Dasharatha Lies Like a Moon without Nectar
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 148
Doha 148 · Movement 1 of 2
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The queens ask through broken voices, but Sumantra cannot answer. Hearing and sight fail him. Maidservants recognize his collapse and bring Kausalya toward the king's chamber.
There the minister sees Dasharatha upon the bare floor, without throne, couch, or ornament. The king resembles a moon drained of nectar, fallen from royal heaven like Yayati, each sigh lifting a chest scorched by grief like Sampati lying with burned wings.
The lover of Ram has been reduced to names. He calls Ram again and again, then Lakshmana and Vaidehi, as though speech might assemble the absent figures around him. Sumantra has feared this sight through every mile, and now the palace floor holds it with a severity imagination could not soften.
On the bare palace floor, Dasharatha breathes the names of the three exiles like a moon trying to recover its vanished light.
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अति आरति सब पूँछहिं रानी। उतरु न आव बिकल भइ बानी।। सुनइ न श्रवन नयन नहिं सूझा। कहहु कहाँ नृप तेहि तेहि बूझा।। दासिन्ह दीख सचिव बिकलाई। कौसल्या गृहँ गईं लवाई।। जाइ सुमंत्र दीख कस राजा। अमिअ रहित जनु चंदु बिराजा।। आसन सयन बिभूषन हीना। परेउ भूमितल निपट मलीना।। लेइ उसासु सोच एहि भाँती। सुरपुर तें जनु खँसेउ जजाती।। लेत सोच भरि छिनु छिनु छाती। जनु जरि पंख परेउ संपाती।। राम राम कह राम सनेही। पुनि कह राम लखन बैदेही।।
All the queens asked with deep anguish, but no answer came; their voices faltered and broke. Their ears could not hear, their eyes could not see. Again and again they pleaded, 'Where is the king?' The maidservants saw the minister's distress and quickly brought Kausalya to the palace. When Sumantra went and beheld the king, he appeared like the moon drained of all its nectar. Stripped of throne, bed, and ornaments, the king lay upon the bare ground, utterly forlorn. Sighing and sorrowing in this way, he seemed like Yayati fallen from the celestial realm. With every breath his chest heaved with grief, like Sampati lying broken with his wings burnt away. The devoted lover of Rama kept calling, 'Rama, Rama,' and then again, 'Rama, Lakshmana, Vaidehi.'