Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 96, Shloka 17
चित्रकूटे सैन्यधूलिशब्ददर्शनम्
Alarm at Chitrakūṭa: Lakṣmaṇa sights the approaching army
सम्पन्नं राज्यमिच्छंस्तु व्यक्तं प्राप्याभिषेचनम्।आवां हन्तुं समभ्येति कैकेय्या भरतस्सुतः।।2.96.17।।
sampannaṃ rājyam icchaṃs tu vyaktaṃ prāpyābhiṣecanam |
āvāṃ hantuṃ samabhyeti kaikeyyā bharatas sutaḥ ||2.96.17||
सम्पन्नं राज्यमिच्छंस्तु व्यक्तं प्राप्याभिषेचनम्। आवां हन्तुं समभ्येति कैकेय्या भरतस्सुतः॥
There on that chariot, is a banner shining brilliantly with the emblem of a lofty majestic Kovidara tree with a large trunk.
FAQs
The verse raises the dharmic issue of interpreting others’ motives: suspicion can arise in crisis, but dharma demands truth-tested judgment rather than assumption.
Lakṣmaṇa interprets the approaching army as Bharata’s force and assumes hostile intent tied to the succession dispute.
Lakṣmaṇa’s unwavering protectiveness—paired with a tendency toward rash inference under stress.