Valmiki Ramayana 2.23.33 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 23, Shloka 33

लक्ष्मणक्रोधः—दैवपुरुषकारविवादः

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

Devanagari script

खड्गनिष्पेषनिष्पिष्टैर्गहना दुश्चरा च मे।हस्त्यश्वनरहस्तोरुशिरोभिर्भविता मही।।।।

Transliteration

khaḍganiṣpeṣaniṣpiṣṭair gahanā duścarā ca me | hastyaśvanarahastōruśirobhir bhavitā mahī || 2.23.33 ||

Translation

私のせいで大地は、剣によって砕かれた象の鼻、馬、そして戦士の手や太股、頭で埋め尽くされ、通ることさえできなくなるでしょう。

Word by Word

• khaḍga-niṣpeṣa-niṣpiṣṭaiḥ: by those crushed/hacked by sword-blows
• khaḍga-niṣpeṣa-niṣpiṣṭaiḥ: Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣpeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣpiṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (hasty-aśva-...-śirobhiḥ इत्यादीनां)

• gahanā: dense / impassable
• gahanā: Kriya-puraka (क्रियापूरकः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mahī)

• duścarā: hard to traverse
• duścarā: Kriya-puraka (क्रियापूरकः)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duścara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mahī)

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय

• me: my / for me
• me: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• hasti-aśva-nara-hasta-ūru-śirobhiḥ: with (severed) elephant-trunks, horses, men’s hands, thighs and heads
• hasti-aśva-nara-hasta-ūru-śirobhiḥ: Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + nara (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + ūru (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समास (enumerative); तृतीया, बहुवचन

• bhavitā: will become
• bhavitā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• mahī: the earth
• mahī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Context

This entire earth will become impenetrable and impassable, scattered with the trunks, thighs and heads of elephants, horses and warriors hacked off with my sword.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• khaḍga (sword)
• elephants
• horses
• warriors

FAQs

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

It dramatizes the kṣatriya obligation to enforce protection through force when necessary—violence is portrayed as a last-resort instrument to prevent the triumph of adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa intensifies his reassurance by painting a terrifying picture of what would happen to any armed opposition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial fearlessness and willingness to bear the burden of conflict to safeguard Rāma.