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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.10.38

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 10: Kaikeyī claims the two boons. Bound by his promise, Daśaratha hears her demands for Bharata’s abhiṣeka and Rāma’s exile, then collapses and pleads

In the sequence: he says he could surrender his Kingdom or his life but cannot live without Rāma → he begs Kaikeyī to change her mind and falls toward her feet.

2.10.38

parā bhavati me prītir dṛṣṭvā tanayam agrajam
apaśyatas tu me rāmaṃ naṣṭā bhavati cetanā

The highest joy comes to me when I behold my first-born son; but when I do not see Rāma, my very consciousness fails.

Words: parā — highest, supreme; bhavati — becomes, arises; me — to me; prītir — joy; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; tanayam — son; agrajam — first-born; apaśyatas — of (me) not seeing; tu — but; me — my; rāmaṃ — Rāma; naṣṭā — lost; bhavati — becomes; cetanā — consciousness

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.