Shloka 2.66.24

अयोध्यायां शोकविलापः — Lamentation in Ayodhya after Daśaratha’s death

Devanagari script

निशा चन्द्रविहीनेव स्त्रीव भर्तृविवर्जिता।पुरी नाराजतायोध्या हीना राज्ञा महात्मना।।।।

Transliteration

niśā candravihīneva strīva bhartṛvivarjitā |

purī nārājatāyodhyā hīnā rājñā mahātmanā ||

Translation

Ayodhyā, bereft of the great-souled king, no longer shone—like a night without the moon, like a woman forsaken by her husband.

Context

Like night without the Moon, like a woman forsaken by her husband, this city of Ayodhya without that magnanimous king has lost its earlier splendour.

Characters & Entities

• Ayodhyā
• Daśaratha

FAQs

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

The verse teaches that righteous leadership (rājadharma) is a sustaining light for society; when the just ruler is gone, the community’s harmony and confidence dim.

What is the narrative situation?

After Daśaratha’s death, the city’s atmosphere turns bleak; the narrator describes Ayodhyā’s loss of splendour.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Daśaratha’s stature as a ‘mahātmā’ (noble ruler) is emphasized through the city’s dependence on his presence.