Shloka 2.88.22

रामशय्यादर्शनम् — Bharata Beholds Rama’s Forest Bed

Devanagari script

आकर्णधारा पृथिवी नौः इव प्रतिभाति मा।गते दशरथे स्वर्गं रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते।।।।

Transliteration

ākarṇadhārā pṛthivī nauḥ iva pratibhāti mā |

gate daśarathe svargaṃ rāme cāraṇyam āśrite ||

Translation

With Daśaratha gone to heaven and Rāma having taken refuge in the forest, this whole realm seems to me like a ship without a helmsman.

Context

King Dasaratha having ascended to heaven and Rama taken shelter in the forest, this kingdom appears to me like a ship without a helmsman.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• heaven (svarga)
• forest (araṇya)

FAQs

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

Rāja-dharma: a kingdom requires righteous leadership; without a dharmic king, society becomes directionless and vulnerable.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha has died; Rāma is in exile—creating a leadership vacuum felt as instability in the state.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The speaker’s sense of responsibility and clear-eyed recognition that governance must be anchored in dharma.