Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 53, Shloka 6
पञ्चाशत्तमः सर्गः (Sarga 53)
Rāma’s Lament, Vigil for Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa’s Consolation
ध्रुवमद्य महाराजो दुःखं स्वपिति लक्ष्मण।कृतकामा तु कैकेयी तुष्टा भवितुमर्हति।।।।
dhruvam adya mahārājo duḥkhaṃ svapiti lakṣmaṇa | kṛtakāmā tu kaikeyī tuṣṭā bhavitum arhati ||
ラクシュマナよ、今宵、大王は悲嘆のうちに眠っておられるに違いない。だがカイケーイーは、望みを遂げて満ち足りていることだろう。
O Lakshmana, the maharaja must be having a painful sleep tonight. But Kaikeyi with her desires fulfilled, ought to feel satisfied.
FAQs
The verse contrasts dharma-guided compassion with desire-driven satisfaction: dharma feels another’s suffering, while unchecked kāma can ignore it.
On the night in the forest, Rāma reflects on Ayodhyā—Daśaratha’s grief and Kaikeyī’s fulfillment after securing exile and Bharata’s kingship.
Rāma’s empathy for his father and his clear-eyed moral discernment about desire’s power.