← 2.54 Sumantra comforts Kausalyā · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.56 Kausalyā & Daśaratha reconcile →

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 55: Kausalyā reproaches Daśaratha

Summary. She fears Rāma will reject Bharata’s former Kingdom even after returning, Daśaratha collapses and recalls his past wrongdoing

Sequence

  1. Kausalyā asks how her sons and Sītā, accustomed to comfort, can endure forest life (2.55.1–3)
  2. she contrasts Sītā's former food and music with wild grain and the sounds of predators (2.55.4–6)
  3. she longs to see Rāma and wonders how her heart has survived the separation (2.55.7–9)
  4. she fears that even after fourteen years he will refuse a Kingdom already enjoyed by Bharata (2.55.10–15)
  5. she says Daśaratha has deprived her of both her husband's support and her son's presence; in this outburst she also says she does not wish to go to the forest herself (2.55.16–19)
  6. accusing him of bringing ruin on the family and city, she intensifies his distress → he faints, and the memory of an earlier wrongdoing returns to him. (2.55.20–21)

Verses 2.55.1–21

2.55.1

vanaṃ gate dharmapare rāme ramayatāṃ vare
kausalyā rudatī svārtā bhartāram idam abravīt

When Rāma, devoted to dharma and best of those who give delight, had gone to the forest, Kausalyā, weeping and sore distressed, said this to her husband:

Words: vanaṃ — to the forest; gate — having gone; dharmapare — devoted to dharma; rāme — Rāma (having gone); ramayatāṃ — of those who give delight; vare — best, foremost; kausalyā — Kausalyā; rudatī — weeping; svārtā — sore distressed, in her own anguish; bhartāram — to (her) husband; idam — this; abravīt — said

2.55.2

yady apitriṣu lokeṣu prathitaṃ te mayad yaśaḥ
sānukrośo vadānyaś ca priyavādī ca rāghavaḥ

“Though your great fame is renowned in the three worlds—that the Rāghava is compassionate, generous and kindly of speech—

Words: yady — though, if; apitriṣu — even in the three; lokeṣu — in the worlds; prathitaṃ — renowned, famed; te — your; mayad — great (var. of mahat); yaśaḥ — fame, glory; sānukrośo — compassionate; vadānyaś — generous; ca — and; priyavādī — kindly of speech; ca — and; rāghavaḥ — the Rāghava

2.55.3

kathaṃ naravaraśreṣṭha putrau tau saha sītayā
duḥkhitau sukhasaṃvṛddhau vane duḥkhaṃ sahiṣyataḥ

“how, O best of the foremost of men, will those two sons, reared in comfort but now afflicted, together with Sītā, endure hardship in the forest?

Words: kathaṃ — how; naravaraśreṣṭha — O best of the foremost of men; putrau — the two sons; tau — those two; saha — together with; sītayā — with Sītā; duḥkhitau — afflicted, pained; sukhasaṃvṛddhau — reared in comfort; vane — in the forest; duḥkhaṃ — hardship, pain; sahiṣyataḥ — will (the two) endure

2.55.4

sā nūnaṃ taruṇī śyāmā sukumārī sukhocitā
katham uṣṇaṃ ca śītaṃ ca maithilī prasahiṣyate

“That young, dark-hued, delicate lady, used to comfort—how will the Maithilī endure both heat and cold?

Words: sā — she, that; nūnaṃ — surely, indeed; taruṇī — young; śyāmā — dark-hued, of youthful bloom; sukumārī — delicate, tender; sukhocitā — accustomed to comfort; katham — how; uṣṇaṃ — heat; ca — and; śītaṃ — cold; ca — and; maithilī — the Maithilī (princess of Mithilā); prasahiṣyate — will endure, bear

2.55.5

bhuktvāśanaṃ viśālākṣī sūpadaṃśānvitaṃ śubham
vanyaṃ naivāram āhāraṃ kathaṃ sītopabhokṣyate

“The wide-eyed one, used to eating fine food furnished with broths and relishes—how will Sītā feed on wild wild-rice fare?

Words: bhuktvāśanaṃ — used to eating (fine) food; viśālākṣī — the wide-eyed lady; sūpadaṃśānvitaṃ — furnished with broths and relishes; śubham — fine, choice; vanyaṃ — wild, of the forest; naivāram — of wild rice; āhāraṃ — food, fare; kathaṃ — how; sītopabhokṣyate — will Sītā eat, partake of

2.55.6

gītavāditranirghoṣaṃ śrutvā śubham aninditā
kathaṃ kravyādasiṃhānāṃ śabdaṃ śroṣyaty aśobhanam

“That blameless one, used to hearing the sweet sound of song and instruments—how will she hear the ill-boding roar of flesh-eating lions?

Words: gītavāditranirghoṣaṃ — the sound of song and instruments; śrutvā — having heard, used to hearing; śubham — sweet, auspicious; aninditā — the blameless one; kathaṃ — how; kravyādasiṃhānāṃ — of flesh-eating lions; śabdaṃ — the sound, roar; śroṣyaty — will (she) hear; aśobhanam — ill-sounding, unlovely

2.55.7

mahendradhvajasaṃkāśaḥ kva nu śete mahābhujaḥ
bhujaṃ parighasaṃkāśam upadhāya mahābalaḥ

“Where now does he lie, the mighty-armed one like great Indra's banner, the man of great strength, pillowing his head on an arm resembling an iron bar?

Words: mahendradhvajasaṃkāśaḥ — like great Indra's banner; kva — where; nu — now, pray; śete — lies, rests; mahābhujaḥ — the mighty-armed one; bhujaṃ — the arm; parighasaṃkāśam — resembling an iron bar; upadhāya — having pillowed, laid under (his head); mahābalaḥ — the one of great strength

2.55.8

padmavarṇaṃ sukeśāntaṃ padmaniḥśvāsam uttamam
kadā drakṣyāmi rāmasya vadanaṃ puṣkarekṣaṇam

“When shall I behold Rāma's peerless face, lotus-hued, with lovely hair-ends, lotus-fragrant of breath, and lotus-eyed?

Words: padmavarṇaṃ — lotus-hued; sukeśāntaṃ — with beautiful hair-ends; padmaniḥśvāsam — lotus-fragrant of breath; uttamam — supreme, peerless; kadā — when; drakṣyāmi — shall I see; rāmasya — of Rāma; vadanaṃ — the face; puṣkarekṣaṇam — lotus-eyed

2.55.9

vajrasāramayaṃ nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ me na saṃśayaḥ
apaśyantyā na taṃ yad vai phalatīdaṃ sahasradhā

“Surely my heart is made of the very stuff of adamant—no doubt of it—since, not seeing him, it does not burst here into a thousand pieces.

Words: vajrasāramayaṃ — made of adamantine substance; nūnaṃ — surely; hṛdayaṃ — the heart; me — my; na — no; saṃśayaḥ — doubt; apaśyantyā — of (me) not seeing; na — not; taṃ — him; yad — since, in that; vai — indeed; phalatīdaṃ — this bursts, splits; sahasradhā — in a thousand ways/pieces

2.55.10

yadi pañcadaśe varṣe rāghavaḥ punar eṣyati
jahyād rājyaṃ ca kośaṃ ca bharatenopabhokṣyate

“If in the fifteenth year the Rāghava should return, it seems he would (still) renounce the kingdom and the treasury—it will (by then) be enjoyed by Bharata.

Words: yadi — if; pañcadaśe — in the fifteenth; varṣe — year; rāghavaḥ — the Rāghava; punar — again; eṣyati — will come, return; jahyād — he would forsake, renounce; rājyaṃ — the kingdom; ca — and; kośaṃ — the treasury; ca — and; bharatenopabhokṣyate — it will be enjoyed by Bharata

2.55.11

evaṃ kanīyasā bhrātrā bhuktaṃ rājyaṃ viśāṃ pate
bhrātā jyeṣṭhā variṣṭhāś ca kimarthaṃ nāvamaṃsyate

“The kingdom being thus enjoyed by the younger brother, O lord of the people, why would the elder and worthier brother not scorn it?

Words: evaṃ — thus; kanīyasā — by the younger; bhrātrā — by the brother; bhuktaṃ — enjoyed, partaken; rājyaṃ — the kingdom; viśāṃ — of the people; pate — O lord; bhrātā — the brother; jyeṣṭhā — eldest, elder; variṣṭhāś — worthiest, best; ca — and; kimarthaṃ — for what reason, why; nāvamaṃsyate — will he not scorn, disdain

2.55.12

na pareṇāhṛtaṃ bhakṣyaṃ vyāghraḥ khāditum icchati
evam eva naravyāghraḥ paralīḍhaṃ na maṃsyate

“A tiger does not care to eat food brought down by another; just so the tiger among men will not think of what another has tasted before him.

Words: na — not; pareṇāhṛtaṃ — brought by another; bhakṣyaṃ — food, prey; vyāghraḥ — a tiger; khāditum — to eat; icchati — wishes, cares; evam eva — just so, in the very same way; naravyāghraḥ — the tiger among men; paralīḍhaṃ — what has been tasted/licked by another; na — not; maṃsyate — will think of, esteem

2.55.13

havir ājyaṃ puroḍāśāḥ kuśā yūpāś ca khādirāḥ
naitāni yātayāmāni kurvanti punar adhvare

“The oblation, the clarified butter, the sacrificial cakes, the kuśa-grass and the posts of khadira-wood—these, once used, they do not employ again at a sacrifice.

Words: havir — the oblation; ājyaṃ — clarified butter, ghee; puroḍāśāḥ — the sacrificial cakes; kuśā — kuśa-grass; yūpāś — the sacrificial posts; ca — and; khādirāḥ — of khadira wood; naitāni — not these; yātayāmāni — stale, once-used; kurvanti — do (they) make use of; punar — again; adhvare — at a sacrifice

2.55.14

tathā hy āttam idaṃ rājyaṃ hṛtasārāṃ surām iva
nābhimantum alaṃ rāmo naṣṭasomam ivādhvaram

“So too Rāma will not deign to hanker after this kingdom, once taken by another, like liquor whose strength is drained, or a sacrifice whose soma is lost.

Words: tathā — so, likewise; hy — for, indeed; āttam — taken, seized; idaṃ — this; rājyaṃ — kingdom; hṛtasārāṃ — whose essence is drained; surām — liquor; iva — like; nābhimantum — not to hanker after, covet; alaṃ — able, deigning; rāmo — Rāma; naṣṭasomam — whose soma is lost; ivādhvaram — like a sacrifice

2.55.15

naivaṃvidham asatkāraṃ rāghavo marṣayiṣyati
balavān iva śārdūlo bāladher abhimarśanam

“The Rāghava will not brook such a slight, any more than a strong tiger would brook the touch of its tail.

Words: naivaṃvidham — not such a kind of; asatkāraṃ — dishonour, slight; rāghavo — the Rāghava; marṣayiṣyati — will endure, tolerate; balavān — strong, mighty; iva — like, as; śārdūlo — a tiger; bāladher — of its tail; abhimarśanam — the touching, seizing

2.55.16

sa tādṛśaḥ siṃhabalo vṛṣabhākṣo nararṣabhaḥ
svayam eva hataḥ pitrā jalajenātmajo yathā

“Such a one, strong as a lion, bull-eyed, a bull among men, has been struck down by his own father—as a fish is (destroyed) by its own offspring.

Words: sa — he; tādṛśaḥ — such, of such a kind; siṃhabalo — strong as a lion; vṛṣabhākṣo — bull-eyed; nararṣabhaḥ — a bull among men; svayam — himself, by his very self; eva — indeed; hataḥ — struck down, destroyed; pitrā — by (his) father; jalajenātmajo — by the water-born (fish) its offspring; yathā — as, like

2.55.17

dvijāti carito dharmaḥ śāstradṛṣṭaḥ sanātanaḥ
yadi te dharmanirate tvayā putre vivāsite

“There is an eternal dharma, practised by the twice-born and taught in the scriptures—(what of it now,) when your two sons, devoted to dharma, have been driven into exile by you?

Words: dvijāti — by the twice-born; carito — practised, followed; dharmaḥ — dharma; śāstradṛṣṭaḥ — seen in the scriptures; sanātanaḥ — eternal, everlasting; yadi — if, when; te — your; dharmanirate — devoted to dharma; tvayā — by you; putre — the two sons; vivāsite — have been exiled (dual)

2.55.18

gatir evāk patir nāryā dvitīyā gatir ātmajaḥ
tṛtīyā jñātayo rājaṃś caturthī neha vidyate

“The husband is a woman's very refuge; the son is her second refuge; the kinsmen the third, O king; a fourth there is none here.

Words: gatir — refuge, recourse; evāk — the very (foremost); patir — the husband; nāryā — of a woman; dvitīyā — second; gatir — refuge; ātmajaḥ — the son, offspring; tṛtīyā — third; jñātayo — the kinsmen; rājaṃś — O king; caturthī — a fourth; neha — not here; vidyate — exists, is found

2.55.19

tatra tvaṃ caiva me nāsti rāmaś ca vanam āśritaḥ
na vanaṃ gantum icchāmi sarvathā hi hatā tvayā

“Of these, you yourself are lost to me, and Rāma has betaken himself to the forest; I do not wish to go to the forest—in every way I have been destroyed by you.

Words: tatra — therein, of those; tvaṃ — you; caiva — and indeed; me — to me, mine; nāsti — are not, are lost; rāmaś — Rāma; ca — and; vanam — to the forest; āśritaḥ — has resorted, betaken himself; na — not; vanaṃ — to the forest; gantum — to go; icchāmi — I wish; sarvathā — in every way, utterly; hi — for, indeed; hatā — destroyed, ruined; tvayā — by you

2.55.20

hataṃ tvayā rājyam idaṃ sarāṣṭraṃ hatas tathātmā saha mantribhiś ca
hatā saputrāsmi hatāś ca paurāḥ sutaś ca bhāryā ca tava prahṛṣṭau
hatā saputrāsmi hatāś ca paurāḥ
sutaś ca bhāryā ca tava prahṛṣṭau

“By you this kingdom together with its realm is ruined; yourself, too, is ruined along with your ministers; I with my son am ruined, and the townsfolk are ruined—while your (other) son and his wife rejoice.

Words: hataṃ — ruined, destroyed; tvayā — by you; rājyam — the kingdom; idaṃ — this; sarāṣṭraṃ — together with its realm; hatas — ruined; tathātmā — also yourself; saha — together with; mantribhiś — with the ministers; ca — and; hatā — ruined; saputrāsmi — I with my son am; hatāś — ruined; ca — and; paurāḥ — the townsfolk; sutaś — the son; ca — and; bhāryā — the wife; ca — and; tava — your; prahṛṣṭau — the two rejoice, are delighted

2.55.21

imāṃ giraṃ dāruṇaśabdasaṃśritāṃ niśamya rājāpi mumoha duḥkhitaḥ
tataḥ sa śokaṃ praviveśa pārthivaḥ svaduṣkṛtaṃ cāpi punas tadāsmarat
tataḥ sa śokaṃ praviveśa pārthivaḥ
svaduṣkṛtaṃ cāpi punas tadāsmarat

Hearing this speech couched in harsh words, the king too, grief-stricken, swooned away; then the sovereign sank into sorrow, and once more he called to mind his own past misdeed.

Words: imāṃ — this; giraṃ — speech, words; dāruṇaśabdasaṃśritāṃ — couched in harsh words; niśamya — having heard; rājāpi — the king too; mumoha — swooned, was bewildered; duḥkhitaḥ — grief-stricken; tataḥ — then; sa — he; śokaṃ — into sorrow; praviveśa — entered, sank into; pārthivaḥ — the sovereign, king; svaduṣkṛtaṃ — his own misdeed; cāpi — and also; punas — again; tadāsmarat — then remembered

← 2.54 Sumantra comforts Kausalyā · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.56 Kausalyā & Daśaratha reconcile →

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.

Plain text: /text/2/55.md · JSON: /data/2/55.json