Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 78: Śatrughna Punishes Mantharā
Text 2.78.3
बलवान्वीर्यसंपन्नो लक्ष्मणो नाम योऽप्यसौ।
किं न मोचयते रामं कृत्वा स्म पितृनिग्रहम्॥
balavān vīrya-sampanno lakṣmaṇo nāma yo ’py asau
kiṁ na mocayate rāmaṁ kṛtvā sma pitṛ-nigraham
balavān = powerful person; vīrya-sampannaḥ = endowed with heroism; lakṣmaṇaḥ = Lakṣmaṇa; nāma = named; yaḥ1 api = though; asau = that; kim = why; na = didn’t; mocayate = release; rāmam = Rāma [from this calamity]; kṛtvā sma pitṛ-nigraham = restrain Our father and.
Why didn’t that powerful person named Lakṣmaṇa, though endowed with heroism, restrain Our father and release Rāma [from this calamity]?
1 Technical note: yaḥ asau.
“Named Lakṣmaṇa” is spoken sarcastically 1. Śatrughna speaks out of disregard for Lakṣmaṇa: “Even Lakṣmaṇa did not restrain Our father and release Rāma [from this calamity]. Why?”
Śatrughna implies that this is also another cause for astonishment.
He then anticipates that Bharata might say, “Restraining one’s father would be wrong” and speaks the following verse.