Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.25: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 25

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं शरमुधृत्य दीप्तमाशीविषोपमम् ।

शब्दं प्रति गजप्रेप्सुरभिलक्ष्य त्वपातयम् ॥२५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.63.25

Transliteration

tato 'haṃ śaram udhṛtya dīptam āśīviṣopamam |

śabdaṃ prati gaja-prepsur abhilakṣya tv apātayam ||25||

Translation

Da ergriff ich, begierig den Elefanten zu Boden zu bringen, einen Pfeil, glänzend wie eine giftige Schlange; auf den Laut zielend, ließ ich ihn fliegen.

Ask anything about this verse...Ask

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), temporal adverb (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन (singular)

• śaram: arrow
• śaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case) एकवचन

• udhṛtya: having taken up
• udhṛtya: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having lifted/taken up’

• dīptam: blazing, bright
• dīptam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīpta (प्रातिपदिक; √dīp धातु से क्त)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; शरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• āśīviṣa-upamam: like a venomous serpent
• āśīviṣa-upamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśīviṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (upamāna-tatpuruṣa: ‘like a venomous serpent’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया एकवचन; शरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• śabdam: sound
• śabdam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• prati: towards
• prati: Dik-karaka (दिक्/प्रत्ययार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable), ‘towards’

• gaja-prepsuḥ: desiring to get the elephant
• gaja-prepsuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + prepsu (प्रातिपदिक; √āp/√āpnu ‘to obtain’ से desiderative sense)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (object-determinative: ‘desiring an elephant’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; अहम् इति कर्तुः विशेषणम्

• abhilakṣya: having aimed at
• abhilakṣya: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: abhi-√lakṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having aimed/marked’

• tu: indeed, then
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), emphasis/contrast

• apātayam: I released / let fly
• apātayam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-√pat (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘to cause to fall/let fly’ (context: released)

Context

Wishing to kill the elephant, I seized my arrow glowing like a venomous snake and aimed it towards the sound.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• arrow (śara/bāṇa)
• elephant (gaja)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Desire-driven action (prepsu—craving the kill) can eclipse discernment; dharma requires verifying before using force.

What is the narrative situation?

Mistaking the water-sound for an elephant, Daśaratha aims at the sound and releases his arrow.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negative exemplar: lack of restraint and inadequate discrimination (viveka) before violence.