sacrifices and pious works | Nominative singular (optative sense) |
| tasmāt rāmam visarjaya | तस्मात् रामम् विसर्जय | therefore send Rama forth | Verb (imperative) |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source identifies iSTapuurta as a specific category of Vedic ritual merit tied to social-service works -- digging wells, building lakes, and other public-facing acts of religious duty -- which is what Vashishtha warns Dasharatha stands to lose if he breaks his given word to Vishvamitra.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.21.8 · Bāla Kāṇḍa