Sloka & Translation

[Sudden flash of a thought in the mind of Dasaratha about an evil act done by him in the past -- Dasaratha attributes present misfortune to the past action -- seeks forgiveness of Kausalya.]

एवं तु क्रुद्धया राजा राममात्रा सशोकया।

श्रावितः परुषं वाक्यं चिन्तयामास दुःखितः।।2.62.1।।


क्रुद्धया in anger, सशोकया afflicted with sorrow, राममात्रा by Rama's mother, एवम् in that way, परुषम् harsh, वाक्यम् words, श्रावितः was forced to hear, राजा king, दुःखितः distressed, चिन्तयामास sadly reflected.

Forced to hear the harsh words of angry Kausalya, the king, deeply distressed, was absorbed in sad thought.
चिन्तयित्वा स च नृपो मुमोह व्याकुलेन्द्रियः।

अथ दीर्घीण कालेन संज्ञामाप परन्तपः।।2.62.2।।


सः that, नृपः king, चिन्तयित्वा having thought over, व्याकुलेन्द्रियः with bewildered senses, मुमोह lost consciousness, अथ thereafter, परन्तपः tormentor of enemies, दीर्घेण कालेन after a long while, संज्ञाम् the senses, आप regained.

The king (Dasaratha) tormentor of enemies, for a while, lost his consciousness, his senses bewildered. After a long time he regained his senses.
स संज्ञामुपलभ्यैव दीर्घमुष्णं च निश्श्वसन्।

कौसल्यां पार्श्वतो दृष्ट्वा पुन श्चिन्तामुपागमत्।।2.62.3।।


सः he, संज्ञाम् senses, उपलभ्यैव after getting back, दीर्घम् deep, उष्णं च hot, निश्श्वसन् sighing, पार्श्वतः by the side, कौसल्याम् Kausalya, दृष्ट्वा having seen, पुनः again, चिन्ताम् anxieties, उपागमत् got into.

When he regained his senses, the king heaved deep, hot sighs. Seeing Kausalya by his side he relapsed into a state of anxiety.
तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य प्रत्याभात्कर्म दुष्कृतम्।

यदनेन कृतं पूर्वमज्ञानाच्छब्दवेधिना।।2.62.4।।


चिन्तयमानस्य as he was thinking, तस्य his, पूर्वम् formerly, अनेन by such, शब्दवेधिना Capable of hitting the target by following the sound, अज्ञानात् without knowledge, यत् which, कृतम् has been committed, दुष्कृतम् sinful, कर्म act, प्रत्यभात् flashed back.

While he was thus reflecting on a sinful act he had inadvertently comitted long ago, the act of discharging an arrow that could hit its target following the sound, flashed in his mind.
अमनास्तेन शोकेन रामशोकेन च प्रभुः।

द्वाभ्यामपि महाराज श्शोकाभ्यामन्वतप्यत।।2.62.5।।


तेन शोकेन with that grief, रामशोकेन with the grief of Rama's separation, अमनाः with a broken heart, प्रभुः lord, महाराजः maharaja, द्वाभ्याम् by both, शोकाभ्याम् अपि the sorrows also, अन्वतप्यत started regretting.

The great king, the lord with a broken heart started regretting deeply about both the grievous acts he had committed previously (one is shooting at the son of a sage and the other, banishing Rama).
दह्यामान स्सशोकाभ्यां कौसल्यामाह भूपतिः।

वेपमानोऽञ्जलिं कृत्वा प्रसादार्थमवाङ्मुखः।।2.62.6।।


शोकाभ्याम् with those two sad incidents, दह्यमानः being afflicted, सः भूपतिः that king (Dasaratha), वेपमानः trembling, आवाङ्मुखः with his head bending downwards, प्रसादार्थम्
to appease, अञ्जलिम् with folded palms, कृत्वा having made, कौशल्याम् to Kausalya, आह said.

Consumed by the double sorrow, the king trembling, with head down and folding his hands said to Kausalya in order to appease her:
प्रसादये त्वां कौसल्ये रचितोऽयं मयाऽञ्जलिः।

वत्सला चानृशंसा च त्वं हि नित्यं परेष्वपि।।2.62.7।।


कौशल्ये O Kausalya, त्वाम् you, प्रसादये be merciful, मया by me, अयम् this, अञ्जलिः folded palms, रचितः set, त्वम् you, परेष्वपि even towards enemies, नित्यम् always, वत्सला is affectionate, अनृशंसा च हि not cruel.

O Kausalya I entreat you with folded palms. Be merciful. Forever affectionate, you are not cruel even towards your enemies.
भर्ता तु खलु नारीणां गुणवान्निर्गुणोऽपि वा।

धर्मं विमृशमानानां प्रत्यक्षं देवि दैवतम्।।2.62.8।।


देवि O Devi, धर्मम् righteousness, विमृशमानानाम् pondering over, नारीणाम् for women, गुणवान् virtuous, निर्गुणोपि वा or not virtuous, भर्ता husband, प्रत्यक्षम् visible, दैवतं खलु indeed god to them.

O Devi for women who have regard for righteousness, a husband, whether virtuous or not, is a god incarnate.
सा त्वं धर्मपरा नित्यं दृष्टलोक परावरा।

नार्हसे विप्रियं वक्तुं दुखिःताऽपि सुदुःखितम्।।2.62.9।।


नित्यम् always, धर्मपरा righteousminded one, दृष्टलोकवरावरा knower of both the extremities, सा त्वम् such as you, दुःखितापि although grieved, सुदुःखितम् one who is weighed down with grief, विप्रियम् unpleasant words, वक्तुम् to speak, नार्हसि does not
behove you.

You always adhere to righteousness. You have seen both the extremes (good and bad) of this world. Athough you yourself are in grief it does not behove you to speak unpleasant words to one who is suffering from a greater grief.
तद्वाक्यं करुणं राज्ञः श्रुत्वा दीनस्य भाषितम्।

कौसल्या व्यसृजद्बाष्पं प्रणालीव नवोदकम्।।2.62.10।।


कौशल्या Kausalya, दीनस्य of the wretched, राज्ञः king's, करुणम् pitiable, भाषितम् utterances, तत् वाक्यम् those words, श्रुत्वा having heard, प्रणाली water conduit, नवोदकमिव like discharging fresh rainwater, बाष्पम् tears, व्यसृजत् shed.

Kausalya heard the pitiable words uttered by the king who was in a wretched condition. She shed tears like a water channel discharging fresh rainwater.
सा मूर्ध्निबध्वा रुदती राज्ञः पद्ममिवाञ्जलिम्।

सम्भ्रमादब्रवीत् त्रस्ता त्वरमाणाक्षरं वचः।।2.62.11।।


सा that Kausalya, रुदती crying, पद्ममिव like lotus, राज्ञः king's, अञ्जलिम् folded palms, मूर्ध्नि on her head, बध्वा setting, त्रस्ता frightened, सम्भ्रमात् out of emotion, त्वरमाणाक्षरम् stumbling syllables, वचः words, अब्रवीत् said.

Frightened Kausalya, weeping and raising her palms folded like lotus on to her head, and charged with emotions said with stumbling syllables:
प्रसीद शिरसा याचे भूमौ निपतितास्मि ते।

याचितास्मि हता देव क्षन्तव्याऽहं न हि त्वया।।2.62.12।।


देव O lord, प्रसोद be pleased, भूमौ on the earth, निपतिता अस्मि I have fallen down, शिरसा bowing down my head, याचे I beg of you, ते your (by you), याचिता besought, हता अस्मि I have been hit, अहम् I, त्वया by you, न क्षन्तव्या हि unfit to be pardoned.

O lord, by falling on the ground at your feet, bowing my head I beg of you to be pleased. By your act of beseeching me, I have been badly hurt. I do deserve to be pardoned.
नैषा हि सा स्त्री भवति श्लाघनीयेन धीमता।

उभयोर्लोकयोर्वीर पत्या या सम्साद्यते।।2.62.13।।


वीर O heroic one, या whoever, श्लाघनीयेन by the praiseworthy, धीमता sagacious one, पत्या by the husband, सम्प्रसाद्यते is appeased, सा एषा such this, स्त्री woman, उभयोः both, लोकयोः worlds, न भवति हि does not belong.

O heroic one a woman, who is entreated by her sagacious and praiseworthy husband, loses both the worlds.
जानामि धर्मं धर्मज्ञ त्वां जाने सत्यवादिनम्।

पुत्रशोकार्तया तत्तु मया किमपि भाषितम्।।2.62.14।।


धर्मज्ञ O righteous one, धर्मम् righteousness, जानामि I know, त्वाम् you, सत्यवादिनम् truthful, जाने know, तु but, पुत्रशोकार्तया by one afflicted with grief over a son, मया by me, तत् that, किमपि somewhat improper, भाषितम् spoken.

O righteous one I know the path of dharma. I also know that you are a truthful. Afflicted with grief on account of my son, I spoke somewhat harshly.
शोको नाशयते धैर्यं शोको नाशयते श्रुतम्।

शोको नाशयते सर्वं नास्ति शोकसमो रिपुः।।2.62.15।।


शोकः grief, धैर्यम् patience, नाशयते destroys, शोकः grief, श्रुतम् knowledge of the scriptures, नाशयते destroys, शोकः grief, सर्वम् everything, नाशयते destroys, शोकसमः equal to grief, रिपुः enemy, नास्ति not there.

Grief destroys fortitude. Grief destroys knowledge of the scriptures, grief destroys everything. There is no enemy equal to grief.
शक्य आपतित स्सोढुं प्रहारो रिपुहस्ततः।

सोढुंमापतितश्शोकस्सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि न शक्यते।।2.62.16।।


रिपुहस्तः from the enemy's hand, आपतितः suddenly fallen, प्रहारः blow, सोढुम् to endure, शक्यः possible, शोकः grief, सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि however slight, सोढुम् to endure, न शक्यते not possible.

One can endure an unexpected blow from the enemy's hand but to endure unexpected grief, however slight it may be, is impossible.
धर्मज्ञा श्श्रुतिमन्तोऽपि छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयाः।

यतयो वीर मुह्यन्ति शोकसम्मूढचेतसः।।2.62.17।।


वीर O heroic one, धर्मज्ञाः men wellversed in ethics, श्रुतिमन्तः learned men, छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयाः those free from doubts about dharma and artha, यतयः अपि even ascetics, शोकसम्मूढचेतसः with their senses overwhelmed with grief, मुह्यन्ति are deluded.

O heroic one even learned ascetics who are well versed in ethics and scriptures and who are free from doubts with regard to dharma and artha, are deluded by grief.
वनवासाय रामस्य पञ्चरात्रोऽद्य गण्यते।

य श्शोकहतहर्षायाः पञ्चवर्षोपमो मम।।2.62.18।।


वनवासाय for exile in the forest, रामस्य Rama's, पञ्चरात्रः five nights, अद्य today, गण्यते has been counted, यः such a period, शोकहतहर्षायाः whose joy has been destroyed by sorrow, मम to me, पञ्चवर्षोपमः equal to five years.

This is the fifth night of Rama's exile, but it is like five years to me whose joy has been destroyed by sorrow.
तं हि चिन्तयमानाया श्शोकोऽयं हृदि वर्धते।

नदीनामिव वेगेन समुद्रसलिलं महत्।।2.62.19।।


तम् Rama, चिन्तयमानायाः while thinking of, हृदि in my heart, अयम् this, शोकः sadness, नदीनाम् by river waters, वेगेन by speed, महत् great, समुद्रसलिलमिव like seawaters, वर्धते is increasing.

As I think of Rama, my heart swells with sorrow just as the ocean rises with rushing rivers.
एवं हि कथयन्त्यास्तु कौसल्यायाश्शुभं वचः।

मन्दरश्मिरभूत्सूर्यो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत।।2.62.20।।


कौशल्यायाः of Kausalya, एवम् in that manner, शुभम् auspicious, वचः words, कथयन्त्याः speaking, सूर्यः the Sun, मन्दरश्मिः आभूत् faded rays, रजनी च night, अभ्यवर्तत had set in.

While Kausalya was speaking these hearttouching words, the rays of the Sun began to fade and the night fell.
तथा प्रसादितो वाक्यैर्देव्या कौसल्यया नृपः।

शोकेन च समाक्रान्तो निद्राया वशन्तोमेयिवान्।।2.62.21।।


देव्या by the queen, कौशल्यया by Kausalya, तथा like that, प्रसादितः consoled, नृपः king, शोकेन by sorrow, समाक्रान्तः च was overcome with grief, निद्रायाः sleep, वशम् influence of, एयिवान् obtained.

Thus consoled by Kausalya the king, overcome with grief, came under the spell of sleep.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे द्विषष्टितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the sixtysecond sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.