Shloka 2.61.10

कौसल्याविलापः — Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship

Devanagari script

यत्त्वयाऽकरुणं कर्म व्यपोह्य मम बान्धवाः।निरस्ताः परिधावन्ति सुखार्हाः कृपणा वने।।2.61.10।।

Transliteration

yat tvayā 'karuṇaṃ karma vyapohya mama bāndhavāḥ |

nirastāḥ paridhāvanti sukhārhāḥ kṛpaṇā vane ||

Translation

Because of the heartless deed you have done, my kinsmen—who deserved comfort—have been cast out and now wander pitiably in the forest.

Context

(O king) It is because of your heartless action, my Rama and my relatives who deserve to enjoy pleasures at this age have been banished and are miserably wandering in wilderness.

Characters & Entities

• Kauśalyā
• Daśaratha
• forest (vana)
• Rāma (implied among ‘kinsmen’)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes compassionate kingship and moral accountability: a ruler’s actions must not unjustly inflict suffering on the innocent.

What is the narrative situation?

Kauśalyā confronts Daśaratha after Rāma’s exile, blaming the king’s decision for the family’s suffering.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kauśalyā’s moral clarity and protective love—she speaks bluntly against cruelty and negligence of duty.