Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.43: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 43

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

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

Spoken by Shravana to King DaśarathaSetting: Forest near water-source; parents at nearby hermitage hut (implied)Delay in returning with water; parents waiting

Devanagari script

तौ कथं दुर्बलावन्धौ मत्प्रतीक्षौ पिपासितौ ।

चिरमाशाकृतां तृष्णां कष्टां सन्धारयिष्यतः ॥४३॥

Recitation with translationValmiki Ramayana 2.63.43

Transliteration

tau kathaṃ durbalāv andhau mat-pratīkṣau pipāsitau |

ciram āśākṛtāṃ tṛṣṇāṃ kaṣṭāṃ sandhārayiṣyataḥ ||43||

Translation

Bagaimanakah kedua-duanya—lemah dan buta, menantikan aku dalam kehausan—akan mampu menahan lama dahaga yang pedih itu, hanya bertopang pada harapan?

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Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
• Role: Sambandha (निषेध)

• नूनम्: surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नूनम् (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चयार्थक-अव्यय (adverb)
• Role: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)

• तपसः: of austerity
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; Genitive singular
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
• Role: Sambandha (विकल्प)

• अस्ति: exists
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present ‘is/exists’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• फलयोगः: attainment of fruit/result
• Type: Noun
• Root: फल + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष (फलस्य योगः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)
• Compound: Tatpurusha

• श्रुतस्य: of sacred learning
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; Genitive singular ‘of learning/scripture’
• Role: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प-अव्यय (disjunctive particle)
• Role: Sambandha (विकल्प)

• पिता: father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; Nominative singular
• Role: Karta (कर्ता)

• यत्: since/that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: हेतु/सम्बन्ध-निपात (relative particle)
• Role: Hetu (हेतु)

• माम्: me
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular
• Role: Karma (कर्म)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)
• Role: Sambandha (निषेध)

• जानाति: knows
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present ‘knows’
• Role: Kriyā (क्रिया)

• शयानम्: lying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (शानच्/वर्तमान), पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying ‘माम्’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• पतितम्: fallen
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्यय), पुंलिङ्ग द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular qualifying ‘माम्’
• Role: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)

• भुवि: on the ground
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू (प्रातिपदिक: भुव्/भूमि)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन; Locative singular
• Role: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)

Sandhi Notes

• वास्ति = वा + अस्ति
• फलयोगश्श्रुतस्य = फलयोगः + श्रुतस्य
• यन्माम् = यत् + माम्

Context

'How will the two who are frail, thirsty and blind wait for me for long controlling their thirst with great difficulty with the expectation (that I would fetch them water)?

The teaching

Negligence that blocks another’s dharma (service to elders) is a grave harm; protect the vulnerable and their dependents.

Duties in tension

• Son’s duty to provide water/care vs sudden violent interruption
• King’s duty to protect subjects/ascetics vs reckless hunting

Ethical theme

Filial duty / compassion / rāja-dharma

How it resolves

Tragic; duty becomes impossible, generating curse and karmic chain

For your practice

Sevā as spiritual practice; contemplate the suffering of dependents and cultivate karuṇā.

Mood and themes

Rasa

Karuna (compassion), with Bhayanaka (fear)

Mood

Parched, helpless, foreboding

Themes

• Dharma
• Satya
• Compassion
• Ethics
• Dependence and duty

Symbolism

Relationships

Cross references

Meter and recitation

Characters & Entities

• Śravaṇa
• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

Dharma includes responsibility toward dependents; neglect or the loss of a caregiver becomes a moral crisis for those left helpless.

What is the narrative situation?

Śravaṇa imagines his parents, waiting for water, suffering thirst as he fails to return because he has been mortally wounded.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Empathy and duty: Śravaṇa’s mind stays with his parents’ suffering rather than his own pain.