Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 25
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
ततोऽहं शरमुधृत्य दीप्तमाशीविषोपमम्।शब्दं प्रति गजप्रेप्सुरभिलक्ष्य त्वपातयम्।।2.63.25।।
tato 'haṃ śaram udhṛtya dīptam āśīviṣopamam |
śabdaṃ prati gaja-prepsur abhilakṣya tv apātayam || 2.63.25 ||
तब हाथी को गिराने की अभिलाषा से मैंने विषधर-सा दीप्तिमान बाण उठाया और शब्द की दिशा में लक्ष्य साधकर उसे छोड़ दिया।
Then I discharged a sharp shaft like a venomous serpent. In the morning twilight I saw that the shaft had hit the vital part of the body of a forest dweller and his cry of 'Alas!', was clearly heard as he fell in the water.
FAQs
Desire-driven action (prepsu—craving the kill) can eclipse discernment; dharma requires verifying before using force.
Mistaking the water-sound for an elephant, Daśaratha aims at the sound and releases his arrow.
Negative exemplar: lack of restraint and inadequate discrimination (viveka) before violence.