Shloka 2.58.12
अष्टपञ्चाशः सर्गः (Sarga 58) — Daśaratha Questions Sumantra; Messages from the Forest Threshold
आसितं शयितं भुक्तं सूत रामस्य कीर्तय।जीविष्यामहमेतेन ययातिरिव साधुषु।।।।
atha sūto mahārājaṁ kṛtāñjalir upasthitaḥ |
rāmam evānuśocantaṁ duḥkhaśoka-samanvitam ||
vṛddhaṁ paramasantaptaṁ navagraham iva dvipam |
viniśvasantaṁ dhyāyantam asvastham iva kuñjaram ||
Then the charioteer approached the great king with folded hands. Daśaratha—aged, overwhelmed by grief and sorrow, brooding only on Rāma—kept heaving deep sighs, like a newly captured elephant, sick and distressed.
Tell me, O charioteer where Rama sat, where he slept, what (food) he ate. Only your words will enable me to live like Yayati among saints.
The verse indirectly highlights the dharmic cost of separation and duty: even a righteous course of action can produce intense human suffering, reminding readers that Dharma is lived in real emotional consequences, not abstract ideals.
The charioteer comes before King Daśaratha, who is consumed by grief for Rāma, sighing and brooding in distress.
The charioteer’s humility and respect (approaching with folded hands) is emphasized, reflecting proper conduct toward a suffering king.