Valmiki Ramayana 2.23.15 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 23, Shloka 15

लक्ष्मणक्रोधः—दैवपुरुषकारविवादः

Lakshmana’s Wrath and the Debate on Destiny vs Human Effort

Devanagari script

यद्यपि प्रतिपत्तिस्ते दैवी चापि तयोर्मतम्।तथाप्युपेक्षणीयं ते न मे तदपि रोचते।।।।

Transliteration

yady api pratipattis te daivī cāpi tayor matam | tathāpy upeksaṇīyaṃ te na me tad api rocate ||

Translation

Quand bien même tu tiendrais leur insistance pour le Destin divin lui-même, tu dois pourtant l’écarter ; même cette pensée ne m’agrée point.

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Condition marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक-अव्यय

• अपि: even
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (concessive: "even if")

• प्रतिपत्तिः: understanding, resolve
• प्रतिपत्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिपत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ते: your
• ते: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Possessor)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी एकवचन-रूप (enclitic "te" = your/to you); here षष्ठी ("your")

• दैवी: divine, fated
• दैवी: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (of प्रतिपत्तिः)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय

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

• तयोः: of those two
• तयोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, द्विवचन

• मतम्: opinion, view
• मतम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; "opinion/decision"

• तथापि: even so
• तथापि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse modifier)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा + अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय-समुच्चय (concessive adverb: "even then")

• उपेक्षणीयम्: should be ignored
• उपेक्षणीयम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण/Predicate necessity)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-ईक्ष् (धातु) + अनीयर् (कृदन्त)
• Form: अनीयर्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive: "to be disregarded"); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here predicate with implied "(it)"

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन ("to you")

• न: not
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Negator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान/Dative experiencer)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी/षष्ठी एकवचन-रूप; here चतुर्थी ("to me") with रोचते

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of rocate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; here subject of रोचते

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

• रोचते: pleases
• रोचते: Kriyā (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; भावे/कर्तरि ("pleases")

Context

It might be your opinion that their dictate is the decree of destiny. Even then, it does not satisfy me. It (destiny) should be ignored.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• daiva (destiny)

FAQs

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

Ethical action should not be excused by fatalism; Lakṣmaṇa rejects using ‘destiny’ to justify accepting harmful or unjust outcomes.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa anticipates that Rāma may interpret the command as fate and urges him to set aside that framing.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Resolve and accountability—Lakṣmaṇa stresses human responsibility over surrender to daiva.