Valmiki Ramayana 2.64.15: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 64, Shloka 15

शब्दवेध्य-अनर्थः, ऋषिशापः, दशरथस्य प्राणत्यागः

The Sound-Target Tragedy, the Sage’s Curse, and Dasaratha’s Death

Devanagari script

ततश्श्रुतो मया शब्दो जले कुम्भस्य पूर्यतः।द्विपोऽयमिति मत्वाऽयं बाणेनाभिहतो मया।।।।

Sanskrit recitationValmiki Ramayana 2.64.15

Transliteration

tataḥ śruto mayā śabdo jale kumbhasya pūryataḥ | dvipo 'yam iti matvā 'yaṃ bāṇenābhihato mayā ||

Translation

แล้วเราก็ได้ยินเสียงหม้อน้ำกำลังตักเติมในสายน้ำ ครั้นคิดว่า ‘นี่คือช้าง’ เราจึงยิงเขาด้วยลูกศร

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Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• ततः: Kala-adhikarana (काल-अधिकरण/Time)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (Adverb of time)

• श्रुतः: was heard
• श्रुतः: Kriya (क्रिया as participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was heard’ (शब्दः)

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (कर्तृ-करण/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन

• शब्दः: sound
• शब्दः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जले: in the water
• जले: Adhikarana (अधिकरण/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; सप्तमी, एकवचन

• कुम्भस्य: of a pot
• कुम्भस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुम्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी, एकवचन

• पूर्यतः: while (it) was being filled
• पूर्यतः: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध; attendant circumstance)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्यत् (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; पूर् धातु)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कर्मणि शतृ (Passive present participle); षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन; ‘while being filled’ (कुम्भस्य)

• द्विपः: an elephant
• द्विपः: Pratijna (प्रत्यय/identification)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अयम्: this (is)
• अयम्: Pratijna (identificand)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus
• इति: Vakyartha-marker (वाक्यार्थ-सूचक)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उक्त्यर्थक अव्यय (Quotative particle)

• मत्वा: having thought
• मत्वा: Purvakala-kriya (पूर्वकाल-क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु) → मत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (Absolutive/Gerund); ‘having thought’

• अयम्: this one (he)
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता/Subject of passive participle)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अत्र लक्ष्य-पुरुषः)

• बाणेन: with an arrow
• बाणेन: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, एकवचन

• अभिहतः: was struck
• अभिहतः: Kriya (क्रिया as participial predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि + हन् (धातु) → अभिहत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (Past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘was struck’

• मया: by me
• मया: Kartr-karana (कर्तृ-करण/Agent in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; तृतीया, एकवचन

Context

There I heard the sound of a pot being filled with water and mistaking it to be an elephant's, shot an arrow.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• arrow (bāṇa)
• elephant (dvipa, mistaken identity)

FAQs

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

Dharma demands discernment before using force; acting on assumption (sound mistaken for elephant) makes violence ethically culpable even if unintended.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha explains the precise error: he shot at a sound, believing it to be an elephant.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness in confession—he admits the mistaken judgment that caused the tragedy.