Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.22: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 22
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
निपाने महिषं रात्रौ गजं वाऽभ्यागतं नदीम्।अन्यं वा श्वापदं कञ्चिज्जिघांसु रजितेन्द्रियः।तस्मिं स्तत्राहमेकान्ते रात्रौ विवृतकार्मुकः।।2.63.22।।
nipāne mahiṣaṃ rātrau gajaṃ vā ’bhyāgataṃ nadīm | anyaṃ vā śvāpadaṃ kañcij jighāṃsur ajitendriyaḥ | tasmiṃs tatrāham ekānte rātrau vivṛta-kārmukaḥ || 2.63.22 ||
នៅពេលយប់ ត្រង់កន្លែងសត្វមកផឹកទឹកជិតទន្លេ ដោយអារម្មណ៍មិនបានសម្រួល និងមានចិត្តចង់សម្លាប់ ខ្ញុំបានស្ទាក់ចាំតែម្នាក់ឯង ដោយដាក់ខ្សែធ្នូរួច—គិតថា ប្រហែលមានក្របី ឬដំរី ឬសត្វព្រៃផ្សេងទៀតមកផឹកទឹក។
And there, with no control over my senses, I hid in a lonely place with my bow in readiness intending to shoot a buffalo or an elephant or any other wild animal that might come to the spot for drinking water in the night.
FAQs
Dharma demands indriya-nigraha (control of the senses): acting while ‘uncontrolled’ and driven by the urge to kill is presented as a moral fault that invites suffering.
Daśaratha describes lying in ambush at night near a river watering-place, ready to shoot any large animal that comes to drink.
The verse emphasizes the absence of virtue—loss of self-restraint—so that the later tragedy is understood as arising from a lapse in ethical discipline.
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