Shloka 2.43.16

कौशल्याविलापः — Kausalya’s Lament and the Vision of Rama’s Return

Devanagari script

कदा परिणतो बुद्ध्या वयसा चामरप्रभः।अभ्युपैष्यति धर्मज्ञस्त्रिवर्ष इव मां ललन्।।।।

Transliteration

kadā pariṇato buddhyā vayasā cāmaraprabhaḥ | abhyupaiṣyati dharmajñas trivarṣa iva māṃ lalan ||

Translation

When will Rāma—the knower of dharma, radiant with divine splendor, mature in wisdom and in years—return to me, playfully affectionate like a three-year-old child?

Context

When will Rama, the knower of righteousness, possessing the lustre of gods, and fully mature in age and wisdom come back to me playfully like a three-year-old boy?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Kauśalyā
• dharma (as an ideal)
• amara (divine beings, as a simile)

FAQs

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

It presents dharma not as cold austerity but as integrated virtue: Rāma is both dharma-wise and tender—ethical maturity coexisting with affectionate humaneness.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā expresses yearning for Rāma’s return, imagining him as supremely mature in righteousness yet approaching her with the playful intimacy of a small child.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s dharma-jñatā (moral clarity) together with filial affection—an ideal balance of principled conduct and loving relationship.