Valmiki Ramayana 2.103.25-26: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 103, Shlokas 25-26
पिण्डदानदर्शनम् · The Queens Behold Rama’s Śrāddha Offering
पद्ममातपसन्तप्तं परिक्लिष्टमिवोत्पलम् ।
काञ्चनं रजसा ध्वस्तं क्लिष्टं चन्द्रमिवाम्बुदैः ॥२५॥
मुखं ते प्रेक्ष्य मां शोको दहत्यग्निरिवाऽश्रयम् ।
भृशं मनसि वैदेहि व्यसनारणिसम्भवः ॥२६॥
padmamātapasantaptaṃ parikliṣṭamivotpalam |
kāñcanaṃ rajasā dhvastaṃ kliṣṭaṃ candramivāmbudaiḥ ||25||
mukhaṃ te prekṣya māṃ śoko dahatyagnirivā'śrayam |
bhṛśaṃ manasi vaidehi vyasanāraṇisambhavaḥ ||26||
ഹേ സീതേ, സൂര്യതാപത്താൽ ദഹിക്കപ്പെട്ട താമരപോലെ, വാടിയ നെല്ലിപ്പൂവിനെപ്പോലെ, പൊടിയാൽ മലിനമാക്കപ്പെട്ട സ്വർണ്ണത്തെപ്പോലെ, മേഘങ്ങളാൽ മറയ്ക്കപ്പെട്ട ചന്ദ്രനെപ്പോലെയുള്ള നിന്റെ മുഖം കണ്ടശേഷം, ശോകാഗ്നി എന്റെ മനസ്സിൽ ജ്വലിക്കുന്നു. ഹേ വിദേഹരാജകുമാരീ, അരണിമരത്തിൽനിന്നുണ്ടാകുന്ന അഗ്നിപോലെ ഭാവിയിൽ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന ഈ ദുഃഖം അതിന്റെ ഉറവിടത്തെത്തന്നെ ദഹിപ്പിക്കുന്നു.
O Sita, after looking at your countenance, which is like a lotus, scorched by the sunshine, or like a withered water-lily or gold defiled by dust or the Moon obscured by the clouds, the fire of sorrow is burning my mind. The grief in my mind is like fire kindled from the arani (sacrificial faggots) that consumes its own souree. (On a circular wood piece, a wooden stick is placed and churned to produce fire specially in sacrifices is called arani.)
FAQs
The verse exemplifies the sacred bond between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, demonstrating that familial love and compassion transcend circumstances. Kausalya's grief reflects the Dharma of maternal love and the shared suffering that binds righteous families together.
Queen Kausalya, overcome with maternal grief, embraces Sita who is about to depart for forest exile with Rama. Kausalya expresses her anguish at seeing Sita's once-radiant face now worn by the hardships of forest life.
The verse emphasizes Kausalya's deep maternal compassion (Vatsalya) and her ability to perceive Sita's suffering as her own. It also highlights Sita's resilience and sacrifice in accompanying her husband into exile.
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