Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 7
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
Spoken by Dasharatha to KausalyaSetting: अयोध्या (context: palace discourse)
गुरुलाघवमर्थानामारम्भे कर्मणां फलम् ।
दोषं वा यो न जानाति न बाल इति होच्यते ॥७॥
gurulāghavam arthānām ārambhe karmaṇāṃ phalam |
doṣaṃ vā yo na jānāti na bāla iti hocyate ||7||
Nicht bloß ein Kind nennt man den, der schon beim Beginn von Handlungen das Gewicht und die Leichtigkeit ihrer Folgen erkennt—sei es Nutzen oder Fehltritt.
Sandhi Notes
- अर्थानामारम्भे → अर्थानाम् आरम्भे
- कर्मणां फलम् → कर्मणाम् फलम्
- होच्यते → ह उच्यते
He who, at the commencement of any action, does not foresee the good or evil consequences of his action in considered a child.
The teaching
- Ethical theme
- विवेक/प्रज्ञा, नीति (prudence)
For your practice
संकल्प-पूर्वक कर्म: आरम्भे ‘श्रेयस्’ परीक्षण; वाणी/कर्म में प्रमाद-त्याग।
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace)
- Mood
- Analytical, instructive, measured
Themes
- Dharma
- Ethics
- Prudence
- Karma
- Satya
बुद्धि-योग/विवेक से कर्म-बंधन क्षीण; आरम्भे एव परिणाम-दर्शन = प्रज्ञा।
कठोपनिषद्: श्रेयस्-प्रेयस्-विवेक (good vs pleasant) का प्रतिध्वनि।
कठोपनिषद् 1.2 (श्रेयस्-प्रेयस् विवेक); महाभारत: विदुरनीति (उद्योग पर्व); भगवद्गीता 18.30 (बुद्धि: कार्य-अकार्य विवेक)
नीति-परम्परा: आरम्भे फल-दोष-विचार
अयोध्याकाण्ड 2.63.6-8 (कर्मफल-विवेक-उदाहरण-श्रृंखला)
अनुष्टुप् (Anuṣṭubh)
Solemn
स्पष्ट, तर्कपूर्ण उच्चारण; मध्यम-गति
FAQs
Dharma requires viveka (discernment): ethical maturity means anticipating consequences and evaluating harms and benefits before acting.
Daśaratha generalizes a moral lesson from his past mistake, warning against acting without foresight.
Prudence and discernment (viveka): the capacity to judge outcomes at the start.
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