Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.26: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 26
भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival
Chitrakuta Encampment
Spoken by Lakṣmaṇa to RamaSetting: Forest vantage near an approaching host; scanning for royal insigniaExile-period; identification of the approaching party
न तु पश्यामि तच्छत्रं पाण्डुरं लोकसत्कृतम् ।
पितुर्दिव्यं महाबाहो संशयो भवतीह मे ॥२६॥
na tu paśyāmi tac chatraṃ pāṇḍuraṃ lokasatkṛtam |
pitur divyaṃ mahābāho saṃśayo bhavatīha me ||26||
Doch, o Langarmiger, sehe ich nicht den strahlend weißen Königsschirm meines Vaters, der unter den Menschen geehrt ist; darum kommt mir hier Zweifel auf.
Sandhi Notes
- तच्छत्रम् → तत् छत्रम्
- पितुर्दिव्यम् → पितुः दिव्यम्
- भवतीह → भवति इह
I do not see, O long-armed one! that splendid white canopy of my father, well-respected by men. And this gives rise to doubts in my mind.
The teaching
When key signs are missing, acknowledge doubt openly; act after clearer knowledge rather than impulse.
Duties in tension
- Duty to interpret signs prudently vs risk of premature conclusions
- Filial concern for father vs commitment to exile discipline and composure
- Ethical theme
- Prudence under uncertainty
- How it resolves
- Recognition of uncertainty (saṃśaya) prompting further verification
For your practice
Training in witnessing doubt without panic; cultivating steadiness (dhairya) and inquiry (vicāra).
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Bhayanaka (fear), with Karuna (compassion)
- Mood
- Doubtful, foreboding, tense
Themes
- Satya
- Dharma
- Itihasa
- Discernment
- Evidence-based-reasoning
Saṃśaya (doubt) is a classic obstacle to knowledge; absence of a sign triggers mental projection—requiring steadiness and inquiry.
Muṇḍaka’s emphasis on moving from uncertainty to higher knowledge (parā vidyā) contrasts with reliance on external marks.
- Lakshmana and Rama
- Brothers; Lakṣmaṇa confiding doubt (uneasy)
- Lakshmana and Dasharatha
- Son-father; concern for father’s presence/status (worried)
- Lakshmana and People
- Awareness of public honor toward royal insignia (anxious)
Mahābhārata (chatra as rājalakṣaṇa; loss/absence of insignia signaling political reversal); Rāmacaritamānasa Ayodhyākāṇḍa (forebodings and signs around Daśaratha’s fate)
Dharmaśāstra/arthaśāstra conventions: royal insignia as markers of sovereignty
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Daśaratha’s decline and death; the narrative’s movement toward confirmation of ominous doubt
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Solemn
Slight kampita (tremor) on ‘saṃśayaḥ’ to mirror doubt; restrained pace
FAQs
Satya-aligned discernment: even with strong indications, one should acknowledge missing signs and avoid premature certainty.
Despite seeing royal animals and movement, Lakṣmaṇa notes the absence of Daśaratha’s distinctive white canopy, creating uncertainty about who leads the party.
Critical thinking and honesty—Lakṣmaṇa openly admits doubt rather than forcing a conclusion.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
