Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 10
दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च
Daśaratha’s grief, karmic reflection, and the remembered ‘śabdavedhī’ misdeed
सोऽहमाम्रवणं छित्वा पलाशांश्च न्यषेचयम्।रामं फलागमे त्यक्त्वा पश्चाच्छोचामि दुर्मतिः।।2.63.10।।
so ’ham āmravaṇaṃ chitvā palāśāṃś ca nyaṣecayam |
rāmaṃ phalāgame tyaktvā paścāc chocāmi durmatiḥ ||
میں—گویا آم کے باغ کو کاٹ کر پلاش کے درختوں کو سیراب کرنے والا—بدبخت، پھل آنے کے موسم میں رام کو ترک کر بیٹھا؛ اور اب بعد میں پچھتاتا اور روتا ہوں۔
So I have cut the mango trees and watered palasa trees. In utter foolishness, I have banished Rama at the time of fruition and regretting later.
FAQs
Dharma is framed as discernment (viveka): protecting what is truly valuable (Rāma) rather than sacrificing it due to error, pressure, or delusion—actions bring inevitable remorse.
Daśaratha laments Rāma’s exile using a metaphor of misdirected cultivation, admitting that he rejected what would have brought lasting good.
Truthfulness in self-assessment: Daśaratha openly calls himself durmati (foolish), acknowledging fault rather than justifying it.