Shloka 2.39.29

एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — Dasaratha’s Lament, Sumantra’s Commission, and Sita’s Vow of Marital Dharma

Devanagari script

नातन्त्री वाद्यते वीणा नाचक्रो वर्तते रथः।नापतिस्सुखमेधेत या स्यादपि शतात्मजा।।2.39.29।।

Transliteration

sa muhūrtam ivāsaṃjño duḥkhitaś ca mahīpatiḥ |

vilalāpa mahābāhū rāmam evānucintayan ||2.39.3||

Translation

Overwhelmed with grief, the mighty-armed king—lord of the earth—fell as if senseless for a moment and then lamented, his mind fixed only upon Rāma.

Context

A veena (lute) sans strings cannot be played. A chariot without wheels cannot move. Similarly, a woman without her husband finds no happiness even though she has one hundred sons.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the human cost of dharmic decisions: even a righteous king can be broken by sorrow when duty and affection collide. It frames Daśaratha’s suffering as part of the moral gravity surrounding Rāma’s exile.

What is the narrative situation?

After the developments leading to Rāma’s departure for the forest, Daśaratha is overcome by grief and briefly becomes almost unconscious, lamenting while thinking only of Rāma.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s deep paternal love (vātsalya) is emphasized, alongside the implied burden of royal duty that has brought him to this crisis.