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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.56.13

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 56: Kausalyā & Daśaratha reconcile. He begs her to stop deepening his pain, she apologizes and says five nights of separation have felt like five years

In the sequence: she reflects that grief destroys judgment and endurance

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)

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.