यदा यदा हि कौसल्या दासीवच्च सखीव च।
भार्यावद्भगिनीवच्च मातृवच्चोपतिष्ठति॥
सततं प्रियकामा मे प्रियपुत्रा प्रियंवदा।
न मया सत्कृता देवी सत्कारार्हा कृते तव॥
yadā yadā hi kausalyā dāsīvac ca sakhīva ca
bhāryāvad bhaginīvac ca mātṛvac copatiṣṭhati
satataṁ priya-kāmā me priya-putrā priyaṁvadā
na mayā sat-kṛtā devī sat-kārārhā kṛte tava
yadā yadā hi = whenever; kausalyā = Kausalyā; dāsīvat ca = like a maid; sakhī = a friend; iva ca = like; bhāryāvat = like a wife; bhaginīvat ca = like a sister; mātṛvat = like a mother; ca = and; upatiṣṭhati = stood by me; satatam = always; priya-kāmā = desiring to please; me = me; priya-putrā = and with a pleasing son; priyaṁvadā = talking to me sweetly; na = not; mayā = I; sat-kṛtā = did honor; devī = that queen; sat-kāra-arhā = even though she deserved to be honored; kṛte tava = just for your sake.
Whenever Kausalyā stood by me like a maid, like a friend, like a wife, like a sister and like a mother, always desiring to please me, talking to me sweetly and with a pleasing son, I did not honor that queen even though she deserved to be honored, just for your sake.
Whenever Kausalyā stood by Daśaratha, that is, assisted him appropriately, he did not honor that honorable lady out of his consideration that Kaikeyī would be displeased.
When Kausalyā served him like a maid, she did not consider herself a queen. She behaved like a friend when they played dice and so on. At the time of executing religious duties, she functioned the way a wife was supposed to function; she was not silent then, considering herself a queen. At the time of his marriage with another wife, she treated him tenderly, like a biological sister. When his body had to be nourished and so on, she was absorbed in his welfare like a mother.