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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.56.14

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 says the five nights since Rāma left have felt like five years

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

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.