Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 20, Shloka 6
अयोध्याकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः
Rama Enters Kauśalyā’s Antaḥpura; Ritual Preparations and the Shock of Exile
इति सर्वा महिष्यस्ता विवत्सा इव धेनवः।पतिमाचुक्रुशुश्चैव सस्वरं चापि चुक्रुशुः।।।।
iti sarvā mahiṣyas tā vivatsā iva dhenavaḥ |
patim ācukruśuś caiva sasvaraṃ cāpi cukruśuḥ ||
इस प्रकार वे सब प्रमुख रानियाँ—बछड़े से वंचित गायों के समान—अपने पति के लिए ऊँचे स्वर में रो पड़ीं और करुण क्रन्दन करने लगीं।
Thus all the queens like calfless cows cried loudly blaming their husband.
FAQs
It shows the human cost that can accompany dharma-bound royal decisions: even when truth and vows are upheld, the household may be shaken by grief, revealing dharma’s severity as well as its necessity.
Within the palace, the queens collectively break into loud lamentation, comparing themselves to calfless cows amid the crisis surrounding Rama.
Not a single virtue but a shared emotional reality: the queens’ vulnerability and attachment, illustrating the epic’s compassionate portrayal of suffering.
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