Shloka 2.40.28

प्रयाणवर्णनम् (Departure from Ayodhya; Civic Lament and the Chariot’s Urgency)

Devanagari script

अथ राजा वृत स्त्रीभिर्दीनाभिर्दीनचेतनः।निर्जगाम प्रियं पुत्रं द्रक्ष्यामीति ब्रुवन् गृहात्।।।।

Transliteration

atha rājā vṛtaḥ strībhir dīnābhir dīna-cetanaḥ | nirjagāma priyaṃ putraṃ drakṣyāmīti bruvan gṛhāt ||

Translation

Then the king, his heart sunk in desolation and surrounded by sorrowing women, came out of the palace saying, “I want to see my beloved son.”

Context

I wish to see my beloved son said the king with a sense of desolation and emerged, surrounded by forlorn women, from the palace.

Characters & Entities

• Daśaratha
• Rāma
• palace (gṛha)
• royal women/queens

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma here is the painful consequence of pledged truth: the king’s sorrow highlights how adherence to vows (satya) can wound personal happiness, yet must be faced.

What is the narrative situation?

Daśaratha, overwhelmed, comes out with the women of the palace, longing for one last sight of Rāma before the departure.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s deep parental love—human tenderness within the rigid framework of royal promises and dharma.