Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.21: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 21

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Devanagari script

व्रीलितं लक्ष्मणं दृष्ट्वा राघवः प्रत्युवाच ह ।

एष मन्ये महाबाहुरिहास्मान्द्रष्टुमागतः ॥२१॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.97.21

Transliteration

vrīlitaṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā rāghavaḥ pratyuvāca ha |

eṣa manye mahābāhur ihāsmān draṣṭum āgataḥ ||21||

Translation

ലക്ഷ്മണന്റെ ലജ്ജ കണ്ട റാഘവൻ മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു: ‘എനിക്ക് തോന്നുന്നു, ആ മഹാബാഹു ഇവിടെ നമ്മെ കാണാൻ വന്നിരിക്കുന്നു.’

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Word by Word

• vrīlitam: abashed
• vrīlitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vrīlita (कृदन्त, √vrī/vrīḍ धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• lakṣmaṇam: Lakshmana
• lakṣmaṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Purvakala (पूर्वकालः)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive): having seen

• rāghavaḥ: Raghava (Rama)
• rāghavaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• ha: indeed
• ha: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ha (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (narrative particle)

• eṣaḥ: this (man)
• eṣaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• manye: I think
• manye: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √man (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• mahābāhuḥ: mighty-armed
• mahābāhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (अव्यय/उपसर्गवत्) + bāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि-समास (महान्तौ बाहू यस्य); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place: here)

• asmān: us
• asmān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; द्वितीया बहुवचन (Accusative plural)

• draṣṭum: to see
• draṣṭum: Prayojana (प्रयोजनम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: तुमुन्-अन्त (infinitive): to see

• āgataḥ: has come
• āgataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā-√gam (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (PPP); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

Context

Observing Lakshmana's abashment, Rama said I think the mighty-armed king Dasaratha has come to see all of us here.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Daśaratha (implied by context as the ‘mighty-armed one’)

FAQs

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

Dharma as empathy and steadiness: Rāma responds gently to Lakṣmaṇa’s emotional state and frames the situation without harshness.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma notices Lakṣmaṇa’s embarrassment and voices a reasoned guess that their royal elder has arrived to meet them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s composure and considerate speech—he reads Lakṣmaṇa’s feelings and answers calmly.