Ramayana Quotes with Source and Meaning

Quick answer: The best-known lines of Valmiki's Ramayana include the first shloka, ma nishada (1.2.15); Rama's promise that he "does not speak twice" (2.18.30); Sumitra's blessing to Lakshmana, "regard Rama as Dasharatha" (2.40.9); Rama's words that truth is the lord of the world (2.109.13); and his vow of refuge to anyone who surrenders even once (6.18.32). Each is given below with its context and meaning.

References are kanda.sarga.verse in the IIT Kanpur text of Valmiki's Ramayana, with the English of the Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati. We print the Sanskrit only where that text and the Sanskrit Wikisource text agree word for word. Where the two editions differ, we give the meaning and say how they differ. Translations below are our own plain renderings, checked against the Tirupati English.

The first shloka: ma nishada (1.2.15)

मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः।

यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम्॥

Meaning: "O hunter, may you never find rest for endless years, for you killed one of this pair of krauncha birds lost in love."

Context: By the river Tamasa, Valmiki saw a hunter shoot one of a pair of mating krauncha birds. Grief burst from him in this verse, in a metre no one had used before. Brahma then told him to tell the story of Rama in the same metre. This is why Valmiki is called the adi kavi, the first poet, and the Ramayana the adi kavya.

"Rama does not speak twice" (2.18.30)

तद्ब्रूहि वचनं देवि राज्ञो यदभिकाङ्क्षितम्।

करिष्ये प्रतिजाने च रामो द्विर्नाभिभाषते॥

Meaning: "So tell me, my lady, what the king wishes. I will do it; I promise. Rama does not speak twice."

Context: Kaikeyi has not yet told Rama about her boons. Before he hears what is asked of him, Rama promises to obey. "Rama does not speak twice" means he never goes back on his word. The line is often quoted on keeping promises. See the Ayodhya Kanda summary.

"Regard Rama as Dasharatha" (2.40.9)

रामं दशरथं विद्धि मां विद्धि जनकात्मजाम्।

अयोध्यामटवीं विद्धि गच्छ तात यथासुखम्॥

Meaning: "Think of Rama as Dasharatha, think of Janaka's daughter as me, and think of the forest as Ayodhya. Go happily, my son."

Context: Sumitra blesses her son Lakshmana as he leaves with Rama and Sita for the forest. Rama is to be his father, Sita his mother, and the forest his home. See Lakshmana in the Ramayana.

"Truth is the lord of the world" (2.109.13)

सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्मा श्रिता सदा।

सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम्॥

Meaning: "Truth alone is the lord in this world; the goddess of fortune always rests on truth. Truth is the root of everything; there is nothing higher than truth."

Context: At Chitrakuta, the priest Jabali argues that Rama should forget his father's word and return to rule. Rama refuses and answers with a defence of truth and dharma.

"Pleasant words are easy to find" (3.37.2)

Meaning: "O king, people who always speak pleasantly are easy to find. But one who speaks what is unpleasant yet good for you, and one who will listen to it, are hard to find."

Context: Ravana asks Maricha to help him carry off Sita. Maricha warns him against it. The two texts differ by one small particle in the second line (tu in the IIT Kanpur text, ca on Wikisource), so we give only the meaning.

"Rama is dharma in human form" (3.37.13)

Meaning: "Rama is dharma embodied, good, and true in his valour; he is king of the whole world, as Indra is of the gods."

Context: In the same warning, Maricha describes Rama to Ravana. The first half, ramo vigrahavan dharmah, "Rama is dharma with a body", is one of the most quoted phrases of the epic. The second line is worded differently in the two texts (the comparison with Indra uses different names), so we do not print the Sanskrit.

"Not losing heart is the root of success" (5.12.10)

Meaning (IIT Kanpur text): "Not losing heart is the root of prosperity; not losing heart is the highest happiness. Not losing heart is what drives success in every undertaking."

Context: Hanuman has searched Ravana's palace without finding Sita and is close to despair. He pulls himself together with these words and searches again. The first line, anirvedah shriyo mulam, is the same in both texts. The second line differs: on Wikisource it reads "I will search again where I have not yet searched." See the Sundara Kanda summary.

The vow of refuge (6.18.32)

सकृदेव प्रपन्नाय तवास्मीति च याचते।

अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो ददाम्येतद्व्रतं मम॥

Meaning: "To anyone who comes to me even once and asks, saying 'I am yours', I give protection from all beings. This is my vow."

Context: Ravana's brother Vibhishana has come over to Rama's side. Sugriva and others suspect a trick. Rama decides to accept him and states this vow; in the next verse he adds that he would give the same protection even to Ravana if he came. Wikisource numbers the verse 6.18.33. In the Sri Vaishnava tradition this is a key verse on sharanagati, surrender to God. See Vibhishana in the Ramayana.

Popular lines to check before quoting

• "Deshe deshe kalatrani..." ("Wives can be found in every land, and kinsmen too, but I see no land where I can find a brother born of the same mother.") Rama's lament over the fallen Lakshmana. The Wikisource text has it at 6.101.15, but we could not find it at that place in the IIT Kanpur text. Quote it as "from some editions of Valmiki's Yuddha Kanda".
• "I do not know her armlets..." Lakshmana's reply that he recognises only Sita's anklets, because he bowed at her feet every day. The Wikisource text has it at 4.6.22. We could not find it at that number in the IIT Kanpur text, so we give no verse number here.
• Anything about the Lakshmana Rekha. There is no such line in Valmiki. See Lakshmana Rekha in Valmiki's Ramayana.

Many lines circulated as "Ramayana quotes" come from the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas, a different work, or from modern retellings. Ask for a kanda and verse number before trusting one.

Frequently asked questions

What is the first verse of the Ramayana?

The poem opens (1.1.1) with Valmiki questioning the sage Narada; in the verses that follow he asks who is the most virtuous man in the world. The first shloka, the verse that started poetry, is ma nishada (1.2.15).

What does "Ramo vigrahavan dharmah" mean?

"Rama is dharma in human form." Maricha says it to Ravana (3.37.13).

Who said "Rama does not speak twice"?

Rama himself, to Kaikeyi, before he hears the boons (2.18.30).

Where is Rama's vow of refuge?

Yuddha Kanda 6.18.32 in the IIT Kanpur text (6.18.33 on Wikisource), when Vibhishana comes to him.

Why do verse numbers differ between books?

Editions of the Ramayana divide and number the verses differently, and some contain verses others lack. Always name the edition when you quote a number.

Related reading

• Ramayana: The Complete Guide
• Ramayana FAQ
• Valmiki Ramayana vs Ramcharitmanas
• Ravana in the Ramayana
• Bhagavad Gita 2.47 meaning

Sources

1. Valmiki Ramayana, Sanskrit text with English translation (Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha, Tirupati), IIT Kanpur: heritage.iitk.ac.in/VRAM, for example 1.2.15 and 6.18.32.
2. Valmiki Ramayana, Sanskrit text, Sanskrit Wikisource: sa.wikisource.org, Ramayanam.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.