Shloka 2.57.29
सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः — Sumantra’s Return to Ayodhya and the Palace’s Lament
इमं तस्य महाभाग दूतं दुष्करकारिणः।वनवासादनुप्राप्तं कस्मान्न प्रतिभाषसे।।।।
imaṃ tasya mahābhāga dūtaṃ duṣkarakāriṇaḥ | vanavāsād anuprāptaṃ kasmān na pratibhāṣase ||
O noble king, why do you not question this messenger who has returned from the forest—sent by him, Rama, the doer of difficult deeds?
O distinguished king!, why are you not enquiring from the messenger about him (Rama) who is capable of performing arduous tasks?
Facing truth with courage: Kausalya urges the king to engage with the messenger and hear reality directly, rather than collapsing into silence.
Kausalya addresses Dasharatha after his collapse, urging him to speak to Sumantra who has returned from Rama’s forest exile.
Kausalya’s moral clarity and practical resolve in the midst of grief.