Shloka 2.59.24

एकोनषष्ठितमः सर्गः (Sarga 59): सुमन्त्रवाक्यं, अयोध्याविषादः, दाशरथिशोकसागरः

Devanagari script

भवितव्यतया नूनमिदं वा व्यसनं महत्।कुलस्यास्य विनाशाय प्राप्तं सूत यदृच्छया।।2.59.24।।

Transliteration

bhavitavyatayā nūnam idaṃ vā vyasanaṃ mahat | kulasyāsya vināśāya prāptaṃ sūta yadṛcchayā || 2.59.24 ||

Translation

Surely, by the force of destiny, this great calamity has come, O charioteer—arriving, as it were, by chance to bring ruin upon this very lineage.

Context

Surely it is destiny and this calamity has befallen for the wilful destruction of the (entire) race, O charioteer!

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Sumantra
• Ikṣvāku dynasty (kula)

FAQs

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

The verse reflects acceptance of events as governed by daiva (destiny) while implying the grave ethical weight of actions that can endanger a royal lineage; it frames suffering within a dharmic worldview of inevitability and consequence.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, overwhelmed after Rāma’s departure for exile, speaks to his charioteer Sumantra, interpreting the crisis as an unavoidable calamity threatening the dynasty.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s anguished honesty and reflective awareness—he tries to make moral sense of catastrophe within the traditional framework of destiny and duty.