Valmiki Ramayana 2.96.23 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 23

चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्

Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army

Devanagari script

यन्निमित्तं भवान्राज्याच्छ्युतो राघव शाश्वतात्।।2.96.23।।सम्प्राप्तोऽयमरिर्वीर भरतो वध्य एव मे।

Transliteration

yannimittaṃ bhavān rājyāc chyuto rāghava śāśvatāt || 2.96.23 || samprāpto ’yam arir vīra bharato vadhya eva me |

Translation

O Raghava, um dessentwillen du aus dem ewigen Königreich vertrieben wurdest – hier ist ebenjener Bharata als Feind eingetroffen. O Mächtiger, für mich ist er nur würdig, getötet zu werden.

Word by Word

• yat-nimittam: for which reason
• yat-nimittam: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yat (यत्) + nimitta (निमित्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva: ‘for which reason’; indeclinable causal phrase

• bhavān: you
• bhavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun of respect; Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• rājyāt: from the kingdom
• rājyāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (राज्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular

• chyutaḥ: deprived, fallen away
• chyutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate of bhavān)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cyu (च्यु धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘fallen/deprived’

• rāghava: O Raghava
• rāghava: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (राघव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• śāśvatāt: from the perpetual (rightful)
• śāśvatāt: Apādāna (अपादान) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvata (शाश्वत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (agreeing with rājyāt), Ablative, Singular; adjective of rājyāt

• samprāptaḥ: has arrived
• samprāptaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-āp (सम्+प्र+आप् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate of ayam ariḥ/bharataḥ

• ayam: this
• ayam: Karta (कर्ता) (determiner)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; determiner of ariḥ

• ariḥ: enemy
• ariḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ari (अरि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• vīra: O hero
• vīra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (वीर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (भरत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; apposition to ayam ariḥ

• vadhyaḥ: to be slain, deserving death
• vadhyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vadhya (वध्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective ‘fit to be slain’

• eva: indeed
• eva: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle

• me: for me / in my view
• me: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th), Singular

Context

O Rama, I do not see anything wrong in slaying Bharata. In killing one who had done harm is not an act of unrighteousness.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Bharata
• kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

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

The verse dramatizes the danger of adharma through hasty judgment: assuming guilt and prescribing violence without full knowledge violates dharmic restraint.

What is the narrative situation?

Seeing the approaching forces, Lakṣmaṇa interprets Bharata’s arrival as hostile and urges lethal action.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty, though expressed as excessive wrath—showing how devotion must be balanced by discernment (viveka).