Valmiki Ramayana 2.24.37: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 24, Shloka 37
कौशल्यारामसंवादः · Kausalya
Rama Dialogue on Exile-Dharma
अपीदानीं स कालस्स्याद्वनात्प्रत्यागतं पुनः ।
यत्त्वां पुत्रक पश्येयं जटावल्कलधारिणम् ॥३७॥
apīdānīṃ sa kālaḥ syād vanāt pratyāgataṃ punaḥ |
yat tvāṃ putraka paśyeyaṃ jaṭāvalkala-dhāriṇam ||37||
ആ സമയം ഇന്നുതന്നെയായിരുന്നെങ്കിൽ എത്ര നന്നായിരുന്നു—പ്രിയമകനേ, നീ വനത്തിൽ നിന്നു വീണ്ടും മടങ്ങിവരുന്ന സമയം; അപ്പോൾ ജടാധാരിയും വൽക്കലവസ്ത്രധാരിയും ആയ നിന്നെ ഞാൻ കാണാമായിരുന്നു.
O my dear child, how pleasing would it be, if today were to be the day of your returnfrom the forest when I can see you wearing matted hair and robes of bark!
FAQs
The verse normalizes renunciation undertaken for truth and duty: even ascetic marks (jaṭā, valkala) become signs of dharmic endurance, awaited with reverence and longing.
Kausalyā expresses a wish that the future day of Rāma’s return from exile were already here, imagining him in ascetic attire.
Kausalyā’s hopeful perseverance; Rāma’s implied tapas-like discipline in accepting forest life.
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