Shloka 1
द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः — दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः
Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments
यावत्तु निर्यतस्तस्य रजोरूपमदृश्यत।नैवेक्ष्वाकुवरस्तावत्सञ्जहारात्मचक्षुषी।।।।
yāvat tu niryatas tasya rajorūpam adṛśyata |
naivekṣvākuvaras tāvat sañjahārātmacakṣuṣī || 2.42.1 ||
അവൻ പുറപ്പെട്ടപ്പോൾ ഉയർന്ന പൊടിയുടെ രൂപം ദൃശ്യമാകുന്നത്രയും കാലം, ഇക്ഷ്വാകുവംശശ്രേഷ്ഠനായ ദശരഥൻ തന്റെ കണ്ണുകളെ അതിൽ നിന്ന് പിന്വലിക്കാനായില്ല.
As long as the dust raised by the wheels of the chariot of Rama (who was departing to the forest) was visible, Dasaratha, the best of the Ikshvakus, could not withdraw his eyes (from Rama).
FAQs
It presents the emotional cost of dharma-bound decisions: even a king who upholds a pledge experiences profound personal suffering, revealing dharma’s gravity beyond abstract rule.
As Rāma departs, Daśaratha keeps staring until even the dust of the chariot is no longer visible.
Daśaratha’s deep paternal love and the sincerity of his anguish—his gaze cannot detach from the last trace of his son.