Shloka 2.63.11
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च (Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed)
लब्धशब्देन कौसल्ये कुमारेण धनुष्मता।कुमारश्शब्दवेधीति मया पापमिदं कृतम्।।2.63.11।।
labdhaśabdena kauśalye kumāreṇa dhanuṣmatā |
kumāraḥ śabdavedhī ’ti mayā pāpam idaṃ kṛtam ||
O Kausalyā, when I was a youthful archer, skilled in striking by sound, I committed this sin—proudly known as one who could ‘pierce by sound’.
O Kausalya! in my youth I was a great archer who could hit the target by its sound. As such I committed this sin.
Dharma requires moral restraint over mere skill: extraordinary ability, when mixed with pride or carelessness, can lead to adharma and lifelong consequence.
Daśaratha begins confessing an earlier wrongdoing connected to his famed ability to shoot based on sound, setting up the karmic background of his present suffering.
Confessional honesty—admitting sin without concealment, a step toward ethical clarity even if consequences remain.