Shloka 2.65.23
अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चषष्टितमः सर्गः — Daśaratha’s Death Discovered in the Palace (Morning Rites Turn to Lament)
सा कोसलेन्द्रदुहिता वेष्टमाना महीतले।न बभ्राज रजोध्वस्ता तारेव गगनाच्च्युता।।।।
sā kosalendraduhitā veṣṭamānā mahītale | na babhrāja rajodhvastā tāreva gaganāccyutā ||
Kausalyā, daughter of the lord of Kosala, rolled upon the earth; covered with dust, she no longer shone—like a star fallen from the sky.
Kausalya, daughter of the lord of Kosala, lay on the ground writhing in pain, coated with dust, and devoid of brightness like a star without radiance fallen from the sky.
It points to an ethical realism central to the epic: worldly brilliance (status, beauty, security) is impermanent; dharmic life requires steadiness amid inevitable loss.
After collapsing, Kausalyā is depicted physically overwhelmed by grief, losing her former radiance.
The verse primarily emphasizes pathos rather than virtue; it highlights the depth of Kausalyā’s love and the magnitude of the loss.