Valmiki Ramayana 2.61.29: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 61, Shloka 29
कौसल्याविलापः · Kausalya’s Lament and Ethical Analogies on Kingship
हतं त्वया राज्यमिदं सराष्ट्रं हतस्तथाऽत्मा सह मन्त्रिभिश्च ।
हता सपुत्राऽस्मि हताश्च पौरास्सुत श्च भार्या च तव प्रहृष्टौ ॥२९॥
hataṃ tvayā rājyamidaṃ sarāṣṭraṃ hatastathā'tmā saha mantribhiśca |
hatā saputrā'smi hatāśca paurāssuta śca bhāryā ca tava prahṛṣṭau ||29||
നീ ഈ രാജ്യത്തെ അതിന്റെ പ്രവിശ്യകൾക്കൊപ്പം നശിപ്പിച്ചു. നീ മന്ത്രിമാർക്കൊപ്പം നിന്നെത്തന്നെയും നശിപ്പിച്ചു. നീ എന്നെയും എന്റെ പുത്രനെയും നാശത്തിലേക്ക് തള്ളിവിട്ടു. നിന്റെ പുത്രൻ ഭരതനും ഭാര്യ കൈകേയിയും മാത്രമാണ് സന്തോഷവാന്മാർ.
You have destroyed this kingdom, and the state along with its inhabitants. You have ruined yourself along with your ministers. You have brought disaster to me and to my son. Your son (Bharata) and your wife (Kaikeyi) are the only persons who are happy.
FAQs
The verse addresses the king's responsibility toward his kingdom and subjects. Kausalya accuses Dasaratha of failing in his rajadharma (kingly duty) by prioritizing personal promises over the welfare of the entire kingdom.
Queen Kausalya continues her confrontation with King Dasaratha, enumerating the widespread destruction caused by his decision. She points out the irony that only Bharata and Kaikeyi, the beneficiaries of the exile, remain happy while everyone else suffers.
The verse emphasizes the virtue of righteous kingship and the principle that a king's decisions should benefit the many rather than the few. Kausalya's words serve as a moral indictment of Dasaratha's failure to uphold this principle.
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