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.]

ēvaṅ tu kruddhayā rājā rāmamātrā saśōkayā.

śrāvitaḥ paruṣaṅ vākyaṅ cintayāmāsa duḥkhitaḥ৷৷2.62.1৷৷


kruddhayā in anger, saśōkayā afflicted with sorrow, rāmamātrā by Rama's mother, ēvam in that way, paruṣam harsh, vākyam words, śrāvitaḥ was forced to hear, rājā king, duḥkhitaḥ distressed, cintayāmāsa sadly reflected.

Forced to hear the harsh words of angry Kausalya, the king, deeply distressed, was absorbed in sad thought.
cintayitvā sa ca nṛpō mumōha vyākulēndriyaḥ.

atha dīrghīṇa kālēna saṅjñāmāpa parantapaḥ৷৷2.62.2৷৷


saḥ that, nṛpaḥ king, cintayitvā having thought over, vyākulēndriyaḥ with bewildered senses, mumōha lost consciousness, atha thereafter, parantapaḥ tormentor of enemies, dīrghēṇa kālēna after a long while, saṅjñām the senses, āpa regained.

The king (Dasaratha) tormentor of enemies, for a while, lost his consciousness, his senses bewildered. After a long time he regained his senses.
sa saṅjñāmupalabhyaiva dīrghamuṣṇaṅ ca niśśvasan.

kausalyāṅ pārśvatō dṛṣṭvā puna ścintāmupāgamat৷৷2.62.3৷৷


saḥ he, saṅjñām senses, upalabhyaiva after getting back, dīrgham deep, uṣṇaṅ ca hot, niśśvasan sighing, pārśvataḥ by the side, kausalyām Kausalya, dṛṣṭvā having seen, punaḥ again, cintām anxieties, upāgamat 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.
tasya cintayamānasya pratyābhātkarma duṣkṛtam.

yadanēna kṛtaṅ pūrvamajñānācchabdavēdhinā৷৷2.62.4৷৷


cintayamānasya as he was thinking, tasya his, pūrvam formerly, anēna by such, śabdavēdhinā Capable of hitting the target by following the sound, ajñānāt without knowledge, yat which, kṛtam has been committed, duṣkṛtam sinful, karma act, pratyabhāt 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.
amanāstēna śōkēna rāmaśōkēna ca prabhuḥ.

dvābhyāmapi mahārāja śśōkābhyāmanvatapyata৷৷2.62.5৷৷


tēna śōkēna with that grief, rāmaśōkēna with the grief of Rama's separation, amanāḥ with a broken heart, prabhuḥ lord, mahārājaḥ maharaja, dvābhyām by both, śōkābhyām api the sorrows also, anvatapyata 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).
dahyāmāna ssaśōkābhyāṅ kausalyāmāha bhūpatiḥ.

vēpamānō.ñjaliṅ kṛtvā prasādārthamavāṅmukhaḥ৷৷2.62.6৷৷


śōkābhyām with those two sad incidents, dahyamānaḥ being afflicted, saḥ bhūpatiḥ that king (Dasaratha), vēpamānaḥ trembling, āvāṅmukhaḥ with his head bending downwards, prasādārtham
to appease, añjalim with folded palms, kṛtvā having made, kauśalyām to Kausalya, āha said.

Consumed by the double sorrow, the king trembling, with head down and folding his hands said to Kausalya in order to appease her:
prasādayē tvāṅ kausalyē! racitō.yaṅ mayā.ñjaliḥ.

vatsalā cānṛśaṅsā ca tvaṅ hi nityaṅ parēṣvapi৷৷2.62.7৷৷


kauśalyē! O Kausalya, tvām you, prasādayē be merciful, mayā by me, ayam this, añjaliḥ folded palms, racitaḥ set, tvam you, parēṣvapi even towards enemies, nityam always, vatsalā is affectionate, anṛśaṅsā ca hi not cruel.

O Kausalya! I entreat you with folded palms. Be merciful. Forever affectionate, you are not cruel even towards your enemies.
bhartā tu khalu nārīṇāṅ guṇavānnirguṇō.pi vā.

dharmaṅ vimṛśamānānāṅ pratyakṣaṅ dēvi! daivatam৷৷2.62.8৷৷


dēvi! O Devi, dharmam righteousness, vimṛśamānānām pondering over, nārīṇām for women, guṇavān virtuous, nirguṇōpi vā or not virtuous, bhartā husband, pratyakṣam visible, daivataṅ khalu indeed god to them.

O Devi! for women who have regard for righteousness, a husband, whether virtuous or not, is a god incarnate.
sā tvaṅ dharmaparā nityaṅ dṛṣṭalōka parāvarā.

nārhasē vipriyaṅ vaktuṅ dukhiḥtā.pi suduḥkhitam৷৷2.62.9৷৷


nityam always, dharmaparā righteous-minded one, dṛṣṭalōkavarāvarā knower of both the extremities, sā tvam such as you, duḥkhitāpi although grieved, suduḥkhitam one who is weighed down with grief, vipriyam unpleasant words, vaktum to speak, nārhasi 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.
tadvākyaṅ karuṇaṅ rājñaḥ śrutvā dīnasya bhāṣitam.

kausalyā vyasṛjadbāṣpaṅ praṇālīva navōdakam৷৷2.62.10৷৷


kauśalyā Kausalya, dīnasya of the wretched, rājñaḥ king's, karuṇam pitiable, bhāṣitam utterances, tat vākyam those words, śrutvā having heard, praṇālī water conduit, navōdakamiva like discharging fresh rainwater, bāṣpam tears, vyasṛjat 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.
sā mūrdhnibadhvā rudatī rājñaḥ padmamivāñjalim.

sambhramādabravīt trastā tvaramāṇākṣaraṅ vacaḥ৷৷2.62.11৷৷


sā that Kausalya, rudatī crying, padmamiva like lotus, rājñaḥ king's, añjalim folded palms, mūrdhni on her head, badhvā setting, trastā frightened, sambhramāt out of emotion, tvaramāṇākṣaram stumbling syllables, vacaḥ words, abravīt said.

Frightened Kausalya, weeping and raising her palms folded like lotus on to her head, and charged with emotions said with stumbling syllables:
prasīda śirasā yācē bhūmau nipatitāsmi tē.

yācitāsmi hatā dēva! kṣantavyā.haṅ na hi tvayā৷৷2.62.12৷৷


dēva O lord, prasōda be pleased, bhūmau on the earth, nipatitā asmi I have fallen down, śirasā bowing down my head, yācē I beg of you, tē your (by you), yācitā besought, hatā asmi I have been hit, aham I, tvayā by you, na kṣantavyā hi 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.
naiṣā hi sā strī bhavati ślāghanīyēna dhīmatā.

ubhayōrlōkayōrvīra! patyā yā samsādyatē৷৷2.62.13৷৷


vīra O heroic one!, yā whoever, ślāghanīyēna by the praiseworthy, dhīmatā sagacious one, patyā by the husband, samprasādyatē is appeased, sā ēṣā such this, strī woman, ubhayōḥ both, lōkayōḥ worlds, na bhavati hi does not belong.

O heroic one! a woman, who is entreated by her sagacious and praiseworthy husband, loses both the worlds.
jānāmi dharmaṅ dharmajña! tvāṅ jānē satyavādinam.

putraśōkārtayā tattu mayā kimapi bhāṣitam৷৷2.62.14৷৷


dharmajña O righteous one!, dharmam righteousness, jānāmi I know, tvām you, satyavādinam truthful, jānē know, tu but, putraśōkārtayā by one afflicted with grief over a son, mayā by me, tat that, kimapi somewhat improper, bhāṣitam 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.
śōkō nāśayatē dhairyaṅ śōkō nāśayatē śrutam.

śōkō nāśayatē sarvaṅ nāsti śōkasamō ripuḥ৷৷2.62.15৷৷


śōkaḥ grief, dhairyam patience, nāśayatē destroys, śōkaḥ grief, śrutam knowledge of the scriptures, nāśayatē destroys, śōkaḥ grief, sarvam everything, nāśayatē destroys, śōkasamaḥ equal to grief, ripuḥ enemy, nāsti not there.

Grief destroys fortitude. Grief destroys knowledge of the scriptures, grief destroys everything. There is no enemy equal to grief.
śakya āpatita ssōḍhuṅ prahārō ripuhastataḥ.

sōḍhuṅmāpatitaśśōkassusūkṣmō.pi na śakyatē৷৷2.62.16৷৷


ripuhastaḥ from the enemy's hand, āpatitaḥ suddenly fallen, prahāraḥ blow, sōḍhum to endure, śakyaḥ possible, śōkaḥ grief, susūkṣmō.pi however slight, sōḍhum to endure, na śakyatē 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.
dharmajñā śśrutimantō.pi chinnadharmārthasaṅśayāḥ.

yatayō vīra! muhyanti śōkasammūḍhacētasaḥ৷৷2.62.17৷৷


vīra O heroic one, dharmajñāḥ men well-versed in ethics, śrutimantaḥ learned men, chinnadharmārthasaṅśayāḥ those free from doubts about dharma and artha, yatayaḥ api even ascetics, śōkasammūḍhacētasaḥ with their senses overwhelmed with grief, muhyanti 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.
vanavāsāya rāmasya pañcarātrō.dya gaṇyatē.

ya śśōkahataharṣāyāḥ pañcavarṣōpamō mama৷৷2.62.18৷৷


vanavāsāya for exile in the forest, rāmasya Rama's, pañcarātraḥ five nights, adya today, gaṇyatē has been counted, yaḥ such a period, śōkahataharṣāyāḥ whose joy has been destroyed by sorrow, mama to me, pañcavarṣōpamaḥ 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.
taṅ hi cintayamānāyā śśōkō.yaṅ hṛdi vardhatē.

nadīnāmiva vēgēna samudrasalilaṅ mahat৷৷2.62.19৷৷


tam Rama, cintayamānāyāḥ while thinking of, hṛdi in my heart, ayam this, śōkaḥ sadness, nadīnām by river waters, vēgēna by speed, mahat great, samudrasalilamiva like sea-waters, vardhatē is increasing.

As I think of Rama, my heart swells with sorrow just as the ocean rises with rushing rivers.
ēvaṅ hi kathayantyāstu kausalyāyāśśubhaṅ vacaḥ.

mandaraśmirabhūtsūryō rajanī cābhyavartata৷৷2.62.20৷৷


kauśalyāyāḥ of Kausalya, ēvam in that manner, śubham auspicious, vacaḥ words, kathayantyāḥ speaking, sūryaḥ the Sun, mandaraśmiḥ ābhūt faded rays, rajanī ca night, abhyavartata had set in.

While Kausalya was speaking these heart-touching words, the rays of the Sun began to fade and the night fell.
tathā prasāditō vākyairdēvyā kausalyayā nṛpaḥ.

śōkēna ca samākrāntō nidrāyā vaśantōmēyivān৷৷2.62.21৷৷


dēvyā by the queen, kauśalyayā by Kausalya, tathā like that, prasāditaḥ consoled, nṛpaḥ king, śōkēna by sorrow, samākrāntaḥ ca was overcome with grief, nidrāyāḥ sleep, vaśam influence of, ēyivān obtained.

Thus consoled by Kausalya the king, overcome with grief, came under the spell of sleep.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē dviṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the sixtysecond sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.