श्रुत्वा मृतं पुत्रमलक्षितान्तकं विनष्टदृष्टि: प्रपतन् स्खलन् पथि । स्नेहानुबन्धैधितया शुचा भृशं विमूर्च्छितोऽनुप्रकृतिर्द्विजैर्वृत: ॥ ५० ॥ पपात बालस्य स पादमूले मृतस्य विस्रस्तशिरोरुहाम्बर: । दीर्घं श्वसन् बाष्पकलोपरोधतो निरुद्धकण्ठो न शशाक भाषितुम् ॥ ५१ ॥
srutva mrtam putram alaksitantakam vinasta-drstih prapatan skhalan pathi snehanubandhaidhitaya suca bhrsam vimurcchito ’nuprakrtir dvijair vrtah papata balasya sa pada-mule mrtasya visrasta-siroruhambarah dirgham svasan baspa-kaloparodhato niruddha-kantho na sasaka bhasitum
- srutva
- hearing
- mrtam
- dead
- putram
- the son
- alaksita-antakam
- the cause of death being unknown
- vinasta-drstih
- unable to see properly
- prapatan
- constantly falling down
- skhalan
- slipping
- pathi
- on the road
- sneha-anubandha
- because of affection
- edhitaya
- increasing
- suca
- by lamentation
- bhrsam
- greatly
- vimurcchitah
- becoming unconscious
- anuprakrtih
- followed by ministers and other officers
- dvijaih
- by learned brahmanas
- vrtah
- surrounded
- papata
- fell down
- balasya
- of the boy
- sah
- he (the King)
- pada-mule
- at the feet
- mrtasya
- of the dead body
- visrasta
- scattered
- siroruha
- hair
- ambarah
- and dress
- dirgham
- long
- svasan
- breathing
- baspa-kala-uparodhatah
- due to crying with tearful eyes
- niruddha-kanthah
- having a choked voice
- na
- not
- sasaka
- was able
- bhasitum
- to speak
When King Citraketu heard of his son’s death from unknown causes, he became almost blind. Because of his great affection for his son, his lamentation grew like a blazing fire, and as he went to see the dead child, he kept slipping and falling on the ground. Surrounded by his ministers and other officers and the learned brahmanas present, the King approached and fell unconscious at the child’s feet, his hair and dress scattered. When the King, breathing heavily, regained consciousness, his eyes were tearful, and he could not speak.