Kausalya's Repentance

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.62.1)

एवं तु क्रुद्धया राजा राममात्रा सशोकया। श्रावितः परुषं वाक्यं चिन्तयामास दुःखितः ॥ 62.1 ॥

evaṃ tu kruddhayā rājā rāmamātrā saśokayā| śrāvitaḥ paruṣaṃ vākyaṃ cintayāmāsa duḥkhitaḥ

When King Dasharatha had thus been made to hear these harsh words from Rama's grief-stricken, angry mother, he fell to brooding, overcome with sorrow.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.62.2)

चिन्तयित्वा स च नृपो मुमोह व्याकुलेन्द्रियः। अथ दीर्घेण कालेन संज्ञामाप परन्तपः ॥ 62.2 ॥

cintayitvā sa ca nṛpo mumoha vyākulendriyaḥ| atha dīrgheṇa kālena saṃjñāmāpa parantapaḥ

As he brooded thus, the king, his senses in turmoil, fell senseless; and only after a long while did that scourge of his foes recover his consciousness.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.62.3)

स संज्ञामुपलभ्यैव दीर्घमुष्णं च निःश्वसन्। कौसल्यां पार्श्वतो दृष्ट्वा ततश्चिन्तामुपागमत् ॥ 62.3 ॥

sa saṃjñāmupalabhyaiva dīrghamuṣṇaṃ ca niḥśvasan| kausalyāṃ pārśvato dṛṣṭvā tataścintāmupāgamat

No sooner had he regained his senses than, breathing a long, hot sigh, he saw Kausalya beside him and fell again into anxious thought.

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.62.4)

तस्य चिन्तयमानस्य प्रत्यभात्कर्म दुष्कृतम्। यदनेन कृतं पूर्वमज्ञानाच्छब्दवेधिना ॥ 62.4 ॥

tasya cintayamānasya pratyabhātkarma duṣkṛtam| yadanena kṛtaṃ pūrvamajñānācchabdavedhinā

As he pondered, there flashed before his mind the evil deed he had once done unknowingly, long ago, when as an archer he had shot by sound alone.

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.62.5)

अमनास्तेन शोकेन रामशोकेन च प्रभुः। द्वाभ्यामपि महाराजः शोकाभ्यामन्वतप्यत ॥ 62.5 ॥

amanāstena śokena rāmaśokena ca prabhuḥ| dvābhyāmapi mahārājaḥ śokābhyāmanvatapyata

Dejected by that old grief, and by grief for Rama besides, the mighty emperor was tormented by both sorrows together.

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.62.6)

दह्यमानस्तु शोकाभ्यां कौसल्यामाह भूपतिः। वेपमानोऽञ्जलिं कृत्वा प्रसादार्थमवाङ्मुखः ॥ 62.6 ॥

dahyamānastu śokābhyāṃ kausalyāmāha bhūpatiḥ| vepamāno'ñjaliṃ kṛtvā prasādārthamavāṅmukhaḥ

Burning with that double grief, the king, trembling, his face bowed down, joined his palms to beg her forgiveness, and spoke to Kausalya as follows:

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.62.7)

प्रसादये त्वां कौसल्ये रचितोऽयं मयाञ्जलिः। वत्सला चानृशंसा च त्वं हि नित्यं परेष्वपि ॥ 62.7 ॥

prasādaye tvāṃ kausalye racito'yaṃ mayāñjaliḥ| vatsalā cānṛśaṃsā ca tvaṃ hi nityaṃ pareṣvapi

"I beg your forgiveness, Kausalya; this joining of my palms is made for that purpose. For you are ever affectionate and free of cruelty, even toward strangers."

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.62.8)

भर्ता तु खलु नारीणां गुणवान्निर्गुणोऽपि वा। धर्मं विमृशमानानां प्रत्यक्षं देवि दैवतम् ॥ 62.8 ॥

bhartā tu khalu nārīṇāṃ guṇavānnirguṇo'pi vā| dharmaṃ vimṛśamānānāṃ pratyakṣaṃ devi daivatam

"For women who reflect upon righteousness, O queen, a husband - whether virtuous or lacking virtue - is verily a visible god."

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.62.9)

सा त्वं धर्मपरा नित्यं दृष्टलोकपरावर। नार्हसे विप्रियं वक्तुं दुःखितापि सुदुःखितम् ॥ 62.9 ॥

sā tvaṃ dharmaparā nityaṃ dṛṣṭalokaparāvara| nārhase vipriyaṃ vaktuṃ duḥkhitāpi suduḥkhitam

"You, who are ever devoted to righteousness and have seen the good and ill fortunes of this world - even in your own grief, you ought not to speak such unpleasant words to me, who am in the deepest distress."

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.62.10)

तद्वाक्यं करुणं राज्ञः श्रुत्वा दीनस्य भाषितम्। कौसल्या व्यसृजद्बाष्पं प्रणालीव नवोदकम् ॥ 62.10 ॥

tadvākyaṃ karuṇaṃ rājñaḥ śrutvā dīnasya bhāṣitam| kausalyā vyasṛjadbāṣpaṃ praṇālīva navodakam

Hearing those piteous words spoken by the wretched king, Kausalya let fall her tears, like fresh rainwater pouring from a channel.

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.62.11)

स मूर्ध्नि बद्ध्वा रुदती राज्ञः पद्ममिवाञ्जलिम्। सम्भ्रमादब्रवीत्त्रस्ता त्वरमाणाक्षरं वचः ॥ 62.11 ॥

sa mūrdhni baddhvā rudatī rājñaḥ padmamivāñjalim| sambhramādabravīttrastā tvaramāṇākṣaraṃ vacaḥ

Pressing the king's lotus-like joined palms to her own head, she wept, and, startled, spoke in haste, her words tumbling quickly.

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.62.12)

प्रसीद शिरसा याचे भूमौ निपतितास्मि ते। याचितास्मि हता देव हन्तव्याहं न हि त्वया ॥ 62.12 ॥

prasīda śirasā yāce bhūmau nipatitāsmi te| yācitāsmi hatā deva hantavyāhaṃ na hi tvayā

"Be gracious, my lord; with bowed head I beg of you, fallen here upon the ground before you. I who beg of you am already undone, O king - I am not one you need destroy further."

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.62.13)

नैषा हि सा स्त्री भवति श्लाघनीयेन धीमता। उभयोर्लोकयोर्वीर पत्या या सम्प्रसाद्यते ॥ 62.13 ॥

naiṣā hi sā strī bhavati ślāghanīyena dhīmatā| ubhayorlokayorvīra patyā yā samprasādyate

"O valiant one, in neither world is a woman ever counted praiseworthy, once she has had to be placated by a husband who is himself wise and worthy of praise."

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.62.14)

जानामि धर्मं धर्मज्ञ त्वां जाने सत्यवादिनम्। पुत्रशोकार्तया तत्तु मया किमपि भाषितम् ॥ 62.14 ॥

jānāmi dharmaṃ dharmajña tvāṃ jāne satyavādinam| putraśokārtayā tattu mayā kimapi bhāṣitam

"I know what righteousness is, O knower of dharma; and I know you to be a speaker of truth. It was only because I was tormented by grief for my son that I spoke as I did."

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.62.15)

शोको नाशयते धैर्यं शोको नाशयते श्रुतम्। शोको नाशयते सर्वं नास्ति शोकसमो रिपुः ॥ 62.15 ॥

śoko nāśayate dhairyaṃ śoko nāśayate śrutam| śoko nāśayate sarvaṃ nāsti śokasamo ripuḥ

"Grief destroys fortitude; grief destroys learning; grief destroys everything - there is no enemy equal to grief."

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.62.16)

शक्यमापतितः सोढुं प्रहरो रिपुहस्ततः। सोढुमापतितः शोकः सुसूक्ष्मोऽपि न शक्यते ॥ 62.16 ॥

śakyamāpatitaḥ soḍhuṃ praharo ripuhastataḥ| soḍhumāpatitaḥ śokaḥ susūkṣmo'pi na śakyate

"A blow, even one dealt by an enemy's hand, can be endured; but grief, however slight, once it has fallen upon one, cannot be endured at all."

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.62.17)

धर्मज्ञाः श्रुतिमन्तोऽपि छिन्नधर्मार्थसंशयाः। यतयो वीर मुह्यन्ति शोकसम्मूढचेतसः ॥ 62.17 ॥

dharmajñāḥ śrutimanto'pi chinnadharmārthasaṃśayāḥ| yatayo vīra muhyanti śokasammūḍhacetasaḥ

"Even ascetics, O hero, who know righteousness, who are versed in sacred learning, and who have resolved every doubt of duty and gain, lose themselves when their minds are overwhelmed by grief."

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.62.18)

वनवासाय रामस्य पञ्चरात्रोऽद्य गण्यते। यः शोकहतहर्षायाः पञ्चवर्षोपमो मम ॥ 62.18 ॥

vanavāsāya rāmasya pañcarātro'dya gaṇyate| yaḥ śokahataharṣāyāḥ pañcavarṣopamo mama

"It is but five nights today since Rama went to dwell in the forest - yet for me, whose joy grief has destroyed, it has felt like five years."

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.62.19)

तं हि चिन्तयमानायाः शोकोऽयं हृदि वर्धते। अदीनामिव वेगेन समुद्रसलिलं महत् ॥ 62.19 ॥

taṃ hi cintayamānāyāḥ śoko'yaṃ hṛdi vardhate| adīnāmiva vegena samudrasalilaṃ mahat

"As I think of him, this grief keeps swelling in my heart, as the great waters of the ocean swell with the swift rush of rivers."

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.62.20)

एवं हि कथयन्त्यास्तु कौसल्यायाः शुभं वचः। मन्दरश्मिरभूत्सुर्यो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत ॥ 62.20 ॥

evaṃ hi kathayantyāstu kausalyāyāḥ śubhaṃ vacaḥ| mandaraśmirabhūtsuryo rajanī cābhyavartata

While Kausalya was speaking these gracious words, the sun's rays grew feeble, and night began to draw near.

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.62.21)

अथ प्रह्लादितो वाक्यैर्देव्या कौसल्यया नृपः। शोकेन च समाक्रान्तो निद्राया वशमेयिवान् ॥ 62.21 ॥

atha prahlādito vākyairdevyā kausalyayā nṛpaḥ| śokena ca samākrānto nidrāyā vaśameyivān

Then the king, thus comforted by queen Kausalya's words, overcome as he still was by grief, at last fell under the sway of sleep.