Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.25: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 25

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed

Spoken by Dasharatha to KausalyaSetting: Forest river-bank (lonely river reach)Places named: नदी (river), वन (forest)

Devanagari script

ततोऽहं शरमुधृत्य दीप्तमाशीविषोपमम् ।

शब्दं प्रति गजप्रेप्सुरभिलक्ष्य त्वपातयम् ॥२५॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.63.25

Transliteration

tato 'haṃ śaram udhṛtya dīptam āśīviṣopamam |

śabdaṃ prati gaja-prepsur abhilakṣya tv apātayam ||25||

Translation

तब मैंने एक तीर उठाया। वो तीर चमक रहा था, जैसे ज़हरिली साँप हो। मैं समझा कि हाथी है, और आवाज़ की तरफ तीर चला दिया।

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Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (Avyaya), temporal adverb (कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण)
• Role: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)

• aham: I
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम (pronoun), पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग (common), प्रथमा (1st case) एकवचन (singular)
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• śaram: arrow
• Type: Noun
• Root: śara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया (2nd case) एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• udhṛtya: having taken up
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ud-√hṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive), ‘having lifted/taken up’
• Role: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)

• dīptam: blazing, bright
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dīpta (प्रातिपदिक; √dīp धातु से क्त)
• Form: विशेषण (adjective), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; शरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• āśīviṣa-upamam: like a venomous serpent
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśīviṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (upamāna-tatpuruṣa: ‘like a venomous serpent’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया एकवचन; शरम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्
• Role: Karma (कर्म)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• śabdam: sound
• Type: Noun
• Root: śabda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• prati: towards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: prati (अव्यय)
• Form: उपसर्ग/अव्यय (preposition-like indeclinable), ‘towards’
• Role: Dik-karaka (दिक्/प्रत्ययार्थ)

• gaja-prepsuḥ: desiring to get the elephant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaja (प्रातिपदिक) + prepsu (प्रातिपदिक; √āp/√āpnu ‘to obtain’ से desiderative sense)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (object-determinative: ‘desiring an elephant’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; अहम् इति कर्तुः विशेषणम्
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• abhilakṣya: having aimed at
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: abhi-√lakṣ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund), ‘having aimed/marked’
• Role: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)

• tu: indeed, then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle), emphasis/contrast
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)

• apātayam: I released / let fly
• Type: Verb
• Root: apa-√pat (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद; causative sense ‘to cause to fall/let fly’ (context: released)
• Role: Kriya (क्रिया)

Sandhi Notes

• tato 'ham = tataḥ + aham (visarga sandhi)
• śaramudhṛtya = śaram + udhṛtya
• dīptamāśīviṣopamam = dīptam + āśīviṣopamam
• śabdaṃ prati (anusvāra before p)
• gajaprepsurabhilakṣya = gajaprepsuḥ + abhilakṣya (visarga to r)
• tvapātayam = tu + apātayam

Context

Wishing to kill the elephant, I seized my arrow glowing like a venomous snake and aimed it towards the sound.

The teaching

Even a ruler’s prowess becomes adharma when guided by haste and misperception; restraint and verification are part of kṣatriya-dharma.

Duties in tension

• Kṣatriya hunting/royal sport vs ahiṃsā and protection of innocents
• Acting on sensory certainty vs duty of discernment (viveka)

Ethical theme

Pramāda (negligence) / hiṃsā by error

For your practice

Cultivates mindfulness (apramāda) and non-harming intention; a cautionary contemplation before action.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Vira (heroism), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Taut, predatory, aiming

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Itihasa
• Ethics
• Non-violence vs hunting
• Rash action

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• arrow (śara/bāṇa)
• elephant (gaja)

FAQs

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

Desire-driven action (prepsu—craving the kill) can eclipse discernment; dharma requires verifying before using force.

What is the narrative situation?

Mistaking the water-sound for an elephant, Daśaratha aims at the sound and releases his arrow.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Negative exemplar: lack of restraint and inadequate discrimination (viveka) before violence.