Shloka 4.1.112

पम्पा-तीर-वर्णनम् / Rama’s Lament at Pampa and the Approach to Rishyamuka

Devanagari script

किं नु वक्ष्यामि कौसल्यामयोध्यायां नृपात्मज।क्व सा स्नुषेति पृच्छन्तीं कथं चापि तु मनस्विनीम्।।।।

Transliteration

kiṃ nu vakṣyāmi kausalyām ayodhyāyāṃ nṛpātmaja | kva sā snuṣeti pṛcchantīṃ kathaṃ cāpi tu manasvinīm ||

Translation

O prince, what shall I say to the high-minded Kausalya in Ayodhya when she asks, “Where is that daughter-in-law?”—and how could I answer her at all?

Context

'O Prince, what can I tell the highminded Kausalya at Ayodhya when she asks the whereabouts of her daughter-in-law'?

Characters & Entities

• Kausalya
• Ayodhya
• Sita (as snuṣā—daughter-in-law)
• Lakshmana (addressed as nṛpātmaja in some interpretive traditions; here a direct address)

FAQs

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

Dharma involves truthfulness and duty toward family elders; Rama anticipates the morally painful necessity of answering Kausalya honestly while bearing grief responsibly.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama imagines returning (or being questioned) in Ayodhya and facing Kausalya’s inquiry about Sita’s whereabouts.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rama’s sensitivity to familial obligations and reverence toward Kausalya’s noble character.