Shloka 2.51.14

अयोध्याकाण्डे एकपञ्चाशः सर्गः — Guha’s Vigil and Lakṣmaṇa’s Lament (Night on the riverbank)

Devanagari script

कौशल्या चैव राजा च तथैव जननी मम।नाशंसे यदि जीवन्ति सर्वे ते शर्वरीमिमाम्।।।।

Transliteration

kauśalyā caiva rājā ca tathaiva jananī mama |

nāśaṃse yadi jīvanti sarve te śarvarīm imām ||

Translation

I do not expect that they will all survive this night—Kausalyā, the king, and likewise my own mother.

Context

I doubt whether all of them -- the king, Kausalya and my mother -- can survive this night.

Characters & Entities

• Kausalyā
• Daśaratha (the king)
• Bharata’s mother (Kaikeyī, implied by context)

FAQs

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

Dharma entails care for dependents and elders; Bharata’s fear reflects the moral weight of actions that endanger the vulnerable in the royal family.

What is the narrative situation?

Bharata anticipates that the shock of Rāma’s exile may prove fatal or unbearable for Daśaratha and the queens through the night.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Filial concern—Bharata worries for both his father and the mothers in the household, not for power or advantage.