# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 53 — Daśaratha’s remorse

*Sumantra describes the horses’ reluctance and the country’s grief, Daśaratha regrets his uncounselled decision and begs to see Rāma*

Portion: Sumantra’s return and the parents’ grief · Verses: 26 · Ref format: 2.53.<verse>

## Sequence

- Sumantra says that even the horses resisted leaving and that he lingered with Guha hoping Rāma might recall him (53.1–3)
- he describes the country as grieving with its people: trees wilted, creatures quiet, ponds clouded, and flowers without their former freshness (53.4–7)
- in Ayodhyā, people of every disposition seemed equally distressed (53.8–13)
- Daśaratha admits that he acted under Kaikeyī's influence without consulting his ministers, friends, or subjects (53.14–17)
- he begs Sumantra either to bring Rāma back or take him to his son (53.18–20)
- saying that he will die without another sight of him, he calls for all three travelers and faints again → Kausalyā watches in fear (53.21–26).

## Verses

**2.53.1**  
mama tv aśvā nivṛttasya na prāvartanta vartmani  
uṣṇam aśru vimuñcanto rāme saṃprasthite vanam  
'But as I turned back, my horses would not go forward on the road, shedding hot tears now that Rāma had set out for the forest.'

**2.53.2**  
ubhābhyāṃ rājaputrābhyām atha kṛtvāham ajñalim  
prasthito ratham āsthāya tad duḥkham api dhārayan  
'Then, having made an añjali to the two princes, I mounted the chariot and set out, bearing that grief as best I could.'

**2.53.3**  
guheva sārdhaṃ tatraiva sthito 'smi divasān bahūn  
āśayā yadi māṃ rāmaḥ punaḥ śabdāpayed iti  
'Together with Guha I remained right there for many days, in the hope that Rāma might summon me back again.'

**2.53.4**  
viṣaye te mahārāja rāmavyasanakarśitāḥ  
api vṛkṣāḥ parimlānaḥ sapuṣpāṅkurakorakāḥ  
'In your realm, O great king, even the trees, wasted by grief at Rāma's calamity, have wilted, along with their flowers, shoots, and buds.'

**2.53.5**  
na ca sarpanti sattvāni vyālā na prasaranti ca  
rāmaśokābhibhūtaṃ tan niṣkūjam abhavad vanam  
'The creatures do not creep about, and the beasts of prey do not roam; overwhelmed with grief for Rāma, that forest fell silent.'

**2.53.6**  
līnapuṣkarapatrāś ca narendra kaluṣodakāḥ  
saṃtaptapadmāḥ padminyo līnamīnavihaṃgamāḥ  
'And the lotus-ponds, O king, have their lotus-leaves shrunk and their water turbid, their lotuses scorched, their fish and birds gone into hiding.'

**2.53.7**  
jalajāni ca puṣpāṇi mālyāni sthalajāni ca  
nādya bhānty alpagandhīni phalāni ca yathā puram  
'The water-born flowers and the garlands of land-flowers, and the fruits, do not shine today as they did before, and are poor in fragrance.'

**2.53.8**  
praviśantam ayodhyāṃ māṃ na kaś cid abhinandati  
narā rāmam apaśyanto niḥśvasanti muhur muhuḥ  
'As I entered Ayodhyā, no one welcomed me with joy; the people, not seeing Rāma, sighed again and again.'

**2.53.9**  
harmyair vimānaiḥ prāsādair avekṣya ratham āgatam  
hāhākārakṛtā nāryo rāmādarśanakarśitāḥ  
'From mansions, towers, and palaces, seeing the chariot arrive, the women raised cries of woe, wasted from not seeing Rāma.'

**2.53.10**  
āyatair vimalair netrair aśruvegapariplutaiḥ  
anyonyam abhivīkṣante vyaktam ārtatarāḥ striyaḥ  
'With long, clear eyes flooded by a rush of tears, the women, plainly in deeper distress, gazed at one another.'

**2.53.11**  
nāmitrāṇāṃ na mitrāṇām udāsīnajanasya ca  
aham ārtatayā kaṃ cid viśeṣaṃ nopalakṣaye  
'Among foes, among friends, and among neutral folk, in their distress I could perceive no difference at all.'

**2.53.12**  
aprahṛṣṭamanuṣyā ca dīnanāgaturaṃgamā  
ārtasvaraparimlānā viniḥśvasitaniḥsvanā  
'Its people joyless, its elephants and horses wretched, wilted with cries of distress, resounding with sighs—'

**2.53.13**  
nirānandā mahārāja rāmapravrājanātulā  
kausalyā putra hīneva ayodhyā pratibhāti mā  
'Joyless, O great king, and afflicted beyond compare by Rāma's banishment, Ayodhyā appears to me like Kausalyā bereft of her son.'

**2.53.14**  
sūtasya vacanaṃ śrutvā vācā paramadīnayā  
bāṣpopahatayā rājā taṃ sūtam idam abravīt  
Hearing the charioteer's words, the king, in a voice most wretched and broken with tears, said this to the charioteer:

**2.53.15**  
kaikeyyā viniyuktena pāpābhijanabhāvayā  
mayā na mantrakuśalair vṛddhaiḥ saha samarthitam  
'Set on by Kaikeyī, of wicked family and nature, I did not deliberate the matter with the elders skilled in counsel.'

**2.53.16**  
na suhṛdbhir na cāmātyair mantrayitvā na naigamaiḥ  
mayāyam arthaḥ saṃmohāt strīhetoḥ sahasā kṛtaḥ  
'Not consulting with friends, nor with ministers, nor with townsmen, I did this thing rashly, out of delusion, for a woman's sake.'

**2.53.17**  
bhavitavyatayā nūnam idaṃ vā vyasanaṃ mahat  
kulasyāsya vināśāya prāptaṃ sūta yadṛcchayā  
'Surely, by destiny, this great calamity has come, charioteer, by chance, for the destruction of this line.'

**2.53.18**  
sūta yady asti te kiṃ cin mayāpi sukṛtaṃ kṛtam  
tvaṃ prāpayāśu māṃ rāmaṃ prāṇāḥ saṃtvarayanti mām  
'Charioteer, if ever I have done you any kindness, take me swiftly to Rāma; my life-breaths are hurrying me on.'

**2.53.19**  
yad yad yāpi mamaivājñā nivartayatu rāghavam  
na śakṣyāmi vinā rāma muhūrtam api jīvitum  
'If even now my command still holds, let it turn Rāghava back; I shall not be able to live even a moment without Rāma.'

**2.53.20**  
atha vāpi mahābāhur gato dūraṃ bhaviṣyati  
mām eva ratham āropya śīghraṃ rāmāya darśaya  
'Or else, if the mighty-armed one shall have gone far away, set me upon the chariot and show me swiftly to Rāma.'

**2.53.21**  
vṛttadaṃṣṭro maheṣvāsaḥ kvāsau lakṣmaṇapūrvajaḥ  
yadi jīvāmi sādhv enaṃ paśyeyaṃ saha sītayā  
'Where is he of rounded tusk-like teeth, the great archer, the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa? If I live, may I look well upon him, together with Sītā.'

**2.53.22**  
lohitākṣaṃ mahābāhum āmuktamaṇikuṇḍalam  
rāmaṃ yadi na paśyāmi gamiṣyāmi yamakṣayam  
'If I do not see Rāma—red-eyed, mighty-armed, wearing his jeweled earrings—I shall go to the abode of Yama.'

**2.53.23**  
ato nu kiṃ duḥkhataraṃ yo 'ham ikṣvākunandanam  
imām avasthām āpanno neha paśyāmi rāghavam  
'What could be more grievous than this—that I, come to such a state, do not see here Rāghava, delight of the Ikṣvākus?'

**2.53.24**  
hā rāma rāmānuja hā hā vaidehi tapasvinī  
na māṃ jānīta duḥkhena mriyamāṇam anāthavat  
dustaro jīvatā devi mayāyaṃ śokasāgaraḥ  
'Alas, Rāma! Alas, brother of Rāma! Alas, alas, hapless Vaidehī! You do not know that I am dying of grief, like one forlorn. Hard to cross, O queen, is this ocean of sorrow for me while I live.'

**2.53.25**  
aśobhanaṃ yo 'ham ihādya rāghavaṃ didṛkṣamāṇo na labhe salakṣmaṇam  
itīva rājā vilapan mahāyaśāḥ papāta tūrṇaṃ śayane sa mūrchitaḥ  
'Ill-fated am I, that today, longing to see Rāghava here with Lakṣmaṇa, I do not obtain that sight.' Lamenting thus, the greatly glorious king suddenly fell upon his bed in a swoon.

**2.53.26**  
iti vilapati pārthive pranaṣṭe karuṇataraṃ dviguṇaṃ ca rāmahetoḥ  
vacanam anuniśamya tasya devī bhayam agamat punar eva rāmamātā  
As the king, sinking away, lamented thus—all the more piteously and doubly for Rāma's sake—hearing his words the queen, Rāma's mother, was again seized with fear.