Shloka 16

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Devanagari script

कथं नु पुत्राः पितरं हन्युः कस्यां चिदापदि।भ्राता वा भ्रातरं हन्यात्सौमित्रे प्राणमात्मनः।।।।

Transliteration

kathaṃ nu putrāḥ pitaraṃ hanyuḥ kasyāṃ cid āpadi | bhrātā vā bhrātaraṃ hanyāt saumitre prāṇam ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

En cualquier calamidad, oh Saumitri, ¿cómo podrían los hijos matar a su padre? ¿O cómo podría un hermano matar a su propio hermano, tan querido como su misma vida?

Word by Word

kathamhow

nuindeed/ever (emphatic)

putrāḥsons

pitaramfather

hanyuḥmight kill

kasyāmin which

citany (at all)

āpadiin calamity

bhrātāa brother

vāor

bhrātaram(his) brother

hanyātmight kill

saumitreO Saumitra (Lakshmana)

prāṇamlife

ātmanaḥof himself

Context

If you are saying all these words only for the sake of the kingdom, then I shall ask Bharata when I see him to offer this kingdom to you.

Characters & Entities

Rama

Lakshmana (Saumitrī)

Bharata (implied by context of brotherhood)

father (Dasharatha, implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma upholds the sanctity of family bonds: patricide and fratricide are portrayed as almost unthinkable, even in crisis.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama argues against Lakshmana’s fear-driven assumptions, stressing that close kin do not turn murderous in righteous families.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s commitment to maryādā (moral boundaries) and faith in familial righteousness.