← 2.53.10 · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 53: Daśaratha’s remorse · 2.53.12 →

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.53.11

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 53: Daśaratha’s remorse. Sumantra describes the horses’ reluctance and the country’s grief, Daśaratha regrets his uncounselled decision and begs to see Rāma

In the sequence: in Ayodhyā, people of every disposition seemed equally distressed

2.53.11

nāmitrāṇāṃ na mitrāṇām udāsīnajanasya ca
aham ārtatayā kaṃ cid viśeṣaṃ nopalakṣaye

'Among foes, among friends, and among neutral folk, in their distress I could perceive no difference at all.'

Words: nāmitrāṇāṃ — not of enemies; na — nor; mitrāṇām — of friends; udāsīnajanasya — of neutral, indifferent folk; ca — and; aham — I; ārtatayā — by (their) distress; kaṃ cid — any; viśeṣaṃ — difference, distinction; nopalakṣaye — I do not perceive

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. 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.