Valmiki Ramayana 2.97.16: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 97, Shloka 16

भरतागमनशङ्कानिवारणम् / Dispelling Suspicion about Bharata’s Arrival

Chitrakuta Encampment

Devanagari script

कथं नु पुत्राः पितरं हन्युः कस्यां चिदापदि ।

भ्राता वा भ्रातरं हन्यात्सौमित्रे प्राणमात्मनः ॥१६॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.97.16

Transliteration

kathaṃ nu putrāḥ pitaraṃ hanyuḥ kasyāṃ cid āpadi |

bhrātā vā bhrātaraṃ hanyāt saumitre prāṇam ātmanaḥ ||16||

Translation

โอ้เสามิตรี ในคราววิบัติใด ๆ บุตรทั้งหลายจะฆ่าบิดาได้อย่างไร? หรือพี่น้องจะฆ่าพี่น้องของตน—ผู้เป็นที่รักดุจชีวิต—ได้อย่างไรเล่า

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Word by Word

• katham: how
• katham: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• nu: indeed/ever (emphatic)
• nu: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), प्रश्न/संशयवर्धक

• putrāḥ: sons
• putrāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा बहुवचन (Nominative plural)

• pitaram: father
• pitaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• hanyuḥ: might kill
• hanyuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• kasyām: in which
• kasyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: kim (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण (interrogative); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• cit: any (at all)
• cit: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: cit (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle) 'any/ever' (indefinitizing)

• āpadi: in calamity
• āpadi: Adhikarana (अधिकरणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: āpad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन (Locative singular)

• bhrātā: a brother
• bhrātā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन (Nominative singular)

• vā: or
• vā: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/विकल्पार्थक-अव्यय (disjunctive conjunction: or)

• bhrātaram: (his) brother
• bhrātaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhrātṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• hanyāt: might kill
• hanyāt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: han (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• saumitre: O Saumitra (Lakshmana)
• saumitre: Sambodhana (सम्बोधनम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saumitra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन एकवचन (Vocative singular)

• prāṇam: life
• prāṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन (Accusative singular)

• ātmanaḥ: of himself
• ātmanaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन (Genitive singular)

Context

Whatever be the calamity, O Lakshmana, how will sons slay their father, or a brother kill his own brother who is as dear to him as his own life?

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana (Saumitrī)
• Bharata (implied by context of brotherhood)
• father (Dasharatha, implied)

FAQs

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

Dharma upholds the sanctity of family bonds: patricide and fratricide are portrayed as almost unthinkable, even in crisis.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama argues against Lakshmana’s fear-driven assumptions, stressing that close kin do not turn murderous in righteous families.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s commitment to maryādā (moral boundaries) and faith in familial righteousness.