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Shloka 4

शब्दवेध्य-अनर्थः, ऋषिशापः, दशरथस्य प्राणत्यागः

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

तत्राहं दुर्बलावन्धौ वृद्धावपरिणायकौ।अपश्यं तस्य पितरौ लूनपक्षाविव द्विजौ।।।।तन्निमित्ताभिरासीनौ कथाभिरपरिश्रमौ।तामाशां मत्कृते हीनावुदासीनावनाथवत्।।।।

tatrāhaṃ durbalāv andhau vṛddhāv apariṇāyakau |

apaśyaṃ tasya pitarau lūnapakṣāv iva dvijau ||2.64.4||

tan-nimittābhir āsīnau kathābhir apariśramau |

tām āśāṃ matkṛte hīnāv udāsīnāv anāthavat ||2.64.5||

وہاں میں نے اس کے ماں باپ کو دیکھا—نہایت کمزور، نابینا، بوڑھے اور بے نگہبان—گویا پر کٹے ہوئے پرندے۔ وہ بے تکلف بیٹھے، تھکن سے خالی، بس اپنے بیٹے کی باتیں کرتے رہتے؛ اور میری وجہ سے اس امید سے محروم ہو کر، یتیموں کی طرح بے سہارا اور بے دِل ہو گئے تھے۔

तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण/Location)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottatra (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देशवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (locative adverb: ‘there’)
अहम्I
अहम्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formउत्तमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा, एकवचन
दुर्बलौfrail
दुर्बलौ:
Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootdur-bala (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘pitarau’
अन्धौblind
अन्धौ:
Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootandha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘pitarau’
वृद्धौold
वृद्धौ:
Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
TypeAdjective
Rootvṛddha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘pitarau’
अपरिणायकौwithout support
अपरिणायकौ:
Karma (कर्म/Object complement)
TypeAdjective
Roota-pariṇāyaka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘pitarau’; ‘without a guide/supporter’
अपश्यम्I saw
अपश्यम्:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√dṛś (धातु)
Formलङ्-लकार (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘I saw’
तस्यof his
तस्य:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
पितरौ(his) parents
पितरौ:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootpitṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), द्विवचन; ‘the two parents’
लून-पक्षौwith severed wings
लून-पक्षौ:
Upamāna (उपमान/Standard of comparison)
TypeAdjective
Rootlūna (कृदन्त) + pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारय-समास: लूनौ पक्षौ यस्य (with wings cut); पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; उपमान-विशेषण to ‘dvijau’
इवlike
इव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootiva (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमावाचक (comparative particle: ‘like/as’)
द्विजौtwo birds
द्विजौ:
Upamāna (उपमान)
TypeNoun
Rootdvija (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; अत्र ‘पक्षी’ अर्थे (birds)
तत्-निमित्ताभिःbecause of that (reason)
तत्-निमित्ताभिः:
Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम) + nimitta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास: तस्य निमित्तम् = ‘because of that (son)’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन (instrumental plural) (nimitta treated as neuter; here in -bhis as if feminine? actually nimitta is neuter; form ‘nimittaiḥ’ expected; transmitted ‘nimittābhiḥ’ suggests ‘nimittābhiḥ kathābhiḥ’—taking nimittā as fem. ‘reasons/causes’); अर्थ: ‘due to that cause’
आसीनौseated
आसीनौ:
Karta (कर्ता/Descriptive of parents)
TypeVerb
Rootā√sad (धातु)
Formकृदन्त, क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle), पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; ‘seated’
कथाभिःwith stories
कथाभिः:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkathā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; करण/साधन (‘with stories/talk’)
अपरिश्रमौwithout exertion
अपरिश्रमौ:
Karta (कर्ता/Descriptive)
TypeAdjective
Roota-pariśrama (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘āsīnau’/‘pitarau’ (‘without exertion/work’)
ताम्that
ताम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण to ‘āśām’
आशाम्hope
आशाम्:
Karma (कर्म/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootāśā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
मत्-कृतेbecause of me
मत्-कृते:
Hetu (हेतु/Cause)
TypeNoun
Rootmad (सर्वनाम) + kṛta (कृदन्त)
Formतत्पुरुष-समास: मत्कृते = ‘because of me/for my sake’; नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन; हेतौ/निमित्ते (locative of cause)
हीनौdeprived
हीनौ:
Karta (कर्ता/Descriptive)
TypeAdjective
Roothīna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘pitarau’ (‘deprived of’)
उदासीनौindifferent
उदासीनौ:
Karta (कर्ता/Descriptive)
TypeAdjective
Rootudāsīna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; विशेषण to ‘pitarau’ (‘indifferent/withdrawn’)
अनाथवत्like orphans
अनाथवत्:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Comparative)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootanātha + vat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययवत्-प्रयोग (indeclinable in -vat used adverbially/comparatively): ‘like an orphan’

There I found his weak, blind, old parents. With no supporter, they looked like birds with clipped wings. They sat there helplessly like orphans and passively talking about their son, their only hope that I have deprived them of.

FAQs

It underscores the social and personal dharma of caring for dependent elders; harming the one who supports them creates moral injury and karmic consequence.

Daśaratha recounts encountering the blind, aged parents after accidentally killing their son—revealing the human cost of his mistake.

Moral awareness and remorse in Daśaratha: he recognizes the parents’ helplessness and his culpability in depriving them of hope.