Shloka 2.57.8
सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः — Sumantra’s Return to Ayodhya and the Palace’s Lament
इति चिन्तापरस्सूतो वाजिभिश्शीघ्रपातिभिः।नगरद्वारमासाद्य त्वरितः प्रविवेश ह।।।।
sumantram abhiyāntaṁ taṁ śataśo 'tha sahasraśaḥ |
kva rāma iti pṛcchantaḥ sūtam abhyadravan narāḥ ||
As Sumantra advanced, men by the hundreds and thousands ran up to the charioteer, asking, “Where is Rāma?”
Absorbed in these thoughts, the charioteer came to the city-gate, carried by the swift-footed horses, and quickly entered the city.
Dharma is shown as collective moral dependence on a righteous leader: the people’s urgent question reflects how society seeks stability in the presence of virtue.
Ayodhyā’s citizens surround Sumantra as he returns, desperate for news of Rāma.
Public devotion and loyalty to righteousness, embodied in their longing for Rāma.