Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 62, Shloka 2
अयोध्याकाण्डे द्विषष्टितमः सर्गः
Kausalyā consoles Daśaratha; grief, remorse, and nightfall
चिन्तयित्वा स च नृपो मुमोह व्याकुलेन्द्रियः।अथ दीर्घीण कालेन संज्ञामाप परन्तपः।।।।
cintayitvā sa ca nṛpo mumūha vyākulendriyaḥ | atha dīrgheṇa kālena saṃjñām āpa parantapaḥ ||
विचार करते-करते वह राजा, इन्द्रियाँ व्याकुल होकर, मूर्छित हो गया; फिर बहुत देर बाद वह परन्तप होश में आया।
One can endure an unexpected blow from the enemy's hand but to endure unexpected grief, however slight it may be, is impossible.
FAQs
It shows how a ruler’s mind is accountable to dharma: inner turmoil and collapse follow when one is caught between duty, truth, and the consequences of prior actions.
Daśaratha, overwhelmed by the crisis of Rāma’s exile and his own decisions, loses consciousness and later revives.
The verse indirectly highlights the gravity of royal responsibility: a king’s decisions carry moral weight that can shake even a powerful person.