Valmiki Ramayana 2.96.6: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 6
चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्
Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army
Setting: Forest near Citrakūṭa (contextual)
तांश्च विद्रुवतो दृष्ट्वा तं च श्रुत्वा च निस्वनम् ।
उवाच राम स्सौमित्रिं लक्ष्मणं दीप्ततेजसम् ॥६॥
tāṃś ca vidruvato dṛṣṭvā taṃ ca śrutvā ca nisvanam |
uvāca rāmaḥ saumitriṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ dīpta-tejasam ||6||
Als er sie davonlaufen sah und diesen Lärm hörte, sprach Rama zu Lakshmana, dem Sohn der Sumitra, der vor Energie strahlte.
Sandhi Notes
- तांश्च = तान् + च
- विद्रुवतो (पाठे) = विद्रुवतः (शतृ-प्रत्ययान्त)
- राम स्सौमित्रिं = रामः सौमित्रिम् (विसर्ग-सन्धि)
- सिंहै स्सहसा इत्यादिवत् ‘स्’ द्वित्व-लेखनम्।
Seeing those animals fleeing and hearing the clamour, Rama addressed Lakshmana,son of Sumitra, who was blazing with energy.
The teaching
Heroism is not mere heat; it is directed tejas—Rāma channels Lakṣmaṇa’s brilliance into purposeful response after careful observation.
Duties in tension
- Maintaining forest-peace of exile vs responding to imminent threat
- Restraining Lakṣmaṇa’s fury vs enabling necessary defense
- Ethical theme
- Leadership dharma; disciplined courage
- How it resolves
- Leadership guidance and strategic action
For your practice
Model for sādhaka: let buddhi (Rāma-like clarity) guide prāṇa/tejas (Lakṣmaṇa-like force).
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)
- Mood
- Poised, decisive, charged
Themes
- Itihasa
- Narrative
- Dharma
Tejas as inner luminosity; the disciplined mind directing energy toward right action.
Tejas/luminosity motifs common to Upaniṣadic descriptions of inner light, here embodied as heroic radiance.
- Rama and Lakshmana
- Elder_brother_commanding_younger_brother; comrades-in-exile (focused, trust)
- Rama and Army
- Kṣatriya responding to threat (controlled, readiness)
Mahābhārata: elder brother/leader addressing a chief ally before action (general parallel); Rāmacaritamānasa: Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa counsel before encounters (general parallel)
Epic convention of leader’s address after observing omens
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: repeated Rama–Lakshmana dialogues where Rama steadies/directs Lakshmana’s intensity (theme-level)
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Commanding
Firm nyāsa on "saumitrim" and "dīptatejasam"
FAQs
Righteous conduct includes appropriate delegation and calm leadership: Rama turns to Lakshmana for coordinated action rather than reacting alone.
After noticing the disturbance, Rama initiates communication with Lakshmana to assess the situation.
Leadership through composed decision-making and reliance on trusted companions.
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