Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 114, Shloka 25
अयोध्याप्रवेशः
Bharata Enters Ayodhya and Perceives the City’s Desolation
चन्दनागरुगन्धांश्च महार्हाश्च नवस्रजः। गते हि रामे तरुणा स्संतप्ता नोपभुञ्जते।।2.114.25।।
candanāgarugandhāṁś ca mahārhāś ca navasrajaḥ |
gate hi rāme taruṇāḥ santaptā nopabhuñjate ||2.114.25||
For Rama has departed; and so the young men, distressed at heart, take no delight in costly sandal and agaru fragrances, nor in fresh flower garlands.
Since Rama has departed, the young men in distress do not enjoy expensive incense of agaru and sandalwood paste and garlands of fresh flowers.
FAQs
Dharma is shown as loyalty to the righteous (Rama) and shared civic mourning: when the upholder of dharma is exiled, even legitimate pleasures lose meaning, reflecting a society whose joy is anchored in righteousness rather than indulgence.
After Rama’s departure to the forest, Bharata observes Ayodhya’s changed mood: the youth no longer enjoy perfumes and garlands, signs of public celebration and normal life.
Bharata’s compassion and moral sensitivity: he reads the city’s grief as a sign of Rama’s belovedness and dharmic stature, and he himself shares that sorrow.