Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 63, Shloka 3

दशरथस्य शोकानुचिन्तनं शब्धवेधि-दोषस्मरणं च

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

Devanagari script

सभार्ये निर्गते रामे कौसल्यां कोशलेश्वरः।विवक्षुरसितापाङ्गां स्मृत्वा दुष्कृतमात्मनः।।2.63.3।।

Transliteration

sabhārye nirgate rāme kausalyāṃ kośaleśvaraḥ |

vivakṣur asitāpāṅgāṃ smṛtvā duṣkṛtam ātmanaḥ || 2.63.3 ||

Translation

罗摩携妻离去之后，拘萨罗之主（达沙罗陀）忆起自己往昔的罪过，便想向眼眸幽黑的考萨利亚倾诉此事。

Word by Word

• sa-bhārye: with (his) wife
• sa-bhārye: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/उपसर्गवत्) + bhāryā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī (Locative/सप्तमी), Eka-vacana; avyayībhāva: 'with wife' used as qualifier of rāme in locative absolute

• nirgate: having departed
• nirgate: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir-√gam (धातु) + kta (क्त)
• Form: Kta-participle in locative absolute, Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Eka-vacana; 'when (he) had departed'

• rāme: when Rama
• rāme: Adhikaraṇa (Locative absolute/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Saptamī, Eka-vacana; locative absolute with nirgate

• kausalyām: Kausalya
• kausalyām: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kausalyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana

• kośala-īśvaraḥ: king of Kosala
• kośala-īśvaraḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kośala (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; tatpuruṣa: 'lord of Kosala'

• vivakṣuḥ: wishing to speak
• vivakṣuḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√vac (धातु) + u (उ) desiderative? actually agent noun from √vac with suffix -ṣu (इच्छार्थक)
• Form: Desiderative/intentive adjective (विवक्षु), Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Eka-vacana; 'wishing to speak'

• asita-apāṅgām: black-eyed (with dark eye-corners)
• asita-apāṅgām: Viśeṣaṇa (Adjectival modifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: asita (प्रातिपदिक) + apāṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana; karmadhāraya: 'black-cornered-eyed' qualifying kausalyām

• smṛtvā: having remembered
• smṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action/पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), 'having remembered'

• duṣkṛtam: evil deed
• duṣkṛtam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: duṣkṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Napुंसakaliṅga, Dvitīyā, Eka-vacana

• ātmanaḥ: of himself
• ātmanaḥ: Ṣaṣṭhī-sambandha (Possessor/षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Ṣaṣṭhī, Eka-vacana

Context

Then at a place that was out of the range of my sight in darkness I heard the sound of a pitcher being filled with water which resembled the sound of an elephant.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sītā
• Kausalyā
• Daśaratha
• Kośala

FAQs

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

Dharma here is moral accountability: a ruler must acknowledge wrongdoing rather than conceal it, especially when its consequences harm others.

What is the narrative situation?

After Rāma leaves for exile with Sītā, Daśaratha is overwhelmed by grief and recalls an earlier sin, preparing to narrate it to Kausalyā.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Truthfulness through confession (satya-vāda) and remorse—Daśaratha’s willingness to articulate his fault.