सोऽहमाम्रवणं छित्त्वा पलाशांश्च न्यषेचयम्।
रामं फलागमे त्यक्त्वा पश्चाच्छोचामि दुर्मतिः॥
so ’ham āmra-vaṇaṁ chittvā palāśāṁś ca nyaṣecayam
rāmaṁ phalāgame tyaktvā paścāc chocāmi durmatiḥ
saḥ aham = I am that person who; āmra-vaṇam = a mango grove; chittvā = cut; palāśān ca = kiṁśuka trees; nyaṣecayam = and nourished; rāmam = Rāma; phala-āgame = when my actions have fructified; tyaktvā = gave up; paścāt = and later; śocāmi = I lament; durmatiḥ = I unintelligently.
I am that person who cut a mango grove and nourished kiṁśuka trees. I unintelligently gave up Rāma and later I lament when my actions have fructified.
1 In this example involving the mango and kiṁśuka trees, it is to be noted that there is only one reason for cutting the mango grove—to prevent the mango grove from blocking the growth of the kiṁśuka trees. Similarly, Daśaratha prevented Rāma’s coronation and banished Him only for one reason—to please Kaikeyī. But there’s no point in crying over spilled milk.
He now explains the application of his example here. Daśaratha’s cutting a mango grove refers to his prevention of Rāma’s coronation and his exile of Rāma. His nourishing kiṁśuka trees refers to his pleasing Kaikeyī.1