Shloka 2.48.27

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम् (Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation)

Devanagari script

ते विषं पिबतालोड्य क्षीणपुण्या स्सुदुर्गताः।राघवं वानुगच्छध्वमश्रुतिं वापि गच्छत।।2.48.27।।

Transliteration

te viṣaṁ pibatāloḍya kṣīṇapuṇyāḥ sudurgatāḥ |

rāghavaṁ vā ’nugacchadhvam aśrutiṁ vāpi gacchata || 2.48.27 ||

Translation

You who have fallen into grievous straits, as though your merits were spent—drink poison if you wish; or follow Rāghava; or else depart to some unknown place.

Context

Where you are in deep trouble with merits exhausted, it is better to take poison, or follow Rama or walk into the unknown.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Rāghava)
• Poison (viṣa)
• Unknown place (aśruti)

FAQs

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

It shows the psychological collapse that follows perceived adharma; the implied dharmic counterpoint is that following the righteous (Rāma) is the only meaningful path amid moral chaos.

What is the narrative situation?

The citizens, overwhelmed after Rāma’s exile, speak in extreme terms—death, departure, or following Rāma—revealing the depth of civic despair.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma as the moral refuge: even in hopelessness, he remains the axis of trust and righteousness for the people.