Valmiki Ramayana 2.20.46 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 20, Shloka 46
अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः
Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile
तदक्षयं महद्दुःखं नोत्सहे सहितुं चिरम्।विप्रकारं सपत्नीनामेवं जीर्णाऽपि राघव।।।।
tad akṣayaṃ mahad duḥkhaṃ notsahe sahituṃ ciram | viprakāraṃ sapatnīnām evaṃ jīrṇāpi rāghava ||
Darum, o Rāghava, alt geworden wie ich bin, vermag ich diese große, unerschöpfliche Trauer nicht lange zu ertragen—noch die Demütigungen, die mir die Nebenfrauen zufügen.
Therefore, O Rama, I cannot at this old age endure this great, endless sorrow and the insults from co-wives for long.
FAQs
It points to the limits of human endurance and the duty of compassion within family life; Dharma is violated when power is used to humiliate the vulnerable.
Kausalyā tells Rāma that the exile and the resulting social humiliation from rival queens have become unbearable, especially in her old age.
Vulnerability paired with truthfulness—she openly acknowledges her frailty rather than masking it with pride.
Ask anything about this verse
Curious about the meaning, context, or a word? Ask, and continue the conversation in the Vedapath app.
A free Google sign-in keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with audio, word-by-word meanings, and more.