---
title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-48"
lang: "en"
---

# Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48

> तेषामेवं विषण्णानां पीडितानामतीव च।  
> बाष्पविप्लुतनेत्राणां सशोकानां मुमूर्षया॥ १॥  
> अभिगम्य निवृत्तानां रामं नगरवासिनाम्।  
> उद्गतानीव सत्त्वानि बभूवुरमनस्विनाम्॥ २॥

The life of those citizens who had returned dejected and dispirited in this way even after meeting Śrī Rāma, and felt sore afflicted—full of grief as they were and seized with a longing to give up the ghost, their eyes overflowing with tears—became extinct, as it were. (1-2)

> स्वं स्वं निलयमागम्य पुत्रदारैः समावृताः।  
> अश्रूणि मुमुचुः सर्वे बाष्पेण पिहिताननाः॥ ३॥

Reaching each his own abode and surrounded by their sons and wife, all shed tears, their face being covered with them. (3)

> न चाहृष्यन् न चामोदन् वणिजो न प्रसारयन्।  
> न चाशोभन्त पण्यानि नापचन् गृहमेधिनः॥ ४॥

People neither made merry nor did they rejoice. Merchants did not spread their merchandise, nor did the saleable goods (spread by them) look charming. Nor, again, did the householders cook their food at their home. (4)

> नष्टं दृष्ट्वा नाभ्यनन्दन् विपुलं वा धनागमम्।  
> पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाप्यनन्दत॥ ५॥

The people of Ayodhyā did not rejoice to recover their lost property or to receive a large (additional) fortune. Nor did a mother rejoice to meet her first-born male issue. (5)

> गृहे गृहे रुदत्यश्च भर्तारं गृहमागतम्।  
> व्यगर्हयन्त दुःखार्ता वाग्भिस्तोत्त्रैरिव द्विपान्॥ ६॥

Stricken with sorrow not to find Śrī Rāma back in Ayodhyā and shedding tears, women in every house sharply reproached (in the following words) their husband returned home without Śrī Rāma even as the drivers of elephants would prick them with goads : (6)

> किं नु तेषां गृहैः कार्यं किं दारैः किं धनेन वा।  
> पुत्रैर्वापि सुखैर्वापि ये न पश्यन्ति राघवम्॥ ७॥

“What purpose of theirs who do not behold Śrī Rāma will be served by their dwellings, wife or even riches or even sons or even pleasures? (7)

> एकः सत्पुरुषो लोके लक्ष्मणः सह सीतया।  
> योऽनुगच्छति काकुत्स्थं रामं परिचरन् वने॥ ८॥

“The only virtuous man in this world is Lakṣmaṇa, who with Sītā has followed Śrī Rāma, rendering service to him in the forest. (8)

> आपगाः कृतपुण्यास्ताः पद्मिन्यश्च सरांसि च।  
> येषु यास्यति काकुत्स्थो विगाह्य सलिलं शुचि॥ ९॥

“Fortunate too are those rivers, lotus-ponds and lakes, bathing in whose sacred waters Śrī Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, will proceed further ! (9)

> शोभयिष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमटव्यो रम्यकाननाः।  
> आपगाश्च महानूपाः सानुमन्तश्च पर्वताः॥ १०॥

“Forests with delightful rows of trees, as well as rivers, tracts of land abounding in water and mountains with beautiful peaks will adorn the presence of Śrī Rāma. (10)

> काननं वापि शैलं वा यं रामोऽनुगमिष्यति।  
> प्रियातिथिमिव प्राप्तं नैनं शक्ष्यन्त्यनर्चितुम्॥ ११॥

“The forest or mountain which Śrī Rāma will visit will not fail to honour him like a beloved guest arrived near. (11)

> विचित्रकुसुमापीडा बहुमञ्जरिधारिणः।  
> राघवं दर्शयिष्यन्ति नगा भ्रमरशालिनः॥ १२॥

“Trees crowned with flowers of various kinds and bearing numerous bunches of flowers and adorned with black bees will appear before Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu). (12)

> अकाले चापि मुख्यानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च।  
> दर्शयिष्यन्त्यनुक्रोशाद् गिरयो राममागतम्॥ १३॥

“Out of regard mountains will display before Śrī Rāma as he visits them excellent blossoms and fruits, too, even out of season. (13)

> प्रस्रविष्यन्ति तोयानि विमलानि महीधराः।  
> विदर्शयन्तो विविधान् भूयश्चित्रांश्च निर्झरान्॥ १४॥

“Bringing to light picturesque cascades of various kinds, mountains will further release crystal clear waters. (14)

> पादपाः पर्वताग्रेषु रमयिष्यन्ति राघवम्।  
> यत्र रामो भयं नात्र नास्ति तत्र पराभवः॥ १५॥

“Trees standing on mountain-tops will afford delight to Śrī Rāma. And there is no cause for fear where Śrī Rāma is, nor is there any occasion for humiliation. (15)

> स हि शूरो महाबाहुः पुत्रो दशरथस्य च।  
> पुरा भवति नोऽदूरादनुगच्छाम राघवम्॥ १६॥

“That heroic and mighty-armed son of Daśaratha will surely come to our view not far from this place. Let us once more follow Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu. (16)

> पादच्छाया सुखं भर्तुस्तादृशस्य महात्मनः।  
> स हि नाथो जनस्यास्य स गतिः स परायणम्॥ १७॥

“The shelter of the feet of such a high-souled master, as Śrī Rāma is, is our only joy; in fact he is the protector of us all; he is our goal, he is our supreme asylum. (17)

> वयं परिचरिष्यामः सीतां यूयं च राघवम्।  
> इति पौरस्त्रियोभर्तॄन् दुःखार्तास्तत्तदब्रुवन्॥ १८॥

“We shall attend on Sītā, while you shall serve Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu).” In so many words did the citizens’ wives, stricken with agony, address their husbands. (18)

> युष्माकं राघवोऽरण्ये योगक्षेमं विधास्यति।  
> सीता नारीजनस्यास्य योगक्षेमं करिष्यति॥ १९॥

“Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu),” (they continued,) will satisfy your needs and safeguard your interests in the forest, while Sītā will do the same thing with regard to us, the womenfolk. (19)

> को न्वनेनाप्रतीतेन सोत्कण्ठितजनेन च।  
> सम्प्रीयेतामनोज्ञेन वासेन हृतचेतसा॥ २०॥

“Who can possibly remain highly pleased with residence in this city, which is not commendable in any way—much less agreeable to the mind, the people here being full of longing for the return of Śrī Rāma—and by which the mind gets unsettled? (20)

> कैकेय्या यदि चेद् राज्यं स्यादधर्म्यमनाथवत्।  
> न हि नो जीवितेनार्थः कुतः पुत्रैः कुतो धनैः॥ २१॥

“If there comes to be the rule of Kaikeyī, which will not be in consonance with righteousness and which will be as good as without a protector, surely no use will be left for our life, much less for our sons and riches. (21)

> यया पुत्रश्च भर्ता च त्यक्तावैश्वर्यकारणात्।  
> कं सा परिहरेदन्यं कैकेयी कुलपांसनी॥ २२॥

“Whom else would that Kaikeyī—who has brought disgrace to her family and by whom her (step-) son and husband too have been forsaken for the sake of power—not abandon? (22)

> कैकेय्या न वयं राज्ये भृतका हि वसेमहि।  
> जीवन्त्या जातु जीवन्त्यः पुत्रैरपि शपामहे॥ २३॥

“We swear by our sons that so long as we breathe we can under no circumstances live in the kingdom of Kaikeyī, till she is alive, even though we may be supported by her. (23)

> या पुत्रं पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य प्रवासयति निर्घृणा।  
> कस्तां प्राप्य सुखं जीवेदधर्म्यां दुष्टचारिणीम्॥ २४॥

“Who can live happily on having obtained as one’s sovereign that impious woman of wicked conduct who has sent into exile Prince Rāma (son of Daśaratha, a ruler of rulers), merciless as she is? (24)

> उपद्रुतमिदं सर्वमनालम्भमनायकम्।  
> कैकेय्यास्तु कृते सर्वं विनाशमुपयास्यति॥ २५॥

“The whole of this kingdom is soon going to be deprived of its ruler; it will no longer have any sacrificial performances and will be visited by calamities. Nay, thanks to Kaikeyī, everything will meet with ruination. (25)

> नहि प्रव्रजिते रामे जीविष्यति महीपतिः।  
> मृते दशरथे व्यक्तं विलोपस्तदनन्तरम्॥ २६॥

“For, Śrī Rāma having gone into exile, the Emperor will not survive and when Daśaratha is dead, destruction will be the fate of the distinguished kingdom which has run an uninterrupted course ever since the time of Ikṣwāku. (26)

> ते विषं पिबतालोड्य क्षीणपुण्याः सुदुःखिताः।  
> राघवं वानुगच्छध्वमश्रुतिं वापि गच्छत॥ २७॥

“Therefore drink poison mixing it with water, sore distressed as you are, the stock of your merit having been exhausted; or follow Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) to the forest or leave for some land where even the name of Kaikeyī may not reach your ears. (27)

> मिथ्याप्रव्राजितो रामः सभार्यः सहलक्ष्मणः।  
> भरते संनिबद्धाः स्मः सौनिके पशवो यथा॥ २८॥

“Śrī Rāma, alongwith his consort, Sītā, and with Lakṣmaṇa, his younger brother, has been deceitfully sent into exile and we have been tied firm to the apron-strings of Bharata in the same way as animals are bound tightly together (for being slaughtered) in a shambles. (28)

> पूर्णचन्द्राननः श्यामो गूढजत्रुररिंदमः।  
> आजानुबाहुः पद्माक्षो रामो लक्ष्मणपूर्वजः॥ २९॥  
> पूर्वाभिभाषी मधुरः सत्यवादी महाबलः।  
> सौम्यश्च सर्वलोकस्य चन्द्रवत् प्रियदर्शनः॥ ३०॥  
> नूनं पुरुषशार्दूलो मत्तमातङ्गविक्रमः।  
> शोभयिष्यत्यरण्यानि विचरन् स महारथः॥ ३१॥

That lotus-eyed great chariot-warrior, Śrī Rāma, elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa—a tiger among men and a subduer of foes—who is dark-brown of complexion and has a countenance resembling the full moon, nay whose collar-bone is invisible (because of its being covered with flesh), whose arms extend up to the knees, who takes the initiative in speaking, is sweet of expression, truthful of speech and possessed of extraordinary might, is easy of address to all people and is delightful of aspect as the moon, and whose gait resembles that of an elephant in rut, will surely adorn the woods while roaming through them.” (29—31)

> तास्तथा विलपन्त्यस्तु नगरे नागरस्त्रियः।  
> चुक्रुशुर्दुःखसंतप्ता मृत्योरिव भयागमे॥ ३२॥

Lamenting thus in the city of Ayodhyā, the aforesaid wives of citizens, for their part, cried as one would do at the approach of some danger foreboding death, tormented as they were with agony. (32)

> इत्येवं विलपन्तीनां स्त्रीणां वेश्मसु राघवम्।  
> जगामास्तं दिनकरो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत॥ ३३॥

The sun sank below the horizon past these women,who had been mourning as aforesaid in their homes for Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), and the night fell. (33)

> नष्टज्वलनसंतापा प्रशान्ताध्यायसत्कथा।  
> तिमिरेणानुलिप्तेव तदा सा नगरी बभौ॥ ३४॥

The city of Ayodhyā in which the kindling of fires even for the purposes of Agnihotra had ceased and the chanting of the Vedas and the narration of sacred stories relating to the Purāṇas died out, looked as though coated with darkness at that time. (34)

> उपशान्तवणिक्पण्या नष्टहर्षा निराश्रया।  
> अयोध्या नगरी चासीन्नष्टतारमिवाम्बरम्॥ ३५॥

The city of Ayodhyā—in which the business of the trading class had been brought to a standstill and whose joy had gone, nay, which had now become supportless, looked dark as the sky in which the stars had disappeared. (35)

> तदा स्त्रियो रामनिमित्तमातुरा  
> यथा सुते भ्रातरि वा विवासिते।  
> विलप्य दीना रुरुदुर्विचेतसः  
> सुतैर्हि तासामधिकोऽपि सोऽभवत्॥ ३६॥

Giving expression to their grief in various ways on that occasion, the women of Ayodhyā, who were sick of mind on account of Śrī Rāma, as one would feel on one’s own son or brother having been sent into exile, cried miserably and fell unconscious; for Śrī Rāma was dearer to them than their very sons. (36)

> प्रशान्तगीतोत्सवनृत्यवादना  
> विभ्रष्टहर्षा पिहितापणोदया।  
> तदा ह्ययोध्या नगरी बभूव सा  
> महार्णवः संक्षपितोदको यथा॥ ३७॥

The celebrated city of Ayodhyā—in which all singing, rejoicing, dancing and instrumental music had been completely set at rest, whose delight had fled forever and the steady rise of whose trade had been hampered—looked at that time like an ocean whose waters had dried up. (37)

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