Valmiki Ramayana 2.51.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 51, Shloka 7

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकपञ्चाशः सर्गः · Guha’s Vigil and Lakṣmaṇa’s Lament

Night on the riverbank

Spoken by Guha to LakshmanaSetting: Forest region adjoining Śṛṅgiverapura (Guha’s roaming grounds)Places named: vana (forest)Security assessment during night halt

Devanagari script

न हि मेऽविदितं किञ्चिद्वनेऽस्मिंश्चरतस्सदा ।

चतुरङ्गं ह्यपिबलं सुमहत्प्रसहेमहि ॥७॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.51.7

Transliteration

na hi me 'viditaṁ kiñcid vane 'smiṁś carataḥ sadā |

caturaṅgaṁ hy api balaṁ sumahat prasahēmahi ||7||

Translation

ในป่าแห่งนี้ ไม่มีสิ่งใดที่ข้าไม่รู้ เพราะข้าเที่ยวไปอยู่ที่นี่เสมอ แม้กองทัพจตุรงคะอันใหญ่ยิ่ง เราก็ยังอาจต้านทานได้

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Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-निपात
• Role: निपात

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphasis)
• Role: निपात

• मे: to me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी-एकवचन (Genitive/Dative); अत्र षष्ठी (to me/of me)
• Role: सम्बन्ध

• अविदितम्: unknown
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + विदित (कृदन्त, क्त; विद् धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; किञ्चित् इत्यस्य विशेषण; ‘unknown’
• Role: कर्ता-विशेषण

• किञ्चित्: anything
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; न ... अविदितम् किञ्चित् (nothing is unknown)
• Role: कर्ता

• वने: in the forest
• Type: Noun
• Root: वन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
• Role: अधिकरण

• अस्मिन्: in this
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; वने इत्यस्य विशेषण
• Role: अधिकरण-विशेषण

• चरतः: (while) roaming
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चर् (धातु) + चर (कृदन्त, शतृ)
• Form: वर्तमानकृदन्त; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; ‘of (me) roaming’ (genitive absolute-like with context)
• Role: सम्बन्ध

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: always)
• Role: क्रियाविशेषण

• चतुरङ्गम्: fourfold
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्विगु-समास (चत्वारि अङ्गानि यस्य = fourfold); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बलम् इत्यस्य विशेषण
• Role: कर्म-विशेषण
• Compound: Dvigu

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (emphasis)
• Role: निपात

• अपि: even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle: even/also)
• Role: निपात

• बलम्: army/force
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; प्रसहेमहि इत्यस्य कर्म
• Role: कर्म

• सुमहत्: very great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (अव्यय) + महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; बलम् इत्यस्य विशेषण
• Role: कर्म-विशेषण

• प्रसहेमहि: we will withstand
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + सह् (धातु)
• Form: लृट्-लकार (Simple Future) / विधिलिङ्-सदृश-रूप (contextual future), उत्तमपुरुष, बहुवचन; आत्मनेपद; ‘we will withstand/endure’
• Role: क्रिया

Sandhi Notes

• मेऽविदितं = मे + अविदितम्
• किञ्चिद्वने = किञ्चित् + वने
• वनेऽस्मिन् = वने + अस्मिन्
• अस्मिंश्चरतः = अस्मिन् + चरतः
• चरतस्सदा = चरतः + सदा
• ह्यपि = हि + अपि
• सुमहत्प्रसहेमहि = सुमहत् + प्रसहेमहि

Context

Wandering about in this forest all the time there is nothing unknown to me (here). We can withstand even a vast army of four divisions.

The teaching

Competence and local knowledge, when aligned to righteous protection, become a form of dharma.

Ethical theme

Rakṣā / kṣātra-dharma (protective valor)

For your practice

Encourages steadiness and preparedness; a reminder that skill (kauśala) supports service.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism)

Mood

Confident, martial, unyielding

Themes

• Dharma
• Protection
• Competence
• Readiness
• Alliance

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Guha
• Lakshmana
• Forest (vana)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes preparedness: protection is not merely intention but also capability and vigilance grounded in local knowledge.

What is the narrative situation?

Guha assures Lakshmana that he knows the forest well and can defend Rama’s party against serious threats.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reliability and protective competence—Guha offers both loyalty and practical security.