Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.54: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 54
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
Spoken by Dasharatha to KausalyaSetting: सरयू-तीर (Sarayū riverbank)Places named: सरयूहृदयविदारक-क्षणः (post-shot approach to the victim)
इतीव वदतः कृच्छ्राद्बाणाभिहतमर्मणः ।
विघूर्णतो विचेष्टस्य वेपमानस्य भूतले ।
तस्यत्वानम्यमानस्य तं बाणमहमुद्धरम् ।
स मामुद्वीक्ष्य सन्त्रस्तो जहौ प्राणांस्तपोधनः ॥५४॥
itīva vadataḥ kṛcchrād bāṇābhihatamarmaṇaḥ |
vighūrṇato viceṣṭasya vepamānasya bhūtale |
tasyātvānamyamānasya taṃ bāṇam aham uddharam |
sa mām udvīkṣya santrasto jahau prāṇāṃs tapodhanaḥ ||54||
Während er so mühsam sprach — vom Pfeil an einer lebenswichtigen Stelle getroffen — zitternd, taumelnd und sich am Boden windend, beugte ich mich hinab und zog jenen Pfeil heraus. Als er mich sah, erschrak der Asket, dessen Reichtum die Askese (tapas) war, und gab sein Leben auf.
Sandhi Notes
- Sandhi resolutions: कृच्छ्रात् + बाणाभिहतमर्मणः = कृच्छ्राद्बाणाभिहतमर्मणः (visarga becomes d before voiced consonant)
- तस्य + अनम्यमानस्य = तस्यत्वानम्यमानस्य (with तु particle inserted)
- तम् + बाणम् = तं बाणम् (anusvara before plosive)
- बाणम् + अहम् = बाणमहम् (elision of visarga)
- माम् + उद्वीक्ष्य = मामुद्वीक्ष्य (elision of visarga)
- सन्त्रस्तः + जहौ = सन्त्रस्तो जहौ (visarga becomes o before voiced consonant)
- प्राणान् + तपोधनः = प्राणांस्तपोधनः (anusvara before dental, with s-insertion)
While that ascetic struck by the arrow in the vital part of the body, trembling, turning and rolling on the ground writhing in pain spoke these words to me, I bent down and pulled out the arrow from his body. I was frightened when he looked up at me and gave up his life.
The teaching
अभिप्राय-शून्य हिंसा अपि कर्मफल-हेतुः; धर्मे सावधानता अनिवार्या।
Duties in tension
- क्षत्रिय-धर्मः (शिकार/रक्षा हेतु शस्त्रप्रयोग)
- अहिंसा/तपस्वी-रक्षा
- प्रमाद-निवारण (care in action)
- Ethical theme
- कर्म-न्याय, अहिंसा, उत्तरदायित्व (moral responsibility)
- How it resolves
- Tragic consequence leading to prायश्चित्त-भाव and भवितव्य-स्वीकार
For your practice
कर्म-निरीक्षण (daily self-audit) and अहिंसा-स्मरण; शोक-क्षणे धैर्य-प्रार्थना।
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)
- Mood
- Agonized, shattering, panic-stricken
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Karma
- Ethics
- Tragedy
- Violence and consequence
कर्तृत्वाभिमान-जन्य बन्धन; निमित्त-कारणत्वेऽपि कर्मफल-आवश्यता (agenthood binds even when intent is absent).
बृहदारण्यक/छान्दोग्य-भावः: यथाकर्म यथाश्रुतं फलप्राप्तिः; प्राण-उत्क्रमण का करुण दृश्य।
वाल्मीकि-रामायण 2.63 (दशरथ-श्रमण-वध प्रसङ्ग); महाभारत: कर्मफल-न्यायोक्तयः (उद्योग/शान्ति पर्व)
वेदान्त/उपनिषद् कर्मसिद्धान्त (यथाकर्म)
अयोध्याकाण्ड: दशरथस्य शाप-कारणवर्णन (इदमेव प्रसङ्गः); बालकाण्ड: दशरथस्य शस्त्रविद्या-प्रशंसा—तस्यैव विपर्ययः
अनुष्टुप् (Anuṣṭubh)
Grieving
मन्द्र-गम्भीर आरम्भ, करुण-उदात्त मध्य, अन्ते निःशब्द-न्यास
FAQs
Actions have irreversible consequences: even a reflexive or misguided attempt to help (pulling out the arrow) cannot undo harm already done, underscoring responsibility and the gravity of violence.
Daśaratha describes removing the arrow from the dying ascetic youth, who then looks at him in fear and dies.
Accountability through truthful narration: Daśaratha does not conceal his role or soften the causal sequence.
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