Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 17

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

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

Devanagari script

क्लिन्न पक्षोत्तरास्स्नाताः कृच्छ्रादिव पतत्रिणः।वृष्टिवातावधूताग्रान्पादपानभिपेदिरे।।2.63.17।।

Transliteration

klinna-pakṣottarāḥ snātāḥ kṛcchrād iva patatriṇaḥ | vṛṣṭi-vātāvadhūtāgrān pādapān abhipedire || 2.63.17 ||

Translation

पक्षींचे पंख व वरचा पिसारा भिजून गेले होते, जणू ते स्नान करून आले. पाऊस व वाऱ्याने हलणाऱ्या शेंड्यांच्या वृक्षांपर्यंत ते कष्टाने पोहोचले.

Word by Word

• klinna-pakṣottarāḥ: with moistened wings/plumage
• klinna-pakṣottarāḥ: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: klinna (प्रातिपदिक) + pakṣottara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa (कर्मधारय/षष्ठी-भाव): ‘with upper wings moistened’; Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying patatriṇaḥ

• snātāḥ: bathed
• snātāḥ: Kartā-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषणम्)
• Type: Verb
• Root: snā (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); used adjectivally

• kṛcchrāt: with difficulty
• kṛcchrāt: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषणम्)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kṛcchra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Ablative used adverbially (पञ्चमी-अर्थे अव्ययीभाववत्): ‘with difficulty’

• iva: as if/like
• iva: Upamā (उपमा)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle of comparison (उपमा-अव्यय)

• patatriṇaḥ: birds
• patatriṇaḥ: Kartā (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: patatrin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन)

• vṛṣṭi-vātāvadhūtāgrān: whose tops were shaken by rain and wind
• vṛṣṭi-vātāvadhūtāgrān: Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vṛṣṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + vāta (प्रातिपदिक) + avadhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + agra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa chain: वृष्ट्या वातेन च अवधूतानि अग्राणि येषाम् (tops shaken by rain and wind); Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन); qualifying pādapān

• pādapān: trees
• pādapān: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pādapa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural (बहुवचन)

• abhipedire: reached/approached
• abhipedire: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: abhi-pad (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Plural (बहुवचन)

Context

Engulfed by torrents of rain that continued to fall ceaselessly, the mountain visited by intoxicated antelopes looked like a mass of water.

Characters & Entities

• Birds (patatriṇaḥ)
• Trees (pādapa)
• Rain (vṛṣṭi)
• Wind (vāta)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes care for the vulnerable: the image of creatures seeking shelter invites restraint and empathy, virtues especially relevant to those who wield power.

What is the narrative situation?

Heavy rain and gusts disrupt the forest; birds struggle to reach stable shelter in trees.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Sensitivity and restraint—qualities that should temper a hunter’s impulse, foreshadowing the moral weight of Daśaratha’s later mistake.