Valmiki Ramayana 2.20.32: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 20, Shloka 32
अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः
Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile
सा निकृत्तेव सालस्य यष्टिः परशुना वने।पपात सहसा देवी देवतेव दिवश्च्युता।।।।
sā nikṛtteva sālasya yaṣṭiḥ paraśunā vane | papāta sahasā devī devateva divaś cyutā ||
Bấy giờ đức phu nhân cao quý ấy bỗng ngã quỵ—như cành cây sāla trong rừng bị rìu chặt đứt; như một nữ thần rơi xuống từ cõi trời.
All on a sidden Kausalya fell down on the ground like the branch of a sal tree in the forest severed by an axe, like a goddess dropped from heaven.
FAQs
The verse highlights the human cost of dharma-bound decisions: righteous commitments can still cause profound suffering, which the epic asks us to acknowledge rather than deny.
On hearing Rama’s exile, Kausalya is overwhelmed and collapses suddenly.
Not a virtue but a truthful portrayal of maternal attachment and shock—an ethical realism about grief.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.