Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.24 — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 24

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed

Devanagari script

अथान्धकारे त्वश्रौषं जले कुम्भस्य पूर्यतः।अचक्षुर्विषये घोषं वारणस्येव नर्दतः।।2.63.24।।

Transliteration

athāndhakāre tv aśrauṣaṃ jale kumbhasya pūryataḥ |

acakṣur-viṣaye ghoṣaṃ vāraṇasyeva nardataḥ || 2.63.24 ||

Translation

പിന്നീട് അന്ധകാരത്തിൽ, എന്റെ കാഴ്ചയ്ക്കപ്പുറത്തുനിന്ന്, വെള്ളത്തിൽ കുടം നിറയുന്ന ശബ്ദം ഞാൻ കേട്ടു—ആനയുടെ ഗർജ്ജനത്തെപ്പോലെ.

Word by Word

• atha: then/thereafter
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: Discourse particle (अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय)

• andhakāre: in darkness
• andhakāre: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: andhakāra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• tu: but/indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (विरोध/विशेषण-अव्यय)

• aśrauṣam: I heard
• aśrauṣam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु)
• Form: Aorist (लुङ्), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 1st person (उत्तमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• jale: in water
• jale: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• kumbhasya: of a pitcher
• kumbhasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kumbha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• pūryataḥ: as it was being filled
• pūryataḥ: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṝ (धातु)
• Form: Present passive participle (शानच्) in Genitive/Ablative singular form used adverbially: ‘while being filled’; agrees with kumbhasya (genitive absolute sense)

• acakṣur-viṣaye: outside the range of sight
• acakṣur-viṣaye: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: a-cakṣus (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa: चक्षुषः अविषये (not in the range of sight); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular (एकवचन)

• ghoṣam: sound
• ghoṣam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ghoṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• vāraṇasya: of an elephant
• vāraṇasya: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāraṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• iva: like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Comparative particle (उपमा-अव्यय)

• nardataḥ: roaring
• nardataḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nard (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying vāraṇasya: ‘of (an elephant) roaring’

Context

Wishing to kill the elephant, I seized my arrow glowing like a venomous snake and aimed it towards the sound.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• river (nadī)
• elephant (vāraṇa)

FAQs

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

Dharma warns against action based on uncertainty: when perception is unclear (darkness, unseen source), restraint is safer than rashness.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha recalls a night by a river when he heard a sound resembling an elephant and misread the situation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Reflective honesty—Daśaratha narrates the precise sensory mistake that led to later wrongdoing.