Shloka 2.40.38

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

Devanagari script

हा रामेति जनाः केचिद्राममातेति चापरे।अन्तःपुरं समृद्धं च क्रोशन्तः पर्यदेवयन्।।।।

Transliteration

hā rāmēti janāḥ kecid rāmamātēti cāpare | antaḥpuraṃ samṛddhaṃ ca krośantaḥ paryadevayan ||

Translation

Some people wailed, “O Rāma!”, while others cried, “O Rāma’s mother!”; and by their loud lamenting they made even the well-appointed inner apartments resound with weeping.

Context

Some among them wailed 'Oh Rama!', while some others cried 'Oh mother of Rama!' By crying loudly, they made the women in the inner apartment cry too.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Rāma’s mother (Kausalyā, implied by epithet)
• antaḥpura (palace inner quarters)

FAQs

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

It reflects how dharma is relational: the pain of upholding truth affects mothers, households, and the public alike, revealing the moral seriousness of vows and duty.

What is the narrative situation?

Citizens cry out to Rāma and to his mother; their lament spreads into the palace inner quarters, intensifying the collective mourning.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The citizens’ heartfelt attachment to righteousness, expressing grief not as disorder but as reverence for Rāma and sympathy for his mother.