Valmiki Ramayana 2.96.23: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 23

चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्

Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army

Spoken by Lakṣmaṇa to RamaSetting: Citrakuta region (Rama’s forest dwelling)Places named: Ayodhya (implied by 'rajya')

Devanagari script

यन्निमित्तं भवान्राज्याच्छ्युतो राघव शाश्वतात् ॥२३॥

सम्प्राप्तोऽयमरिर्वीर भरतो वध्य एव मे ।

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.96.23

Transliteration

yannimittaṃ bhavān rājyāc chyuto rāghava śāśvatāt ||23||

samprāpto ’yam arir vīra bharato vadhya eva me |

Translation

Wahai Raghava, kerananya tuanku tersingkir dari kerajaan yang kekal, kini Bharata itu telah tiba sebagai musuh. Wahai pahlawan, bagiku dia hanya layak untuk dibunuh.

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Word by Word

• yat-nimittam: for which reason
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yat (यत्) + nimitta (निमित्त) (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyayībhāva: ‘for which reason’; indeclinable causal phrase
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)
• Compound: Avyayibhava

• bhavān: you
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhavat (भवत् प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun of respect; Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• rājyāt: from the kingdom
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājya (राज्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान)

• chyutaḥ: deprived, fallen away
• Type: Verb
• Root: cyu (च्यु धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; ‘fallen/deprived’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate of bhavān)

• rāghava: O Raghava
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāghava (राघव प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• śāśvatāt: from the perpetual (rightful)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvata (शाश्वत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (agreeing with rājyāt), Ablative, Singular; adjective of rājyāt
• Role: Apādāna (अपादान) (qualifier)

• samprāptaḥ: has arrived
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-pra-āp (सम्+प्र+आप् धातु)
• Form: Kṛdanta: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate of ayam ariḥ/bharataḥ
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• ayam: this
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (इदम् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; determiner of ariḥ
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (determiner)

• ariḥ: enemy
• Type: Noun
• Root: ari (अरि प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• vīra: O hero
• Type: Noun
• Root: vīra (वीर प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular
• Role: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (भरत प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; apposition to ayam ariḥ
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• vadhyaḥ: to be slain, deserving death
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vadhya (वध्य प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; predicate adjective ‘fit to be slain’
• Role: Karta (कर्ता) (predicate)

• eva: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; emphatic particle
• Role: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)

• me: for me / in my view
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (अस्मद् सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Genitive (6th), Singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

Sandhi Notes

• bhavān rājyāt chyutaḥ (rājyācchyutaḥ sandhi resolved)
• samprāpto’yam → samprāptaḥ ayam
• arirvīra → ariḥ vīra

Context

O that mighty warrior Bharata, on whose account you have been banished from the perpetual kingdom, comes here as a foe and as for me, he deserves to be slain.

The teaching

Anger and incomplete knowledge can invert dharma by turning kin into 'enemies'; counsel must be tested against truth and righteousness.

Duties in tension

• Kula-dharma (protecting and honoring a brother) vs perceived rāja-dharma (eliminating a supposed usurper/enemy)
• Kṣānti (forbearance) vs krodha (wrathful retaliation)

Ethical theme

Violence/just-war ethics; fraternal duty

For your practice

Practice of krodha-nigraha (restraint of anger) and viveka before action; remembering Rama as dharma-incarnate who restrains impulsive violence.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Vira (heroism)

Mood

Incensed, protective, confrontational

Themes

• Dharma
• Anger
• Misjudgment risk
• Ethics

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Bharata
• kingdom (rājya)

FAQs

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

The verse dramatizes the danger of adharma through hasty judgment: assuming guilt and prescribing violence without full knowledge violates dharmic restraint.

What is the narrative situation?

Seeing the approaching forces, Lakṣmaṇa interprets Bharata’s arrival as hostile and urges lethal action.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Loyalty, though expressed as excessive wrath—showing how devotion must be balanced by discernment (viveka).