Shloka 2.43.8
कौशल्याविलापः — Kausalya’s Lament and the Vision of Rama’s Return
ते रत्नहीनास्तरुणाः फलकाले विवासिताः।कथं वत्स्यन्ति कृपणाः फलमूलैः कृताशनाः।।।।
te ratnahīnāstaruṇāḥ phalakāle vivāsitāḥ | kathaṃ vatsyanti kṛpaṇāḥ phalamūlaiḥ kṛtāśanāḥ ||
Deprived of comforts and precious things, and exiled in the very season of youth meant for enjoyment—how will they live, wretched, with fruits and roots as their food?
Deprived of all costly things they have been banished at the tender age of youth, a time for enjoying their lives. How will they lead a miserable life subsisting on fruits and roots?
It underscores the dharmic duty of a ruler and parent to safeguard the young and innocent, questioning decisions that impose disproportionate suffering.
Kausalyā imagines the material deprivation of forest life for Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa, contrasting it with their sheltered upbringing.
Protective concern and empathy—Kausalyā’s ability to foresee the human cost of political decisions.