Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.4: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 4

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

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

Devanagari script

स राजा रजनीं षष्ठीं रामे प्रव्राजिते वनम् ।

अर्धरात्रे दशरथ स्संस्मरन् दुष्कृतं कृतम् ॥४॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.63.4

Transliteration

sa rājā rajanīṃ ṣaṣṭhīṃ rāme pravrājite vanam |

ardharātre daśarathaḥ saṃsmaran duṣkṛtaṃ kṛtam ||4||

Translation

രാമനെ വനത്തിലേക്ക് പ്രവാസിപ്പിച്ച ശേഷം, രാജാവ് ദശരഥൻ ആറാം രാത്രി കഴിച്ചു; അർദ്ധരാത്രിയിൽ അവൻ പണ്ടു ചെയ്ത ദുഷ്കൃത്യം ഓർത്തുകൊണ്ട് നിരന്തരം വ്യാകുലപ്പെട്ടു.

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Word by Word

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• rājā: the king
• rājā: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• rajanīm: night
• rajanīm: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rajanī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana

• ṣaṣṭhīm: sixth
• ṣaṣṭhīm: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṣṭha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana; ordinal adjective qualifying rajanīm

• rāme: when Rama
• rāme: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Eka-vacana; locative absolute with pravrājite

• pravrājite: having been banished
• pravrājite: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra-√vraj (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle, Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Eka-vacana; locative absolute: 'when (he) was banished'

• vanam: to the forest
• vanam: Karma (Goal/object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana; goal of banishment (implicit)

• ardha-rātre: at midnight
• ardha-rātre: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (Time/कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ardha (प्रातिपदिक) + rātri (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga (usage), Saptamī (Locative), Eka-vacana; tatpuruṣa: 'midnight'

• daśarathaḥ: Dasaratha
• daśarathaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: daśaratha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana

• saṃsmaran: remembering
• saṃsmaran: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (Concomitant action/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: sam-√smṛ (धातु) + śatṛ (शतृ)
• Form: Present participle (वर्तमान-कृदन्त), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; 'remembering'

• duṣkṛtam: evil deed
• duṣkṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana

• kṛtam: done, committed
• kṛtam: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √kṛ (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle used substantively, Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana; agreeing with duṣkṛtam: 'done/committed'

Context

After the banishment of Rama the king spent the sixth night, recalling the evil deed done by him in the past.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• forest (vana)

FAQs

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

The verse presents karma aligned with dharma: past wrongdoing returns as inner torment and worldly suffering. Ethical actions are not erased by time; they mature into consequences.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rāma’s exile, Daśaratha lies awake on the sixth night, haunted by remembrance of his earlier sin, setting the stage for the Śravaṇa episode’s recollection.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral awareness (even if late): Daśaratha’s remembrance indicates recognition of guilt and the truth of moral causality.