रामशोकमहाभोगः सीताविरहपारगः।
श्वसितोर्मिमहावर्तो बाष्पफेनजलाविलः॥
बाहुविक्षेपमीनौघो विक्रन्दितमहास्वनः।
प्रकीर्णकेशशैवालः कैकेयी बडवामुखः॥
ममाश्रुवेगप्रभवः कुब्जावाक्यमहाग्रहः।
वरवेलो नृशंसाया रामप्रव्राजनायतः॥
यस्मिन्बत निमग्नोऽहं कौसल्ये राघवं विना।
दुस्तरो जीवता देवि मयायं शोकसागरः॥
rāma-śoka-mahābhogaḥ sītā-viraha-pāragaḥ
śvasitormi-mahāvarto bāṣpa-phena-jalāvilaḥ
bāhu-vikṣepa-mīnaugho vikrandita-mahā-svanaḥ
prakīrṇa-keśa-śaivālaḥ kaikeyī baḍavā-mukhaḥ
mamāśru-vega-prabhavaḥ kubjā-vākya-mahā-grahaḥ
vara-velo nṛśaṁsāyā rāma-pravrājanāyataḥ
yasmin bata nimagno ’haṁ kausalye rāghavaṁ vinā
dustaro jīvatā devi mayāyaṁ śoka-sāgaraḥ
rāma-śoka-mahā-ābhogaḥ = my distress over Rāma is great and extensive [like an ocean]; sītā-viraha-pāragaḥ = Its shores are my separation from Sītā-devī; śvasita-ūrmi-mahāvartaḥ = This ocean is filled with large whirlpools and waves of my sighs; bāṣpa-phena-jalāvilaḥ = and filled with the foamy water of my tears; bāhu-vikṣepa-mīna-oghaḥ = the movement of my arms are the fish in it; vikrandita-mahā-svanaḥ = the cries of the distressed are the great noise of that ocean; prakīrṇa-keśa-śaivālaḥ = my dishevelled hair is the moss on it; kaikeyī = Kaikeyī; baḍavā-mukhaḥ = is the volcano under this ocean; mama-aśru-vega-prabhavaḥ = it is the original cause of the forceful tears from my eyes; kubjā-vākya-mahā-grahaḥ = it is filled with great crocodiles that are the words of the hunchbacked Mantharā; vara-velaḥ = its tidal waves are the boons; nṛśaṁsāyāḥ = of the cruel Kaikeyī; rāma-pravrājana-āyataḥ = its length is the exile of Rāma; yasmin bata = into this ocean; nimagnaḥ = fallen; aham = I have; kausalye = Kausalyā; rāghavam vinā = without Rāghava; dustaraḥ = that is impossible to cross over; jīvatā = alive; devi = Queen; mayā = I have fallen; ayam = into this; śoka-sāgaraḥ = ocean of distress.
“My distress over Rāma is great and extensive [like an ocean]. Its shores are my separation from Sītā-devī. This ocean is filled with large whirlpools and waves of my sighs, and filled with the foamy water of my tears. The movement of my arms are the fish in it. The cries of the distressed are the great noise of that ocean. My dishevelled hair is the moss on it. Kaikeyī is the volcano under this ocean. It is the original cause of the forceful tears from my eyes. It is filled with great crocodiles that are the words of the hunchbacked Mantharā. Its tidal waves are the boons of the cruel Kaikeyī. Its length is the exile of Rāma. Queen Kausalyā, I have fallen into this ocean that is impossible to cross over. Without Rāghava, I have fallen alive into this ocean of distress.
Daśaratha described his distress as an ocean because it was immeasurable. This ocean was the original cause of the forceful tears from his eyes for the ocean is the original source of rain. Since the hunchbacked Mantharā’s words are compared to great crocodiles, it is understood that the king understood that her words were the cause of Śrī Rāma’s exile. Daśaratha has described this ocean of sorrow to point out that he has fallen into this ocean.