Shloka 2.48.32

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम् (Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation)

Devanagari script

तास्तथा विलपन्त्यस्तु नगरे नागरस्त्रियः।चुक्रुशु र्दुःखसन्तप्ता मृत्योरिव भयागमे।।2.48.32।।

Transliteration

tās tathā vilapantyas tu nagare nāgarastriyaḥ |

cukruśur duḥkhasantaptā mṛtyor iva bhayāgame || 2.48.32 ||

Translation

Thus the city-women lamented; scorched by grief, they cried out as though terror had come upon them like the approach of death.

Context

Such was the lamentation of the women of the city. Overcome with grief as if frightened at the approach of death, they wept bitterly.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā (implied city)

FAQs

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

When dharma is violated at the center (the rightful heir exiled by deceit), society experiences it as existential fear—ethical disorder produces collective insecurity.

What is the narrative situation?

Women in Ayodhyā publicly grieve and cry out intensely after learning of Rāma’s exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s protective value is implied by absence: the intensity of fear shows how deeply people trusted his dharmic presence.