Ayodhya Drowns in One Ocean of Grief
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 51
Doha 51 · Movement 1 of 2
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Kaikeyi answers no one and glares like a hungry tigress. Knowing the condition incurable, the women leave, while curses and lament spread through the city.
Some run barefoot toward the forest road, garments slipping and minds lost. Others freeze within doorways, hands against cheeks, tears falling like rain.
Every house seems to have suffered a death. Child, elder, youth, and parent cannot contain the same sorrow, and separate streets merge into one ocean of pain. The city prepared to gather around Ram's throne now surges toward the road by which it fears losing him.
From doorway to forest road, all Ayodhya becomes one shoreless sea of grief.
Read the passage from the Manas
उतरु न देइ दुसह रिस रूखी। मृगिन्ह चितव जनु बाघिनि भूखी।। ब्याधि असाधि जानि तिन्ह त्यागी। चलीं कहत मतिमंद अभागी।। राजु करत यह दैअँ बिगोई। कीन्हेसि अस जस करइ न कोई।। एहि बिधि बिलपहिं पुर नर नारीं। देहिं कुचालिहि कोटिक गारीं।। जरहिं बिषम जर लेहिं उसासा। कवनि राम बिनु जीवन आसा।। बिपुल बियोग प्रजा अकुलानी। जनु जलचर गन सूखत पानी।। अति बिषाद बस लोग लोगाई। गए मातु पहिं रामु गोसाई।। मुख प्रसन्न चित चौगुन चाऊ। मिटा सोचु जनि राखै राऊ।।
She gave no reply, her anger terrible and harsh, glaring at them like a hungry tigress eyeing deer. Knowing her condition to be incurable, they abandoned her and left, calling her foolish and unfortunate. This wicked woman has ruined the kingdom's happiness. She has done what no one else would ever do. In this way the men and women of the city lamented, hurling countless curses upon the crooked one. Some ran weeping to the forest road, their garments slipping, feet unshod, minds lost in grief. Some stood frozen in their doorways, hands pressed to their cheeks, tears falling like rain. All of Ayodhya trembled and wailed, as though every household had suffered a death. Children, elders, young and old, none could hold their sorrow. The entire city drowned in a single ocean of pain.