Valmiki Ramayana 2.63.26: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 26

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

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

Devanagari script

अमुञ्चं निशितं बाणमहमाशीविषोपमम्।तत्र वागुषसि व्यक्ता प्रादुरासीद्वनौकसः।।2.63.26।।हाहेति पततस्तोये बाणाभिहतमर्मणः।।2.63.27।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.63.26

Transliteration

amuñcaṃ niśitaṃ bāṇam aham āśīviṣopamam |

tatra vāg uṣasi vyaktā prādurāsīd vanaukasaḥ || 2.63.26 ||

Translation

ข้าพเจ้าปล่อยศรคมกริบ ดุจอสรพิษมีพิษร้าย; ครั้นรุ่งอรุณ ก็มีเสียงชัดเจนของผู้อาศัยป่าดังขึ้นจากที่นั้นโดยฉับพลัน

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Word by Word

• amuñcam: I discharged
• amuñcam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect/past), उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘I released’

• niśitam: sharp
• niśitam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: niśita (प्रातिपदिक; √śi/√śai ‘to sharpen’ से क्त)
• Form: विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; बाणम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• bāṇam: arrow
• bāṇam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन

• aham: I
• aham: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, प्रथमा एकवचन

• āśīviṣa-upamam: like a venomous serpent
• āśīviṣa-upamam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: āśīviṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + upama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (upamāna-tatpuruṣa), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया एकवचन; बाणम् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम्

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, स्थानवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb)

• vāk: a voice, speech
• vāk: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāc (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन

• uṣasi: at dawn
• uṣasi: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: uṣas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th case) एकवचन

• vyaktā: distinct, loud
• vyaktā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vyakta (प्रातिपदिक; √vyaj/√vac? ‘to manifest’ से क्त)
• Form: विशेषण, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा एकवचन; वाक् इति विशेष्यस्य विशेषणम् (‘distinct/loud’)

• prādurāsīt: appeared
• prādurāsīt: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prādur-√as (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; ‘appeared/arose’

• vanaukasaḥ: of the forest-dweller
• vanaukasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक) + okas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (locative/dwelling sense: ‘dweller in the forest’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th case) एकवचन; वाक् इति सम्बन्धः (voice of the forestdweller)

• hāhā: alas! alas!
• hāhā: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hāhā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, उद्गार (interjection)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, quotation marker (इति-प्रयोग)

• patataḥ: of (him) falling
• patataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √pat (धातु)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; वनौकसः इति सम्बन्धः (‘of the falling one’)

• toye: in water
• toye: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: toya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी एकवचन

• bāṇa-abhihata-marmaṇaḥ: of one whose vital organ was struck by an arrow
• bāṇa-abhihata-marmaṇaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bāṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + abhihata (प्रातिपदिक; abhi-√han धातु से क्त) + marma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (instrumental determinative: ‘whose vital spot is struck by an arrow’), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी एकवचन; वनौकसः इति सम्बन्धः

Context

Then I discharged a sharp shaft like a venomous serpent. In the morning twilight I saw that the shaft had hit the vital part of the body of a forest dweller and his cry of 'Alas', was clearly heard as he fell in the water.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Kausalyā
• arrow (bāṇa)

FAQs

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

Dharma highlights inevitability of consequences: violence released returns as suffering, often revealing the humanity of the unseen target.

What is the narrative situation?

After shooting, Daśaratha realizes a person—not an elephant—has been struck, as a human voice is heard.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral awakening—recognition that an error has occurred, opening the path to remorse and responsibility.