Shloka 2.42.5

द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः (Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments)

Devanagari script

तां नयेन च सम्पन्नो धर्मेण विनयेन च।उवाच राजा कैकेयीं समीक्ष्य व्यथितेन्द्रियः।।।।

Transliteration

atha rātryāṃ prapannāyāṃ kālarātryām ivātmanaḥ | ardharātre daśarathaḥ kauśalyām idam abravīt ||

Translation

Then, when night had set in—like a night of death for him—at midnight Daśaratha spoke these words to Kausalyā.

Context

The king, endowed with rectitude, virtue and also humility, stared at and said to Kaikeyi with pain.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā

FAQs

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

The verse frames suffering as a consequence within the moral universe of itihāsa: when dharma is strained (through vows, boons, and exile), the resulting pain can feel like death—yet the narrative insists on truth-bound action.

What is the narrative situation?

At midnight, Daśaratha—near collapse—turns to Kausalyā to speak, the night itself described as ominous and death-like for him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kausalyā’s role as steady companion in crisis is implied; Daśaratha’s vulnerability foregrounds the human dimension of royal dharma.