← 2.55 Kausalyā reproaches Daśaratha · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.57 Daśaratha’s arrow aimed at a sound →
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 56: Kausalyā & Daśaratha reconcile
Summary. He begs her to stop deepening his pain, she apologizes and says five nights of separation have felt like five years
Sequence
- Daśaratha recalls the time he shot at an unseen target by sound (2.56.1–2)
- burdened by that memory as well as the present separation, he begs Kausalyā not to wound him further (2.56.3–6)
- she takes his folded hands and apologizes (2.56.7–9)
- she says she knows his commitment to truth but that grief made her speak harshly (2.56.10–11)
- she reflects that grief destroys judgment and endurance (2.56.12–13)
- she says the five nights since Rāma left have felt like five years (2.56.14–15)
- evening comes, and Daśaratha, somewhat comforted by her gentleness, falls asleep. (2.56.16–17)
Verses 2.56.1–17
2.56.1
evaṃ tu kruddhayā rājā rāmamātrā saśokayā
śrāvitaḥ paruṣaṃ vākyaṃ cintayām āsa duḥkhitaḥ
Thus made to hear harsh words by Rāma's angry, grief-stricken mother, the king, distressed, fell to brooding.
Words: evaṃ — thus; tu — and; kruddhayā — by the angry (woman); rājā — the king; rāmamātrā — by Rāma's mother; saśokayā — grief-stricken; śrāvitaḥ — made to hear; paruṣaṃ — harsh; vākyaṃ — words; cintayām āsa — brooded, reflected; duḥkhitaḥ — distressed
2.56.2
tasya cintayamānasya pratyabhāt karma duṣkṛtam
yad anena kṛtaṃ pūrvam ajñānāc chabdavedhinā
As he brooded, there rose before his mind an evil deed that he had done long ago in ignorance, shooting at a mere sound.
Words: tasya — of him; cintayamānasya — as he was brooding; pratyabhāt — appeared, came to mind; karma — deed; duṣkṛtam — evil, ill-done; yad — which; anena — by him; kṛtaṃ — done; pūrvam — formerly; ajñānāc — out of ignorance; chabdavedhinā — by (him) who shoots at sound
2.56.3
amanās tena śokena rāmaśokena ca prabhuḥ
dahyamānas tu śokābhyāṃ kausalyām āha bhūpatiḥ
Out of his senses with that grief and with grief for Rāma, the lord, burning with both sorrows, the king spoke to Kausalyā:
Words: amanās — out of his mind; tena — by that; śokena — grief; rāmaśokena — by grief for Rāma; ca — and; prabhuḥ — the lord; dahyamānas — being burned; tu — and; śokābhyāṃ — by the two griefs; kausalyām — to Kausalyā; āha — said; bhūpatiḥ — the king
2.56.4
prasādaye tvāṃ kausalye racito 'yaṃ mayāñjaliḥ
vatsalā cānṛśaṃsā ca tvaṃ hi nityaṃ pareṣv api
I beg your favour, Kausalyā; this suppliant gesture is offered by me; for you are ever tender and free of cruelty, even toward strangers.
Words: prasādaye — I beg the favour of; tvāṃ — you; kausalye — O Kausalyā; racito — made, formed; 'yaṃ — this; mayāñjaliḥ — by me the joined-palms; vatsalā — affectionate, tender; cānṛśaṃsā — and free of cruelty; ca — and; tvaṃ — you; hi — for, indeed; nityaṃ — always; pareṣv — toward others; api — even
2.56.5
bhartā tu khalu nārīṇāṃ guṇavān nirguṇo 'pi vā
dharmaṃ vimṛśamānānāṃ pratyakṣaṃ devi daivatam
For a husband, O queen, whether he has virtues or none, is truly for women who ponder dharma their visible deity.
Words: bhartā — husband; tu — indeed; khalu — truly; nārīṇāṃ — of women; guṇavān — possessed of virtues; nirguṇo — without virtue; 'pi — even; vā — or; dharmaṃ — dharma; vimṛśamānānāṃ — of (women) reflecting on; pratyakṣaṃ — visible, present before the eyes; devi — O queen; daivatam — deity
2.56.6
sā tvaṃ dharmaparā nityaṃ dṛṣṭalokaparāvara
nārhase vipriyaṃ vaktuṃ duḥkhitāpi suduḥkhitam
You, ever devoted to dharma, who have seen the higher and lower worlds, ought not, even in your own grief, to speak what is unwelcome to one so deeply grieved.
Words: sā — she, such; tvaṃ — you; dharmaparā — devoted to dharma; nityaṃ — always; dṛṣṭalokaparāvara — O you who have perceived the higher and lower of the world; nārhase — you ought not; vipriyaṃ — an unwelcome thing; vaktuṃ — to speak; duḥkhitāpi — though grieved; suduḥkhitam — to one deeply grieved
2.56.7
tad vākyaṃ karuṇaṃ rājñaḥ śrutvā dīnasya bhāṣitam
kausalyā vyasṛjad bāṣpaṃ praṇālīva navodakam
Hearing that piteous speech uttered by the wretched king, Kausalyā let her tears flow, like a channel [releasing] fresh water.
Words: tad — that; vākyaṃ — speech; karuṇaṃ — piteous; rājñaḥ — of the king; śrutvā — having heard; dīnasya — of the wretched; bhāṣitam — spoken, uttered; kausalyā — Kausalyā; vyasṛjad — released, let flow; bāṣpaṃ — tears; praṇālīva — like a channel; navodakam — fresh water
2.56.8
sa mūdrhṇi baddhvā rudatī rājñaḥ padmam ivāñjalim
saṃbhramād abravīt trastā tvaramāṇākṣaraṃ vacaḥ
Weeping, holding to her head the king's suppliant hands like a lotus, in agitation and fright she spoke words whose syllables came in haste:
Words: sa — she; mūdrhṇi — on (her) head; baddhvā — having clasped; rudatī — weeping; rājñaḥ — the king's; padmam — a lotus; ivāñjalim — like the joined palms; saṃbhramād — out of agitation; abravīt — said; trastā — frightened; tvaramāṇākṣaraṃ — with hurrying syllables; vacaḥ — words
2.56.9
prasīda śirasā yāce bhūmau nitatitāsmi te
yācitāsmi hatā deva hantavyāhaṃ na hi tvayā
Be gracious! With bowed head I entreat you; I have fallen to the ground before you. I beg you—undone am I, O king; yet I am not one to be slain by you.
Words: prasīda — be gracious; śirasā — with (my) head; yāce — I entreat; bhūmau — on the ground; nitatitāsmi — I have fallen down; te — before you; yācitāsmi — I have begged; hatā — undone, slain; deva — O lord; hantavyāhaṃ — I am to be slain; na — not; hi — indeed; tvayā — by you
2.56.10
naiṣā hi sā strī bhavati ślāghanīyena dhīmatā
ubhayor lokayor vīra patyā yā saṃprasādyate
For that woman, O hero, who must be conciliated by a praiseworthy, wise husband, does not fare well in either world.
Words: naiṣā — she is not this; hi — for; sā — that; strī — woman; bhavati — becomes, is; ślāghanīyena — by the praiseworthy; dhīmatā — by the wise; ubhayor — in both; lokayor — worlds; vīra — O hero; patyā — by a husband; yā — who; saṃprasādyate — is conciliated
2.56.11
jānāmi dharmaṃ dharmajña tvāṃ jāne satyavādinam
putraśokārtayā tat tu mayā kim api bhāṣitam
I know dharma, O knower of dharma; I know you to be a speaker of truth. But that unbecoming word was uttered by me, stricken as I am with grief for my son.
Words: jānāmi — I know; dharmaṃ — dharma; dharmajña — O knower of dharma; tvāṃ — you; jāne — I know; satyavādinam — a truth-speaker; putraśokārtayā — by (me) afflicted with grief for a son; tat — that; tu — but; mayā — by me; kim api — something (unbecoming); bhāṣitam — was spoken
2.56.12
śoko nāśayate dhairyaṃ śoko nāśayate śrutam
śoko nāśayate sarvaṃ nāsti śokasamo ripuḥ
Grief destroys firmness; grief destroys learning; grief destroys everything—there is no enemy like grief.
Words: śoko — grief; nāśayate — destroys; dhairyaṃ — firmness; śoko — grief; nāśayate — destroys; śrutam — learning, sacred lore; śoko — grief; nāśayate — destroys; sarvaṃ — everything; nāsti — there is not; śokasamo — equal to grief; ripuḥ — enemy
2.56.13
śayam āpatitaḥ soḍhuṃ praharo ripuhastataḥ
soḍhum āpatitaḥ śokaḥ susūkṣmo 'pi na śakyate
A blow fallen from an enemy's hand may be borne; but grief once come, even the very subtlest, cannot be endured.
Words: śayam — possible (to bear); āpatitaḥ — fallen upon; soḍhuṃ — to bear; praharo — a blow; ripuhastataḥ — from the enemy's hand; soḍhum — to bear; āpatitaḥ — come upon; śokaḥ — grief; susūkṣmo — very subtle; 'pi — even; na — not; śakyate — is able (to be endured)
2.56.14
vanavāsāya rāmasya pañcarātro 'dya gaṇyate
yaḥ śokahataharṣāyāḥ pañcavarṣopamo mama
Today the fifth night is reckoned since Rāma's going to dwell in the forest—a night which, to me whose joy is slain by grief, is like five years.
Words: vanavāsāya — for dwelling in the forest; rāmasya — of Rāma; pañcarātro — the fifth night; 'dya — today; gaṇyate — is counted; yaḥ — which; śokahataharṣāyāḥ — of (me) whose joy is slain by grief; pañcavarṣopamo — like five years; mama — to me
2.56.15
taṃ hi cintayamānāyāḥ śoko 'yaṃ hṛdi vardhate
adīnām iva vegena samudrasalilaṃ mahat
As I brood upon him, this grief swells in my heart, as the great ocean-water swells with the force of the rivers.
Words: taṃ — him; hi — indeed; cintayamānāyāḥ — of (me) brooding; śoko — grief; 'yaṃ — this; hṛdi — in the heart; vardhate — grows, swells; adīnām — of the rivers; iva — like; vegena — with the force; samudrasalilaṃ — the ocean-water; mahat — great
2.56.16
evaṃ hi kathayantyās tu kausalyāyāḥ śubhaṃ vacaḥ
mandaraśmir abhūt suryo rajanī cābhyavartata
As Kausalyā was thus uttering her gracious words, the sun grew dim of ray and the night came on.
Words: evaṃ — thus; hi — indeed; kathayantyās — of (her) speaking; tu — and; kausalyāyāḥ — of Kausalyā; śubhaṃ — auspicious, gracious; vacaḥ — words; mandaraśmir — of dim rays; abhūt — became; suryo — the sun; rajanī — the night; cābhyavartata — and drew on
2.56.17
atha prahlādito vākyair devyā kausalyayā nṛpaḥ
śokena ca samākrānto nidrāyā vaśam eyivān
Then, gladdened by the words of Queen Kausalyā yet overwhelmed by grief, the king passed under the sway of sleep.
Words: atha — then; prahlādito — gladdened; vākyair — by the words; devyā — by the queen; kausalyayā — by Kausalyā; nṛpaḥ — the king; śokena — by grief; ca — and; samākrānto — overwhelmed; nidrāyā — of sleep; vaśam — under the sway; eyivān — came, went
← 2.55 Kausalyā reproaches Daśaratha · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.57 Daśaratha’s arrow aimed at a sound →
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/2/56.md · JSON: /data/2/56.json