Shloka 2.65.17

अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चषष्टितमः सर्गः — Daśaratha’s Death Discovered in the Palace (Morning Rites Turn to Lament)

Devanagari script

निष्प्रभा च विवर्णा च सन्ना शोकेन सन्नता।न व्यराजत कौसल्या तारेव तिमिरावृता।।।।

Transliteration

niṣprabhā ca vivarṇā ca sannā śokena sannatā |

na vyarājata kausalyā tāreva timirāvṛtā ||

Translation

Kauśalyā, dull and pallid, sunk down with sorrow and slackened in body, did not shine—like a star veiled by darkness.

Context

Kausalya, with her face dull and pallid, sank down, her limbs contracted. She looked lustreless like stars enveloped in darkness.

Characters & Entities

• Kauśalyā

FAQs

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

Dharma includes honoring emotional truth: the epic does not deny grief but records it faithfully, teaching that righteousness is lived by real people with real sorrow.

What is the narrative situation?

Kauśalyā is shown physically transformed by grief, foreshadowing the crisis unfolding in the palace.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sincerity of feeling (anṛśaṃsya/compassionate realism): the text treats suffering with dignity rather than spectacle.