Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 54
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
इतीव वदतः कृच्छ्राद्बाणाभिहतमर्मणः।
विघूर्णतो विचेष्टस्य वेपमानस्य भूतले।
तस्यत्वानम्यमानस्य तं बाणमहमे उद्धरम्।
स मामुद्वीक्ष्य संत्रस्तो जहौ प्राणांस्तपो धनः।।2.63.54।।
itīva vadataḥ kṛcchrād bāṇābhihatamarmaṇaḥ | vighūrṇato viceṣṭasya vepamānasya bhūtale | tasyātvānamyamānasya taṃ bāṇam aham uddharam | sa mām udvīkṣya santrasto jahau prāṇāṃs tapodhanaḥ || 2.63.54 ||
As he spoke thus with difficulty—his vital spot pierced by the arrow—trembling, reeling, and writhing upon the ground, I bent down and drew out that arrow. Seeing me, the ascetic whose wealth was tapas (austerity) was seized with terror and gave up his life.
While that ascetic struck by the arrow in the vital part of the body, trembling, turningand rolling on the ground writhing in pain spoke these words to me, I bent down and pulled out the arrow from his body. I was frightened when he looked up at me and gave up his life.
FAQs
Actions have irreversible consequences: even a reflexive or misguided attempt to help (pulling out the arrow) cannot undo harm already done, underscoring responsibility and the gravity of violence.
Daśaratha describes removing the arrow from the dying ascetic youth, who then looks at him in fear and dies.
Accountability through truthful narration: Daśaratha does not conceal his role or soften the causal sequence.