Shloka 2.48.36

अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम् (Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation)

Devanagari script

तथा स्त्रियो रामनिमित्तमातुरायथा सुते भ्रातरि वा विवासिते।विलप्य दीना रुरुदुर्विचेतसस्सूतैर्हि तासामधिको हि सोऽभवत्।।2.48.36।।

Transliteration

tathā striyo rāmanimittam āturā

yathā sute bhrātari vā vivāsite |

vilapya dīnā rurudur vicetasaḥ

sūtair hi tāsām adhiko hi so 'bhavat || 2.48.36 ||

Translation

For Rāma’s sake the women were stricken with grief, as though a son or a brother had been banished. Lamenting, wretched and bewildered, they wept aloud; for to them he truly was more than their own sons.

Context

The women grieved over Rama as if a son or a brother had been exiled. Depressed and distressed, they wept and sobbed. For them, Rama was indeed more than their sons.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma

FAQs

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

A dharmic leader becomes a moral refuge beyond blood ties: righteousness creates bonds of trust so strong that society experiences his loss like the loss of family.

What is the narrative situation?

The narrator describes the depth of women’s grief in Ayodhyā, comparing it to the pain of a close relative’s banishment.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s nurturing, protective righteousness—so dependable that people value him even above their private familial attachments.