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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.53.21

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: saying that he will die without another sight of him, he calls for all three travelers and faints again → Kausalyā watches in fear.

2.53.21

vṛttadaṃṣṭro maheṣvāsaḥ kvāsau lakṣmaṇapūrvajaḥ
yadi jīvāmi sādhv enaṃ paśyeyaṃ saha sītayā

'Where is he of rounded tusk-like teeth, the great archer, the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa? If I live, may I look well upon him, together with Sītā.'

Words: vṛttadaṃṣṭro — with rounded tusk-like teeth; maheṣvāsaḥ — the great archer; kvāsau — where is that one; lakṣmaṇapūrvajaḥ — the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa; yadi — if; jīvāmi — I live; sādhv — well; enaṃ — him; paśyeyaṃ — may I see; saha sītayā — together with Sītā

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.