Valmiki Ramayana 2.23.33: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 23, Shloka 33

लक्ष्मणक्रोधः · दैवपुरुषकारविवादः

Lakshmana’s Wrath and the Debate on Destiny vs Human Effort

Spoken by Lakṣmaṇa to RamaSetting: Ayodhya (implied palace/city environs during exile crisis)

Devanagari script

खड्गनिष्पेषनिष्पिष्टैर्गहना दुश्चरा च मे ।

हस्त्यश्वनरहस्तोरुशिरोभिर्भविता मही ॥३३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.23.33

Transliteration

khaḍganiṣpeṣaniṣpiṣṭair gahanā duścarā ca me |

hastyaśvanarahastōruśirobhir bhavitā mahī ||33||

Translation

เพราะเรานี่เอง แผ่นดินจักหนาทึบและยากยิ่งแก่การผ่านไป ถูกกรีดบดด้วยคมดาบจนเกลื่อนกลาดไปด้วยงวงช้าง ม้าล้ม และมือ ต้นขา กับศีรษะของนักรบที่ถูกฟันยับเยิน

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Word by Word

• khaḍga-niṣpeṣa-niṣpiṣṭaiḥ: by those crushed/hacked by sword-blows
• Type: Adjective
• Root: khaḍga (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣpeṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + niṣpiṣṭa (कृदन्त)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष-समास; तृतीया (Instrumental), बहुवचन (Plural); विशेषणम् (hasty-aśva-...-śirobhiḥ इत्यादीनां)
• Role: Karana (करणम्)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• gahanā: dense / impassable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gahana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mahī)
• Role: Kriya-puraka (क्रियापूरकः)

• duścarā: hard to traverse
• Type: Adjective
• Root: duścara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (mahī)
• Role: Kriya-puraka (क्रियापूरकः)

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)

• me: my / for me
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन
• Role: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्धः)

• hasti-aśva-nara-hasta-ūru-śirobhiḥ: with (severed) elephant-trunks, horses, men’s hands, thighs and heads
• Type: Noun
• Root: hasti (प्रातिपदिक) + aśva (प्रातिपदिक) + nara (प्रातिपदिक) + hasta (प्रातिपदिक) + ūru (प्रातिपदिक) + śiras (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-समास (enumerative); तृतीया, बहुवचन
• Role: Karana (करणम्)
• Compound: Dvandva

• bhavitā: will become
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद; प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

• mahī: the earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

Sandhi Notes

• niṣpiṣṭair gahanā = niṣpiṣṭaiḥ + gahanā (visarga sandhi)
• hasty-aśva-... = hasti + aśva + ... (compound with vowel coalescence)
• hasta-ūru = hasta + ūru

Context

This entire earth will become impenetrable and impassable, scattered with the trunks, thighs and heads of elephants, horses and warriors hacked off with my sword.

The teaching

Even righteous loyalty becomes adharma when driven by uncontrolled wrath; strength must be yoked to discernment and obedience to higher dharma.

Duties in tension

• Kshatriya duty to protect Rama and resist injustice
• Duty to uphold royal order and avoid fratricidal/civil bloodshed
• Obedience to the king’s decree vs loyalty to dharma and truth

Ethical theme

Krodha-niyama; rajadharma vs kuladharma

How it resolves

De-escalation through Rama’s restraint (implied in surrounding context)

For your practice

Practice of krodha-śamana: observe how anger magnifies imagined violence; cultivate śānti and surrender to dharma-guided action.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Raudra (fury), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Menacing, blood-soaked, unyielding

Themes

• Dharma
• Kṣātra-dharma
• Hyperbolic martial imagery
• Protection

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Lakṣmaṇa
• Rāma
• khaḍga (sword)
• elephants
• horses
• warriors

FAQs

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

It dramatizes the kṣatriya obligation to enforce protection through force when necessary—violence is portrayed as a last-resort instrument to prevent the triumph of adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakṣmaṇa intensifies his reassurance by painting a terrifying picture of what would happen to any armed opposition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Martial fearlessness and willingness to bear the burden of conflict to safeguard Rāma.