Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 40
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
स मामुद्वीक्ष्य नेत्राभ्यां त्रस्तमस्वस्थचेतसम्।इत्युवाच ततः क्रूरं दिधक्षन्निव तेजसा।।2.63.40।।
sa mām udvīkṣya netrābhyāṃ trastam asvasthacetasaṃ | ity uvāca tataḥ krūraṃ didhakṣann iva tejasā || 2.63.40 ||
તે મને બંને નેત્રોથી ઉપર જોઈ, ભયભીત અને અસ્થિર ચિત્તવાળા મને, તેજથી જાણે દહન કરવા ઇચ્છતો હોય તેમ, પછી ક્રૂર વાણી બોલ્યો: “ક્રૂર છે તું!”
With dissipated energy and intensely troubled mind, I reached the bank of river Sarayu and there I saw the ascetic lying struck by the arrow and with scattered locks of hair. The water pitcher was thrown away and his body smeared with blood and dust as he lay on the ground.
FAQs
Dharma includes truthful moral speech: the wounded ascetic names the act as cruel, affirming that power and weapons must be governed by discernment and restraint.
Daśaratha comes near; Śravaṇa looks at him and condemns the deed as cruel.
Moral clarity: even in pain, Śravaṇa speaks truthfully and directly about wrongdoing.