tathā daśaratho rājā putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ
“Thus King Daśaratha was overcome with grief for his son.”
Structure
tathā daśaratho rājā putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ
daśaratho rājā tathā putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ
Word-by-Word Grammar
| Word | IAST | Type | Grammar | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| tathā | tathā | indeclinable | — | thus, in that manner |
| daśaratho | daśaratho | noun | nominative · singular · masculine | Daśaratha (king) |
| rājā | rājā | noun | nominative · singular · masculine | king |
| putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ | putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ | compound | bahuvrīhi · "putra-śokena samānāṃ vitāḥ" | overwhelmed with grief for his son |
Scholarly Commentary
Advaita Vedānta (Ādi Śaṅkarācārya): In this verse, tathā daśaratho rājā putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ, we find King Daśaratha overcome with grief for his son. From a non-dual perspective, this grief signifies the illusion of separation, a failure to recognize the ultimate unity of all existence. As Shankara notes in his commentary on the Brahmasūtra (2.1.14), the notion of a separate self is the root of all suffering. Daśaratha's grief for his son illustrates this concept, as it stems from his identification with a limited, personal self rather than the all-encompassing brahman. Through this narrative, the Rāmāyaṇa underscores the importance of realizing the brahman-ātman identity, transcending the ego-bound sufferings exemplified by Daśaratha's plight.
Vaiṣṇava tradition (Rāmānujācārya / Madhvācārya): Rāmānujācārya's interpretation of this verse, tathā daśaratho rājā putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ, highlights the paternal affection of Daśaratha as a reflection of the divine love of Īśvara for the jīva. Daśaratha's sorrow, in this context, symbolizes the longing of the divine for the return of the individual soul to its original state of union with God. This reading is consistent with Rāmānuja's visiṣṭādvaita philosophy, which emphasizes the real and eternal relationship between the individual self and the supreme being. The narrative thus underscores the devotional path, where the love and surrender of the jīva to Īśvara are seen as the ultimate means of liberation from suffering, as exemplified by Daśaratha's deep emotional bond with his son.
Neo-Vedānta (Swami Vivekānanda / S. Rādhākrishnan): Swami Vivekānanda, in his lectures on the Rāmāyaṇa, used the story of Daśaratha to illustrate the universal human experience of suffering and the path to transcendence. The verse, tathā daśaratho rājā putra-śoka-samanvitaḥ, demonstrates how even the most powerful among us, like King Daśaratha, are not immune to the pangs of sorrow and loss. Vivekānanda would argue that this commonality of experience can serve as a foundation for empathy and understanding among all beings, pointing to the universal principles that underlie human existence. In contemporary life, this verse can remind us of the importance of compassion, self-reflection, and the pursuit of inner peace, as we navigate our own struggles and sorrows, echoing Vivekānanda's message of the potential for personal and societal transformation through the application of ancient wisdom in modern contexts.