Valmiki Ramayana 2.23.40: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 23, Shloka 40

लक्ष्मणक्रोधः · दैवपुरुषकारविवादः

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

Devanagari script

ब्रवीहि कोऽद्यैव मया वियुज्यताम् तवा सुहृत्प्राणयशस्सुहृज्जनैः ।

यथा तवेयं वसुधा वशे भवे त्तथैव मां शाधि तवास्मि किङ्करः ॥४०॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.23.40

Transliteration

bravīhi ko ’dyaiva mayā viyujyatāṃ tavāsuhṛt prāṇa-yaśaḥ-suhṛjjanaiḥ |

yathā taveyaṃ vasudhā vaśe bhavet tathaiva māṃ śādhi tavāsmi kiṅkaraḥ ||40||

Translation

จงบอกเถิด: ศัตรูของพระองค์คือผู้ใด ที่ข้าพเจ้าจะตัดเขาออกจากชีวิต เกียรติยศ และพวกพ้องของเขาในวันนี้เอง? โปรดบัญชาข้าพเจ้าว่าจะทำอย่างไรให้แผ่นดินนี้อยู่ใต้อำนาจของพระองค์—ข้าพเจ้าเป็นข้ารับใช้ของพระองค์

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Word by Word

• ब्रवीहि: tell (me)
• ब्रवीहि: क्रिया (मुख्य-आज्ञार्थक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative/command), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• कः: who
• कः: कर्ता (of वियुज्यताम्—agent in passive sense: 'who is to be separated')
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम्; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम (interrogative pronoun)

• अद्यैव: today itself / right now
• अद्यैव: क्रियाविशेषणम् (modifies वियुज्यताम्/ब्रवीहि)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य + एव (अव्यय)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्ययम् (temporal adverb) + निश्चयार्थक-निपातः (particle of emphasis)

• मया: by me
• मया: करणम् (instrument/agent-marker with passive: 'by me')
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: त्रिलिङ्गः (pronoun), तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), एकवचनम्

• वियुज्यताम्: let (him) be separated
• वियुज्यताम्: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + युज् (धातु) → वियुज्य (कृदन्त) + ताम् (लोट्-आत्मनेपद-प्रयोगः)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative/optative command sense), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), आत्मनेपदम्; कर्मणि-प्रयोगः (passive): 'let (him) be separated'

• तव: of you / your
• तव: सम्बन्धः (genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (2nd person pronoun)

• सुहृत्-प्राण-यशः-सुहृत्-जनैः: with (your) friends, life, fame, and friendly people
• सुहृत्-प्राण-यशः-सुहृत्-जनैः: सहकारक/करणम् (associative/instrumental: 'together with')
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक) + यशस् (प्रातिपदिक) + सुहृत् (प्रातिपदिक) + जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समाहार-द्वन्द्व/इतरेतर-द्वन्द्व-भावः (copulative sense: 'with X, Y, Z...'); तृतीया-विभक्तिः (instrumental), बहुवचनम् (plural); पुंलिङ्ग-प्रधानः (head: जन)

• यथा: as / in such a way that
• यथा: वाक्य-सम्बन्धक (links the two clauses)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्बन्धबोधक-अव्ययम् (correlative/conjunctive adverb: 'as/how')

• तव: of you / your
• तव: सम्बन्धः
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive), एकवचनम्

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: कर्ता (of भवेत्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम (demonstrative pronoun)

• वसुधा: earth / land
• वसुधा: कर्ता (apposition to इयम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसुधा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः (feminine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम्

• वशे: under (someone's) control
• वशे: अधिकरणम् (location/state: 'under control')
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), सप्तमी-विभक्तिः (locative), एकवचनम्

• भवेत्: may become / may come to be
• भवेत्: क्रिया
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्-लकारः (optative), प्रथमपुरुषः (3rd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तथा: so / thus
• तथा: क्रियाविशेषणम् (correlative with यथा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: तद्वत्-अर्थक-अव्ययम् (correlative adverb: 'so/thus')

• एव: indeed / just
• एव: निपात (emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-निपातः (emphatic particle: 'indeed/just')

• माम्: me
• माम्: कर्म (object of शाधि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्तिः (accusative), एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• शाधि: command / instruct
• शाधि: क्रिया (आज्ञार्थक-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शास् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकारः (imperative), मध्यमपुरुषः (2nd person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• तव: of you / your
• तव: सम्बन्धः
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (genitive), एकवचनम्

• अस्मि: I am
• अस्मि: क्रिया (copula)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकारः (present indicative), उत्तमपुरुषः (1st person), एकवचनम् (singular), परस्मैपदम्

• किङ्करः: servant
• किङ्करः: कर्तृ-सम्बन्धी-विशेष्य (predicate nominative with अस्मि)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किङ्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः (masculine), प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (nominative), एकवचनम्

Context

Tell me your enemy who should be deprived of his life, fame and friends. Command me as to how this earth shall come under your control. Now itself I shall do that. I am your servant.

Characters & Entities

• Lakshmana
• Rama
• earth/kingdom (vasudhā)

FAQs

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

The verse spotlights loyalty and obedience to a righteous superior—but also raises the dharmic limit: service must be guided by right judgment, not mere force.

What is the narrative situation?

Lakshmana offers uncompromising action to secure Rama’s sovereignty and punish opponents.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Dāsya-bhāva (servant-like devotion) combined with martial resolve.