← 2.28.7 · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 28: Lakṣmaṇa joins the exile · 2.28.9 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.28.8

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 28: Lakṣmaṇa joins the exile. He promises service to Rāma & Sītā and retrieves the paired bows, armour, quivers and swords from their teacher

In the sequence: he offers to walk ahead with his bow, spade, and basket, find the route, gather food, and attend to Rāma and Sītā whether they are awake or asleep

2.28.8

dhanur ādāya saśaraṃ khanitrapiṭakādharaḥ
agratas te gamiṣyāmi panthānam anudarśayan

Taking up my bow with arrows, bearing a spade and a basket, I shall walk ahead of you, showing the path.

Words: dhanur — the bow; ādāya — having taken; saśaraṃ — with arrows; khanitrapiṭakādharaḥ — bearing a spade and a basket; agratas — in front; te — of you; gamiṣyāmi — I shall go; panthānam — the path; anudarśayan — showing, pointing out

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.