Valmiki Ramayana 2.33.16 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 33, Shloka 16

त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Civic Lament and Rama’s Dutiful Approach to Daśaratha

Devanagari script

ते लक्ष्मण इव क्षिप्रं सपत्न्य स्सहबान्धवाः।गच्छन्तमनुगच्छामो येन गच्छति राघवः।।।।

Transliteration

te lakṣmaṇa iva kṣipraṃ sapatnyaḥ sahabāndhavāḥ | gacchantam anugacchāmo yena gacchati rāghavaḥ ||

Translation

ലക്ഷ്മണനെപ്പോലെ ഞങ്ങളും ഭാര്യമാരോടും ബന്ധുക്കളോടും കൂടി വേഗത്തിൽ—രാഘവൻ പോകുന്ന ഏതു വഴിയിലൂടെയായാലും—അവനെ അനുഗമിക്കാം.

Word by Word

• te: we/those (people)
• te: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• lakṣmaṇa: Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇa: Upamāna (उपमान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Sambodhana/Prathamā Ekavacana form; used in comparison with iva

• iva: like
• iva: Upamāna-marker (उपमान-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Upamā-avyaya (comparison)

• kṣipram: quickly
• kṣipram: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रिया-विशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṣipra (अव्ययवत्/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Adverb (kriyā-viśeṣaṇa): 'quickly'

• sapatnyaḥ: with (our) wives
• sapatnyaḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa-patnī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva-like preverbial compound: sa-patnī 'with wives'; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana; used adverbially with te

• sahabāndhavāḥ: with (our) kinsmen
• sahabāndhavāḥ: Sahakāraka (सहकारक)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saha (अव्यय) + bāndhava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva: saha-bāndhavāḥ 'together with relatives'; Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Bahuvacana

• gacchantam: the going one (Rama)
• gacchantam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Puṃliṅga, Dvitīyā, Ekavacana; object of anugacchāma

• anugacchāma: we follow
• anugacchāma: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√gam (अनुगम्)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Uttama-puruṣa (1st person), Bahuvacana, Parasmaipada

• yena: by which (way)
• yena: Adhikaraṇa/Karaṇa (अधिकरण/करण; 'by which way')
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napuṃsaka, Tṛtīyā, Ekavacana; relative pronoun used as instrumental of path/means

• gacchati: goes
• gacchati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √gam (गम्)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana, Parasmaipada

• rāghavaḥ: Rama
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

Context

Let all of us without delay along with our wives and relations follow Rama, like Lakshmana, wherever he goes.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Lakṣmaṇa
• wives (patnī)
• path/route (implicit)

FAQs

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

Dharma is expressed as allegiance to righteousness: when institutional decisions deviate, people feel compelled to align themselves with the dharmic person rather than the unjust command.

What is the narrative situation?

Overwhelmed by grief, the citizens resolve to accompany Rāma into exile, taking Lakṣmaṇa’s devoted following as their model.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s unwavering loyalty and service (sevā-bhāva), held up as the ideal response to Rāma’s suffering.