Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 31

चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्

Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army

Devanagari script

शराणां धनुषश्चाहमनृणोऽस्मिन्महावने।ससैन्यं भरतं हत्वा भविष्यामि न संशयः।।2.96.31।।

Transliteration

śarāṇāṃ dhanuṣaś cāham anṛṇo ’smin mahāvane | sa-sainyaṃ bharataṃ hatvā bhaviṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ || 2.96.31 ||

Translation

ಈ ಮಹಾವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಭರತನನ್ನು ಅವನ ಸೇನೆಯೊಡನೆ ಸಂಹರಿಸಿ, ನಾನು ನಿಶ್ಚಯವಾಗಿ ನನ್ನ ಧನುಸ್ಸಿಗೂ ಬಾಣಗಳಿಗೂ ಇರುವ ಋಣವನ್ನು ತೀರಿಸುವೆನು.

Word by Word

• शराणाम्: of the arrows
• शराणाम्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha: genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन (Masculine, Genitive, Plural)

• धनुषः: of the bow
• धनुषः: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha: genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन (Neuter, Genitive, Singular)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordination)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Kartā: subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Pronoun, Nominative, Singular)

• अनृणः: free of debt / having discharged (debt)
• अनृणः: कर्ता (Kartā: subject complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विधेय-विशेषणम् (predicate adjective) (Masculine Nominative Singular)

• अस्मिन्: in this
• अस्मिन्: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa: location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Locative Singular)

• महावने: in the great forest
• महावने: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa: location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा (प्रातिपदिक) + वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (महद् वनम् = great forest); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन (Neuter, Locative, Singular)

• ससैन्यम्: with (his) army
• ससैन्यम्: कर्म (Karma: object qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + सैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (सैन्येन सह = accompanied by an army); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; 'भरतम्' इति विशेषणम् (Masculine Accusative Singular)

• भरतम्: Bharata
• भरतम्: कर्म (Karma: object of hatvā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masculine, Accusative, Singular)

• हत्वा: having slain
• हत्वा: पूर्वकालक्रिया (Pūrvakāla-kriyā: prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु) + त्वा (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्ययीभावरूप कृदन्त (gerund/absolutive), पूर्वकाल (having done)

• भविष्यामि: I will become
• भविष्यामि: क्रिया (Kriyā)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन (Future, 1st person singular)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation particle)

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: कर्ता (Kartā: subject of implied 'asti')
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (Masculine, Nominative, Singular)

Context

O Lakshmana, do ascertain if any king or prince has come for hunting or whether any ferocious animal has entered this forest, shouldn't you?

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Bharata
• army (sainya)
• bow (dhanus)
• arrows (śara)
• great forest (mahāvana)

FAQs

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

The verse warns against mistaking personal loyalty for righteous violence: dharma demands verification and proportionality; anger-driven vows can violate truth (satya) and kinship-duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakshmana, suspecting Bharata’s intentions, declares he will kill Bharata and his forces, framing it as fulfilling the purpose of his weapons.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The episode foregrounds the virtue of restraint by setting up Rama’s pacification of Lakshmana immediately afterward.