पितृमरणश्रवणं जलक्रिया च
Hearing of Daśaratha’s death and the libation rites at Mandākinī
निष्प्रधानामनेकाग्रां नरेन्द्रेण विनाकृताम्।निवृत्तवनवासोऽपि नायोध्यां गन्तु मुत्सहे।।।।
niṣpradhānām anekāgrāṃ narendreṇa vinākṛtām | nivṛttavanavāso 'pi nāyodhyāṃ gantuṃ utsahe || 2.102.11 ||
Selbst wenn mein Waldaufenthalt vollendet ist, vermag ich nicht nach Ayodhyā zu gehen — ohne ihren Herrn, ihres Königs beraubt und in Ungewissheit gestürzt.
Even after the completion of my exile I do not wish to return to Ayodhya which is directionless, bereft of its chief, the king.
A kingdom’s stability depends on rightful leadership; dharma includes concern for social order and the disorientation caused by loss of a righteous ruler.
Rama, grieving, expresses reluctance to return to Ayodhyā because it is now without Daśaratha.
Rama’s sense of responsibility and reverence for rightful authority—he feels the gravity of a realm bereft of its king.
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