Shloka 6.102.12

लक्ष्मण-प्राणरक्षा: (Lakshmana’s Revival by the Herb-Mountain)

Devanagari script

किंमेयुद्धेनकिंप्राणैर्युद्धकार्यं न विद्यते ।यत्रायंनिहतश्शेतेरणमूर्धनिलक्ष्मणः ।।।।

Transliteration

kiṃ me yuddhena kiṃ prāṇair yuddhakāryaṃ na vidyate | yatrāyaṃ nihataḥ śete raṇamūrdhani lakṣmaṇaḥ ||

Translation

What use to me is this battle, what use is life itself? There is no purpose in fighting when Lakṣmaṇa lies struck down at the very front of the fray.

Context

'What purpose is there to fight in battle or in life with Lakshmana lying in the forefront struck in the battlefield?'

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• battlefront (raṇa-mūrdhan)

FAQs

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

The verse dramatizes a dharmic crisis: Rama’s sense of duty is inseparable from the lives and sacrifices of the righteous; he refuses to treat war as an abstract achievement.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama, seeing Lakṣmaṇa down at the battlefront, voices despair and loss of purpose.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Deep relational responsibility—Rama’s life-purpose is tied to protecting those who uphold dharma.