Chapter 73 — Uttara Kanda, Sarga 73

Valmiki Ramayana — Uttara Kanda

Verse 73.3

किं नु मे दुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम्। रुदन्बहुविधा वाचः स्नेहदुःखसमन्वितः। असकृत्पुत्र पुत्रेति वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह॥ किं नु मे दुष्कृतं कर्म पुरा देहान्तरे कृतम्। यदहं पुत्रमेकं तु पश्यामि निधनं गतम्॥

kiṃ nu me duṣkṛtaṃ karma purā dehāntare kṛtam| rudanbahuvidhā vācaḥ snehaduḥkhasamanvitaḥ| asakṛtputra putreti vākyametaduvāca ha|| kiṃ nu me duṣkṛtaṃ karma purā dehāntare kṛtam| yadahaṃ putramekaṃ tu paśyāmi nidhanaṃ gatam||

English Meaning

That Brāhmaṇa, stricken with affection, again and again bewailed in various piteous accents exclaiming What heinous crime had I committed in my pristine birth that I have been constrained to witness the death of my son.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)