Death of Dasharatha

Daśaratha’s death is a past event confirmed in an editorial note rather than presented here as a scene of dying. The note establishes that Sítá had been told of his death and preserves a continuing bond between the dead king and his son: from heaven, Daśaratha still cares about Ráma’s fortunes.

Death as Established Background

The surviving evidence does not recount the circumstances, cause, or timing of Daśaratha’s death. Instead, it takes his death as known and refers to Sítá as having already received the news. The event therefore enters this passage as settled background, not as an action unfolding before the reader.

Daśaratha’s Posthumous Concern

The note adds that Daśaratha, though in heaven, continued to take a loving interest in Ráma’s fortunes. His death ends his earthly presence but does not erase his paternal attachment; the account frames that attachment as persisting beyond death. This is the passage’s specific indication of Daśaratha’s posthumous relation to his son.

Editorial Context and Limits

The statement occurs in a note discussing a rendering of Sítá’s words. The editor considers a translator’s substitution referring to their respective relations unnecessary, explaining that Daśaratha’s continuing concern for Ráma already accounts for the relevant reference. The note thus supplies a brief interpretive bridge between Sítá’s knowledge of the death and the dead king’s continuing concern, without giving a fuller account of either the death itself or how she learned of it.