Shloka 2.53.24
पञ्चाशत्तमः सर्गः (Sarga 53) — Rāma’s Lament, Vigil for Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa’s Consolation
अल्पभाग्या हि मे माता कौशल्या रहिता मया।शेते परमदुःखार्ता पतिता शोकसागरे।।।।
alpabhāgyā hi me mātā kauśalyā rahitā mayā |
śete paramaduḥkhārtā patitā śokasāgare ||
My mother Kausalyā, bereft of me, is indeed ill-fated; overwhelmed by extreme sorrow, she must be lying as though fallen into an ocean of grief.
My mother is unlucky as she has been separated from me. Extremely distressed, she must have plunged into an ocean of grief.
Dharma includes compassion for those harmed indirectly by righteous choices; Rama’s adherence to truth and duty still carries the obligation to acknowledge and mitigate others’ suffering.
As exile begins, Rama imagines Kausalya’s condition back in Ayodhya—prostrated by grief at separation.
Karunā (compassion): Rama’s heart remains with his mother even while he walks the path of vowed duty.