The People of Ayodhya Begin to Rebuke Themselves

प्रभातायाम् तु शर्वर्याम् पौराः ते राघवो विना | शोक उपहत निश्चेष्टा बभूवुर् हत चेतसः || २-४७-१

prabhaataayaam tu sharvaryaam pauraaH te raaghavo vinaa | shoka upahata nishceShTaa babhuuvur hata cetasaH || 2-47-1

As the night was beginning to become dawn, those citizens relinquished by Raghava were perplexed with grief and became motionless.

शोकज अश्रु परिद्यूना वीक्षमाणाः ततः ततः | आलोकम् अपि रामस्य न पश्यन्ति स्म दुह्खिताः || २-४७-२

shokaja ashru paridyuunaa viikShamaaNaaH tataH tataH | aalokam api raamasya na pashyanti sma duhkhitaaH || 2-47-2

Made miserable with tears born of anguish and agony, they could not notice even a glimmer of Rama, though casting their eyes everywhere.

ते विषादार्तवदना रहितास्तेन धिमता | कृपणाः करुणा वाचो वदन्ति स्म मनस्विनः || २-४७-३

te vishhaadaartavadanaa rahitaastena dhimataa | kR^ipaNaaH karuNaa vaacho vadanti sma manasvinaH || 2-47-3

Their faces distorted with sorrow, deprived as they were of sagacious Rama and therefore non-pulsed, the citizens broke into piteous exclamations, saying:-

धिगस्तु खलु निद्राम् ताम् ययापहृतचेतसः | नाद्य पश्यामहे रामम् पृथूरस्कम् महाभुजम् || २-४७-४

dhigastu khalu nidraam taam yayaapahR^itachetasaH | naadya pashyaamahe raamam pR^ithuuraskam mahaabhujam || 2-47-4

"Cursed be to that slumber, rendered unconscious, by which we could not behold today that mighty armed Rama with a broad chest."

कथम् नाम महाबाहुः स तथाऽवितथक्रियः | भक्तम् जनम् परित्यज्य प्रवासम् राघवो गतः || २-४७-५

katham naama mahaabaahuH sa tathaa.avitathakriyaH | bhaktam janam parityajya pravaasam raaghavo gataH || 2-47-5

"How that Rama the strong armed, whose actions are never ineffectual, leave for exile, abandoning his devoted citizens?"

यो नः सदा पालयति पिता पुत्रानिवौरसान् | कथम् रघूणाम् स श्रेष्ठस्त्यक्त्वा नो विपिनम् गतः || २-४७-६

yo naH sadaa paalayati pitaa putraanivaurasaan | katham raghuuNaam sa shreshhThastyaktvaa no vipinam gataH || 2-47-6

"How did the chief of Raghus, who protected us ever, like a father the children born of his loins, could proceed to the forest, leaving us?"

इहैव निधनम् यामो महाप्रस्थानमेव वा | रामेण रहितानाम् हि किमर्थम् जीवितम् हि नः || २-४७-७

ihaiva nidhanam yaamo mahaaprasthaanameva vaa | raameNa rahitaanaam hi kimartham jiivitam hi naH || 2-47-7

"Let us have recourse to death here itself, or definitely set out for a grand journey ( to the north with a resolve to die). For what purpose can life be good for us, separated as we are from Rama?"

सन्ति शुष्काणि काष्ठानि प्रभूतानि महान्ति च | तैः प्रज्वाल्य चिताम् सर्वे प्रविशामोऽथ पावकम् || २-४७-८

santi shushhkaaNi kaashhThaani prabhuutaani mahaanti cha | taiH prajvaalya chitaam sarve pravishaamo.atha paavakam || 2-47-8

" Or there are a number of big dry logs of wood here. Lighting a funeral fire out of them, let us all enter the fire."

किम् व्ख्स्यामो महाबाहुरनसूयः प्रियम्वद | नीतः स राघवोऽस्माभिर्ति वक्तुम् कथम् क्षमम् || २-४७-९

kim vkhsyaamo mahaabaahuranasuuyaH priyamvada | niitaH sa raaghavo.asmaabhirti vaktum katham kshamam || 2-47-9

"What shall we say to our fellow citizens? �The great armed Rama who is free from egoism and who speaks kindly ( to all ) has been conveyed to the forest by us!' How can we say so?"

सा नूनम् नगरी दीना दृष्ट्वाऽस्मान् राघवम् विना | भविष्यति निरानन्दा सस्त्रीबालवयोधिका || २-४७-१०

saa nuunam nagarii diinaa dR^ishhTvaa.asmaan raaghavam vinaa | bhavishhyati niraanandaa sastriibaalavayodhikaa || 2-47-10

"Seeing us returning without Rama, that city of Ayodhya, already desolate, will with its women, children and the aged, become even deeply cheerless."

निर्यातास्तेन वीरेण सह नित्यम् जितात्मना | विहिनास्तेन च पुनः कथम् पश्याम ताम् पुरीम् || २-४७-११

niryaataastena viireNa saha nityam jitaatmanaa | vihinaastena cha punaH katham pashyaama taam puriim || 2-47-11

"Having left the city thus with that hero, the conqueror of one's own self, how can we look on that city again without him?"

इतीव बहुधा वाचो बाहुमुद्यम्य ते जनाः | विलपन्तिस्म दुःखर्ता विवत्सा इव धेनवः || २-४७-१२

itiiva bahudhaa vaacho baahumudyamya te janaaH | vilapantisma duHkhartaa vivatsaa iva dhenavaH || 2-47-12

Uplifting their arms , those men stricken with anguish, like cows bereft of their calves, lamented in various ways as above.

ततः मार्ग अनुसारेण गत्वा किंचित् क्षणम् पुनः मार्ग नाशात् विषादेन महता समभिप्लुतः || २-४७-१३

tataH maarga anusaareNa gatvaa ki.ncit kShaNam punaH maarga naashaat viShaadena mahataa samabhiplutaH || 2-47-13

Then, proceeding to some distance along the tracks for a while, they were overwhelmed with great despair again due to sudden disappearance of tracks.

रथस्य मार्ग नाशेन न्यवर्तन्त मनस्विनः | किम् इदम् किम् करिष्यामः दैवेन उपहताइति || २-४७-१४

rathasya maarga naashena nyavartanta manasvinaH | kim idam kim kariShyaamaH daivena upahataaiti || 2-47-14

The good-natured citizens, due to disappearance of the tracks of the chariot, returned to Ayodhya, saying thus, " How is it? What shall we do? We are afflicted by providence"

ततः यथा आगतेन एव मार्गेण क्लान्त चेतसः | अयोध्याम् अगमन् सर्वे पुरीम् व्यथित सज्जनाम् || २-४७-१५

tataH yathaa aagatena eva maargeNa klaanta cetasaH | ayodhyaam agaman sarve puriim vyathita sajjanaam || 2-47-15

Therafter, all of them with aggrieved hearts went to the city of Ayodhya, which was comprising of virtuous people with distress, by the same path on which they had come.

आलोक्य नगरीम् ताम् च क्षयव्याकुलमानसाः | आवर्तयन्त त्ऽश्रूणि नयनैः शोकपीडितैः || २-४७-१६

aalokya nagariim taam cha kshayavyaakulamaanasaaH | aavartayanta t.ashruuNi nayanaiH shokapiiDitaiH || 2-47-16

Beholding the city, they shed tears through their eyes stricken as they were in grief , their minds distressed through cheerlessness.

एषा रामेण नगरी रहिता नातिशोभते | आपगा गरुडेनेव ह्रदादुद्धृतपन्नगा || २-४७-१७

eshhaa raameNa nagarii rahitaa naatishobhate | aapagaa garuDeneva hradaaduddhR^itapannagaa || 2-47-17

Bereft of Rama, the aforesaid city of Ayodhya was not any more enchanting than a river whose snakes were uplifted from its pool by Garuda.

चन्द्रहीनमिवाकाशम् तोयहीनमिवार्णवम् | अपश्यन्निहतानन्दम् नगरम् ते विचेतसः || २-४७-१८

chandrahiinamivaakaasham toyahiinamivaarNavam | apashyannihataanandam nagaram te vichetasaH || 2-47-18

As the sky without the moon or the sea without the water, these disconcerted men beheld the city from which all joy had fled.

ते तानि वेश्मानि महाधनानि | दुःखेन दुःखोपहता विशन्तः | नैव प्रजज्ञुः स्वजनम् जनम् वा | निरीक्षमाणाः प्रविणष्टहर्षाः || २-४७-१९

te taani veshmaani mahaadhanaani | duHkhena duHkhopahataa vishantaH | naiva prajajJNuH svajanam janam vaa | niriikshamaaNaaH praviNashhTaharshhaaH || 2-47-19

Entering their houses full of abundant riches with uneasiness, the citizens could not distinguish between their own people and others, even though being looked at, stricken as they were with grief, their joy having altogether extinguished.