Shloka 7

कौशल्याविलापः

Kausalya’s Lament and the Vision of Rama’s Return

Devanagari script

वने त्वदृष्टदुःखानां केकय्यानुमते त्वया।त्यक्तानां वनवासाय कान्ववस्था भविष्यति।।।।

Transliteration

vane tvadṛṣṭaduḥkhānāṃ kaikayyānumate tvayā | tyaktānāṃ vanavāsāya kā nv avasthā bhaviṣyati ||

Translation

കൈകേയിയുടെ ആജ്ഞപ്രകാരം, നിന്റെ സമ്മതത്തോടുകൂടി, ദുഃഖം ഒരിക്കലും അറിയാത്ത അവരെ വനവാസത്തിനായി ഉപേക്ഷിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു; അവിടെ അവർ ഏതു അവസ്ഥയിലാകും?

Word by Word

• vane: in the forest
• vane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• tva-dṛṣṭa-duḥkhānām: of those (who are) unacquainted with suffering
• tva-dṛṣṭa-duḥkhānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tva (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + dṛṣṭa (कृदन्त, √dṛś धातु) + duḥkha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter (agreeing with implied 'janānām'), Genitive (6th), Plural; तत्पुरुष: 'tvayā dṛṣṭaṃ duḥkhaṃ yeṣām' = those whose suffering has been seen by you / (idiomatically) who have not seen suffering (contextual negation implied by usage)

• kaikeyyāḥ: of Kaikeyi
• kaikeyyāḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kaikeyī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• anumate: with the consent
• anumate: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: anumati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th), Singular; 'in/under the consent/approval'

• tvayā: by you
• tvayā: Karta/Agent (कर्ता) (agent of 'tyaktānām')
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Instrumental (3rd), Singular

• tyaktānām: of those abandoned
• tyaktānām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tyaj (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Genitive, Plural; 'of the abandoned (people)'

• vana-vāsāya: for forest-dwelling
• vana-vāsāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + vāsa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; तत्पुरुष: 'vane vāsaḥ'

• kā: what? (which)
• kā: Karta (कर्ता) (subject of bhaviṣyati)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Interrogative pronoun, Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• nu: indeed/then (question particle)
• nu: Nipāta (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: Interrogative/emphatic particle (निपात)

• avasthā: condition/state
• avasthā: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to kā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avasthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• bhaviṣyati: will be
• bhaviṣyati: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū (धातु)
• Form: Future (लृट्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada

Context

You have banished them as per the desire of Kaikeyi. What will be their plight in the forest, for they have never experienced any hardship earlier!

Characters & Entities

• Kaikeyī
• Rāma
• Sītā
• Lakṣmaṇa
• forest (vana)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse challenges the righteousness of abandoning the innocent to hardship for the sake of a boon’s demand, highlighting a dharmic concern for compassion and protection of dependents.

What is the narrative situation?

Kausalyā laments to Daśaratha after Rāma’s exile has been ordered under Kaikeyī’s influence, fearing the suffering awaiting Rāma and his companions in the forest.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Kausalyā’s maternal compassion and moral clarity—she measures royal action against humane duty.