HomeRamayanaAyodhya KandaSarga 63Shloka 2.63.13
Previous Verse
Next Verse

Shloka 2.63.13

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च (Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed)

यथान्यः पुरुषः कश्चित्पलाशैर्मोहितो भवेत्।एवं ममाऽप्यविज्ञातं शब्दवेध्यमयं फलम्।।2.63.13।।

yathānyaḥ puruṣaḥ kaścit palāśair mohito bhavet |

evaṃ mamā ’py avijñātaṃ śabdavedhyamayaṃ phalam ||

Just as some man may be misled by palāśa blossoms, so too I failed to foresee the consequence born of my ‘shooting by sound.’

Like some one who is deluded by palasa trees I too did not realise the consequences of shooting the target following the direction of the sound.

D
Daśaratha
K
Kausalyā
P
palāśa
Ś
śabdavedhya

Dharma includes foresight and carefulness: delusion or heedlessness can hide consequences, but karma still matures and returns as ‘phala’ (result).

Daśaratha explains that at the time of his famed sound-based archery, he did not recognize the future repercussions of that act.

Prudence by contrast: the verse highlights the lack of prudence as the root of harm, indirectly teaching the virtue of cautious discernment.