Valmiki Ramayana 2.86.8: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 86, Shloka 8

लक्ष्मणगुणवर्णनम् · Lakshmana’s Vigil and Guha’s Testimony

Spoken by Guha to BharataSetting: Daṇḍakāraṇya/forest region during exile (generic forest setting in Ayodhyākāṇḍa)Places named: vanaEarly forest-exile movement and settling/assessment of terrain

Devanagari script

न हि मेऽविदितं किञ्चिद्वनेऽस्मिंश्चरत स्सदा ।

चतुरङ्गं ह्यपि बलं प्रसहेम वयं युधि ॥८॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.86.8

Transliteration

na hi me 'viditaṃ kiñcid vane 'smiṃś carato sadā |

caturaṅgaṃ hy api balaṃ prasahema vayaṃ yudhi ||8||

Translation

Nada hay en este bosque que me sea desconocido, pues aquí de continuo camino; y en la batalla podríamos resistir incluso a un ejército de cuatro cuerpos.

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Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negation)

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अवधान/हेतु-भाव (indeed/for)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)

• मे: to me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, चतुर्थी (4th case) एकवचन (dative: to me) / षष्ठी (6th case) एकवचन (genitive: of me); अत्र अर्थतः चतुर्थी (to me)
• Role: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)

• अविदितम्: unknown
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विद् (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; न-प्रत्ययेन निषेध (unknown)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Predicate complement)

• किञ्चित्: anything
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अनिश्चित-प्रयोग (anything)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of 'is unknown')

• वने: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (locative)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन; सर्वनाम (this)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)

• चरतः: of (him) roaming
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) + शतृ (कृदन्त)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (present participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case), एकवचन; विशेषण (of one who roams)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive qualifier)

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of time)
• Role: Kala (काल/Time)

• चतुरङ्गम्: fourfold (army)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (चत्वारि अङ्गानि यस्य = four-limbed/fourfold) विशेषण (qualifying बलम्)
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (also/even)
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)

• बलम्: army/force
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म/Object)

• प्रसहेम: we could withstand
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सह् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)

• वयम्: we
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा (1st case), बहुवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)

• युधि: in battle
• Type: Noun
• Root: युध् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case), एकवचन (locative)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)

Sandhi Notes

• मेऽविदितम् = मे + अविदितम्
• किञ्चिद्वने = किञ्चित् + वने
• वनेऽस्मिन् = वने + अस्मिन्
• अस्मिंश्चरतः = अस्मिन् + चरतः
• ह्यपि = हि + अपि

Context

Nothing is unknown to me in this forest in which I range about continually. We can withstand an army of four divisions in a battle.

The teaching

Competence and vigilance in adversity support dharma; courage is grounded in knowledge of one’s terrain and duty to protect.

Ethical theme

Kṣātra-dharma / protective duty

For your practice

Cultivates abhayam (fearlessness) and steadiness in one’s svadharma; useful for japa/meditation on protective resolve.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)

Mood

Steadfast, martial, assured

Themes

• Dharma
• Protection
• Readiness
• Kingship support
• Ethics
• Itihasa

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Guha
• Bharata
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Competence in one’s responsibility is part of dharma—Guha grounds his promise of protection in real knowledge of terrain and capacity.

What is the narrative situation?

Guha strengthens his reassurance by stating his mastery of the forest and his people’s ability to resist organized military threat.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vigilance and capability: practical leadership that supports righteous persons through preparedness.