Shloka 2.61.7

कौसल्याविलापः — Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship

Devanagari script

महेन्द्रध्वजसङ्काशः क्व नु शेते महाभुजः।भुजं परिघसङ्काशमुपधाय महाबलः।।2.61.7।।

Transliteration

mahendradhvaja-saṅkāśaḥ kva nu śete mahā-bhujaḥ | bhujaṃ parigha-saṅkāśam upadhāya mahā-balaḥ || 2.61.7 ||

Translation

Where now does that mighty, long-armed Rāma—lofty like Indra’s banner—lie down to sleep, using as his pillow an arm like an iron bar?

Context

Where will that mighty-armed and powerful Rama, as lofty as Indra's banner, sleep using his iron-bar-like arm as pillow?.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Indra (by epithet: Mahendra)
• Indra’s banner (dhvaja)

FAQs

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

The verse highlights the cost of dharma-driven sacrifice: Rama accepts hardship for righteousness, while Kausalya’s grief underscores the human pain that can accompany adherence to duty.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rama’s departure to the forest, Kausalya imagines his austere conditions and anxiously wonders where he can even sleep.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s fortitude and self-discipline (tapas-like endurance) are implied—he can rest even without royal comforts.