---
title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 41"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-41"
lang: "en"
---

# Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 41

> तस्मिंस्तु पुरुषव्याघ्रे निष्क्रामति कृताञ्जलौ।  
> आर्तशब्दो हि संजज्ञे स्त्रीणामन्तःपुरे महान्॥ १॥

Even as Śrī Rāma, that tiger among men, was driving out of Ayodhyā with folded hands, a loud plaintive cry actually burst forth from the mouths of the ladies in the gynaeceum. (1)

> अनाथस्य जनस्यास्य दुर्बलस्य तपस्विनः।  
> यो गतिः शरणं चासीत् स नाथः क्व नु गच्छति॥ २॥

They exclaimed : “Oh, where goes that lord, who was the refuge and protector of us, helpless, weak and forlorn people? (2)

> न क्रुध्यत्यभिशस्तोऽपि क्रोधनीयानि वर्जयन्।  
> क्रुद्धान् प्रसादयन् सर्वान् समदुःखः क्व गच्छति॥ ३॥

“Oh, where goes the prince to whom joy and sorrow made no difference, nay who did not lose temper even when slandered, avoided provoking words and pacified all who were angry? (3)

> कौसल्यायां महातेजा यथा मातरि वर्तते।  
> तथा यो वर्ततेऽस्मासु महात्मा क्व नु गच्छति॥ ४॥

“Where goes the high-souled Śrī Rāma, who is endowed with exceptional glory and who behaved with us in the same way as he did with his own mother, Kausalyā? (4)

> कैकेय्या क्लिश्यमानेन राज्ञा संचोदितो वनम्।  
> परित्राता जनस्यास्य जगतः क्व नु गच्छति॥ ५॥

“Oh, where goes Śrī Rāma, the protector not only of us all but even of the world, enjoined to proceed to the forest by the king, who was being tormented by Kaikeyī? (5)

> अहो निश्चेतनो राजा जीवलोकस्य संक्षयम्।  
> धर्म्यं सत्यव्रतं रामं वनवासे प्रवत्स्यति॥ ६॥

“How insensible is the king, who has sent into exile to the forest the virtuous Prince Rāma, who is the support of the entire living creation and is vowed to truthfulness !” (6)

> इति सर्वा महिष्यस्ता विवत्सा इव धेनवः।  
> रुरुदुश्चैव दुःखार्ताः सस्वरं च विचुक्रुशुः॥ ७॥

Stricken with agony all the aforesaid queens lamented in this way and cried at the top of their voice like so many cows bereft of their calf. (7)

> स तमन्तःपुरे घोरमार्तशब्दं महीपतिः।  
> पुत्रशोकाभिसंतप्तः श्रुत्वा चासीत् सुदुःखितः॥ ८॥

Hearing that frightful plaintive cry in the gynaeceum, King Daśaratha, who was already tormented with grief caused by separation from his son, felt sore distressed. (8)

> नाग्निहोत्राण्यहूयन्त नापचन् गृहमेधिनः।  
> अकुर्वन् न प्रजाः कार्यं सूर्यश्चान्तरधीयत॥ ९॥

No oblations were poured into the sacred fire by those maintaining the sacred fire; no householders cooked food; people did not carry on their business and the sun went out of sight even before sunset due to untimely clouds. (9)

> व्यसृजन् कवलान् नागा गावो वत्सान् न पाययन्।  
> पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाभ्यनन्दत॥ १०॥

Elephants dropped grass etc., from their mouths; cows refused to give suck to their calves; mothers did not rejoice to meet their first-born son. (10)

> त्रिशङ्कुर्लोहिताङ्गश्च बृहस्पतिबुधावपि।  
> दारुणाः सोममभ्येत्य ग्रहाः सर्वे व्यवस्थिताः॥ ११॥

Getting conjoined through a retrogade movement with the moon, Triśaṅku and Mars, even Jupiter and Mercury and all other luminaries assumed a stern aspect. (11)

> नक्षत्राणि गतार्चींषि ग्रहाश्च गततेजसः।  
> विशाखाश्च सधूमाश्च नभसि प्रचकाशिरे॥ १२॥

The lunar mansions lost their brilliance and the planets their splendour. Proceeding on a wrong course they cast a hazy lustre in the heavens. (12)

> कालिकानिलवेगेन महोदधिरिवोत्थितः।  
> रामे वनं प्रव्रजिते नगरं प्रचचाल तत्॥ १३॥

Driven by a blast of wind, a mass of clouds rose in the sky like a turbulent ocean. Nay, Śrī Rāma having departed for the forest, the city of Ayodhyā rocked to and fro. (13)

> दिशः पर्याकुलाः सर्वास्तिमिरेणेव संवृताः।  
> न ग्रहो नापि नक्षत्रं प्रचकाशे न किंचन॥ १४॥

All the four quarters became obscure as though enveloped in darkness. No planet nor any lunar mansion emitted the faintest light. (14)

> अकस्मान्नागरः सर्वो जनो दैन्यमुपागमत्।  
> आहारे वा विहारे वा न कश्चिदकरोन्मनः॥ १५॥

All of a sudden all the people of Ayodhyā were reduced to a wretched plight. None could give his or her mind to food or recreation. (15)

> शोकपर्यायसंतप्तः सततं दीर्घमुच्छ्वसन्।  
> अयोध्यायां जनः सर्वश्चुक्रोश जगतीपतिम्॥ १६॥

Tormented with recurrence of grief and sighing heavily all the time, all the people of Ayodhyā cursed the Emperor. (16)

> बाष्पपर्याकुलमुखो राजमार्गगतो जनः।  
> न हृष्टो लभ्यते कश्चित् सर्वः शोकपरायणः॥ १७॥

Men walking on the public road had their face soiled with tears. None was found merry, all were plunged in grief. (17)

> न वाति पवनः शीतो न शशी सौम्यदर्शनः।  
> न सूर्यस्तपते लोकं सर्वं पर्याकुलं जगत्॥ १८॥

No cool breeze blew nor did the moon present a placid appearance, nor again did the sun warm the people with its rays. The whole world was disturbed in mind. (18)

> अनर्थिनः सुताः स्त्रीणां भर्तारो भ्रातरस्तथा।  
> सर्वे सर्वं परित्यज्य राममेवान्वचिन्तयन्॥ १९॥

Sons were indifferent to their mothers, husbands were of no use to their wives and brothers had no use for their brothers. Abandoning everything else, all focussed their thought on Śrī Rāma alone. (19)

> ये तु रामस्य सुहृदः सर्वे ते मूढचेतसः।  
> शोकभारेण चाक्रान्ताः शयनं नैव भेजिरे॥ २०॥

All those, however, who were friends of Śrī Rāma were perplexed in mind and had no sleep, overwhelmed as they were with excess of grief. (20)

> ततस्त्वयोध्या रहिता महात्मना  
> पुरन्दरेणेव मही सपर्वता।  
> चचाल घोरं भयशोकदीपिता  
> सनागयोधाश्वगणा ननाद च॥ २१॥

Agitated through fear and grief, the city of Ayodhyā, bereft of Śrī Rāma, the high-souled prince, was thereupon violently disturbed—even as the earth alongwith its mountains rocks to and fro when bereft of Indra (the destroyer of strongholds)—and cried with its elephants, warriors and horses. (21)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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