Valmiki Ramayana 2.96.17 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 17

चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्

Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army

Devanagari script

सम्पन्नं राज्यमिच्छंस्तु व्यक्तं प्राप्याभिषेचनम्।आवां हन्तुं समभ्येति कैकेय्या भरतस्सुतः।।2.96.17।।

Transliteration

sampannaṃ rājyam icchaṃs tu vyaktaṃ prāpyābhiṣecanam |

āvāṃ hantuṃ samabhyeti kaikeyyā bharatas sutaḥ ||2.96.17||

Translation

“ഇത് വ്യക്തമാണ്: അഭിഷേകം പ്രാപിച്ച്, നിർവിഘ്നമായ സമൃദ്ധരാജ്യം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന കൈകേയിയുടെ പുത്രൻ ഭരതൻ നമ്മളിരുവരെയും കൊല്ലാൻ വരുന്നു.”

Word by Word

• sampannam: prosperous, well-established
• sampannam: Karma (कर्म) (qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sampanna (सम्पन्न प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifying rājyam

• rājyam: kingdom
• rājyam: Karma (कर्म) (object of icchan)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• icchan: desiring
• icchan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (इष् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; qualifying bharataḥ sutaḥ

• tu: but, indeed
• tu: Sambandha-bodhaka (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; particle (निपात)

• vyaktam: clearly, evidently
• vyaktam: Kriya-visheshaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyakta (व्यक्त प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; adverbial usage ‘clearly/evidently’

• prāpya: having obtained
• prāpya: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prā-āp (प्र+आप् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), ‘having obtained/after obtaining’

• abhiṣecanam: consecration, coronation
• abhiṣecanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhiṣecana (अभिषेचन प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; object of prāpya

• āvām: us two
• āvām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Dual, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया) (also form used for Nominative in some contexts, but here object)

• hantum: to slay
• hantum: Prayojana (प्रयोजन/उद्देश्य)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (हन् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Infinitive (तुमुन्), ‘to kill’

• samabhyeti: approaches, comes towards
• samabhyeti: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-abhi-i (सम्+अभि+इ धातु)
• Form: Laṭ (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada, 3rd Person, Singular

• kaikeyyāḥ: of Kaikeyi
• kaikeyyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (कैकेयी प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (appositional)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (भरत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; in apposition with sutaḥ

• sutaḥ: son
• sutaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: suta (सुत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

Context

There on that chariot, is a banner shining brilliantly with the emblem of a lofty majestic Kovidara tree with a large trunk.

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• Bharata
• Kaikeyī
• Abhiṣeka (consecration/coronation)
• Kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

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

The verse raises the dharmic issue of interpreting others’ motives: suspicion can arise in crisis, but dharma demands truth-tested judgment rather than assumption.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa interprets the approaching army as Bharata’s force and assumes hostile intent tied to the succession dispute.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Lakṣmaṇa’s unwavering protectiveness—paired with a tendency toward rash inference under stress.