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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.53.19

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: he begs Sumantra either to bring Rāma back or take him to his son

2.53.19

yad yad yāpi mamaivājñā nivartayatu rāghavam
na śakṣyāmi vinā rāma muhūrtam api jīvitum

'If even now my command still holds, let it turn Rāghava back; I shall not be able to live even a moment without Rāma.'

Words: yad yad yāpi — if even now (my command holds); mamaivājñā — my very command; nivartayatu — let it turn (him) back; rāghavam — Rāghava; na — not; śakṣyāmi — I shall be able; vinā — without; rāma — Rāma; muhūrtam — for a moment; api — even; jīvitum — to live

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.