Valmiki Ramayana 2.96.30: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 30
चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्
Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army
शरैर्निर्भिन्नहृदयान्कुञ्जरांस्तुरगांस्तथा ।
श्वापदाः परिकर्षन्तु नरांश्च निहतान्मया ॥३०॥
śarair nirbhinna-hṛdayān kuñjarāṃs turagāṃs tathā |
śvāpadāḥ parikarṣantu narāṃś ca nihatān mayā ||30||
“Biarlah binatang buas menyeret pergi gajah-gajah, kuda-kuda, bahkan manusia—yang telah kutewaskan, dengan hati tertembus anak panah.”
Let the wild beasts drag away the elephants, horses and men to be killed by me with their hearts transfixed with my arrows.
FAQs
The verse illustrates adharma-born speech arising from anger: the moral lesson is that rage can distort judgment and produce violent intentions—hence dharma requires restraint and truth-aligned discernment.
Lakshmana, provoked by fear of Bharata’s approach (misread as hostility), imagines slaughter and the aftermath on the battlefield.
By contrast (through negative example), the need for self-control (dama/śama) is emphasized.
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