Shloka 2.64.3

शब्दवेध्य-अनर्थः, ऋषिशापः, दशरथस्य प्राणत्यागः (The Sound-Target Tragedy, the Sage’s Curse, and Dasaratha’s Death)

Devanagari script

ततस्तं घटमादाय पूर्णं परमवारिणा।आश्रमं तमहं प्राप्य यथाऽख्यातपथं गतः।।।।

Transliteration

athāham ekas taṃ deśaṃ nītvā tau bhṛśaduḥkhitau | asparśayam ahaṃ putraṃ taṃ muniṃ saha bhāryayā ||

Translation

Then I alone led those two, overwhelmed with grief, to that very spot, and I made the ascetic and his wife touch the body of their son.

Context

Holding the pot filled with clean water I reached the hermitage following the path as directed.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• the ascetic father (muni)
• the ascetic mother (bhāryā)
• their son (Śravaṇa, implied by episode context)
• the spot/place of death (deśa)

FAQs

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

Compassionate truth-telling: even in guilt, one must face the harmed parties and acknowledge reality directly, enabling rightful mourning and moral reckoning.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha guides the blind ascetic couple to where their son lies and helps them confirm the loss by touch.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Humaneness amid wrongdoing—Daśaratha does not abandon the grieving parents but assists them, reflecting remorse and basic compassion.