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Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.81.7

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 81: Rāma and Sītā’s grass bed. Guha shows Bharata where they slept after taking only water, while Lakṣmaṇa and the Niṣādas kept watch

In the sequence: Śatrughna supports him, and the Queens hurry over

2.81.7

vatsalā svaṃ yathā vatsam upagūhya tapasvinī
paripapraccha bharataṃ rudantī śokalālasā

As a loving cow embraces her own calf, the poor woman clasped him and, weeping, distraught with grief, questioned Bharata:

Words: vatsalā — affectionate, tender; svaṃ — her own; yathā — as; vatsam — calf; upagūhya — having embraced; tapasvinī — the poor woman; paripapraccha — questioned; bharataṃ — Bharata; rudantī — weeping; śokalālasā — yearning, distraught with grief

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.