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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.53.15

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: Daśaratha admits that he acted under Kaikeyī's influence without consulting his ministers, friends, or subjects

2.53.15

kaikeyyā viniyuktena pāpābhijanabhāvayā
mayā na mantrakuśalair vṛddhaiḥ saha samarthitam

'Set on by Kaikeyī, of wicked family and nature, I did not deliberate the matter with the elders skilled in counsel.'

Words: kaikeyyā — by Kaikeyī; viniyuktena — instigated, set on; pāpābhijanabhāvayā — of wicked family and nature; mayā — by me; na — not; mantrakuśalair — skilled in counsel; vṛddhaiḥ — with the elders; saha — together with; samarthitam — was deliberated, considered

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.