Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: Kaikeyī Informs Rāma About the two Boons
Text 2.18.29

नियुक्तो गुरुणा पित्रा नृपेण च हितेन च॥

niyukto guruṇā pitrā nṛpeṇa ca hitena ca

niyuktaḥ = ordered; guruṇā = by My guru; pitrā = father; nṛpeṇa ca = king; hitena = well-wishing authority, I will certainly do [as he says]; ca = and.

Ordered by My guru, father, king and well-wishing authority, I will certainly do [as he says].

Being a guru, being a father, being a king and being a well-wishing authority are reasons for one’s instructions to be carried out.1 

GLOSS. Hitena indicates that Daśaratha was [Rāma’s well-wisher], unlike Hiraṇyakaśipu.1 Nṛpeṇa indicates that Daśaratha was [Rāma’s ruling authority], unlike Ugrasena.2 Guruṇā indicates that Daśaratha was [Rāma’s spiritual master], unlike Dhṛtarāṣṭra.3


1 In other words, one should carry out the instructions of a guru, father, king or well-wishing authority. Of course, those instructions should be within the ambit of Vedic dharma, etc.

1 Hiraṇyakaśipu was an ill-wisher of his son Prahlāda.

 

2 Ugrasena was imprisoned by his son Kaṁsa and so Ugrasena was not his son’s ruling authority.

 

3 Dhṛtarāṣṭra did not give spiritual instructions to his sons and he was not his sons’ spiritual master.