Shloka 36
यदि पुत्र न जायेथा मम शोकाय राघव।न स्म दुःखमतो भूयः पश्येयमहमप्रजाः।।।।
yadi putra na jāyethā mama śokāya rāghava | na sma duḥkham ato bhūyaḥ paśyeyam aham aprajāḥ ||
O Sohn, o Rāghava—wärst du mir nicht geboren worden, um mir solchen Kummer zu bringen, so hätte ich, selbst als kinderlose Frau, keinen Schmerz sehen müssen, der größer ist als dieser.
O my son, if you were not born to me, I, even as a woman without progeny, would not have experienced grief, more intense than this.
FAQs
The verse highlights the human cost that dharma can entail: Rāma’s adherence to truth and duty precipitates intense maternal suffering, showing that righteousness may demand painful sacrifice.
Kausalyā reacts to the impending exile by expressing that this grief surpasses even the sorrow traditionally associated with childlessness.
Rāma’s implied commitment to satya and duty (even when it causes personal pain to loved ones) frames the background of Kausalyā’s lament.