Shloka 6.49.9

शरबन्धनविलापः (The Lament under the Net of Arrows)

Devanagari script

विवत्सांवेपमानांचक्रोशन्तींकुररीमिव ।कथमाश्वासयिष्यामियदियास्यामितंविना ।।6.49.9।।

Transliteration

vivatsāṃ vepamānāṃ ca krośantīṃ kurarīm iva | katham āśvāsayiṣyāmi yadi yāsyāmi taṃ vinā ||6.49.9||

Translation

If I were to go without him, how could I console her—bereft of her child, trembling, and crying out like a female osprey?

Context

"If I go to Ayodhya without him, how can I console Sumithra crying aloud like a female osprey?"

Characters & Entities

• Sumitrā
• Lakṣmaṇa (implied by 'tam vinā'—without him)

FAQs

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

Dharma as compassion and care for the suffering: the verse foregrounds the obligation to comfort the grieving and the fear of failing that duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Rāma anticipates Sumitrā’s unbearable sorrow if Lakṣmaṇa does not return, and he doubts his ability to console her.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Empathy: the speaker vividly imagines another’s pain, indicating a dharmic heart that does not treat victory as meaningful if loved ones are lost.