Shloka 4.1.67

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

Devanagari script

अहो कामस्य वामत्वं यो गतामपि दुर्लभाम्।स्मारयिष्यति कल्याणीं कल्याणतरवादिनीम्।।।।

Transliteration

aho kāmasya vāmatvaṃ yo gatām api durlabhām | smārayiṣyati kalyāṇīṃ kalyāṇataravādinīm ||

Translation

Ah, how perverse is Kāma: he makes me remember that auspicious lady, whose voice is sweeter than all, though she is gone and hard to reach.

Context

'Oh! how adversly disposed is the god of love! He makes me remember that auspicious lady with a pleasing voice when she is lost and difficult to reach.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sītā
• Kāma (god/principle of love)

FAQs

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

It distinguishes dharmic love from mere indulgence: Rāma’s remembrance is rooted in commitment and truth (satya) to his spouse, even as he acknowledges the mind’s involuntary pull.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma speaks of how springtime beauty provokes longing, causing vivid recollection of Sītā while she remains separated from him.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Honest self-awareness—Rāma names the force of desire without letting it distort his purpose of rescue and righteous action.