Valmiki Ramayana 2.67.18: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 67, Shloka 18
अयोध्यायां शोक-रात्रिः तथा अराजक-राष्ट्रस्य नीतिविचारः
The Night of Lamentation in Ayodhya and the Political Ethics of a Kingless Realm
नाराजके जनपदे वाहनै शशीघ्रगामिभिः।नरा निर्यान्त्यरण्यानि नारीभिस्सह कामिनः।।।।
nārājake janapade vāhanaiḥ śaśīghragāmibhiḥ | narā niryānty araṇyāni nārībhis saha kāminaḥ ||
जहाँ राजा नहीं होता, वहाँ सोना पहने हुई लड़कियाँ शाम को गार्डन में खेलने नहीं जाती। चाहे वो कितनी भी साथ में क्यों न हों।
In a country without a king, wealthy people who live on farming and raising cattle cannot sleep safely in their homes with doors wide open.
FAQs
Dharma in governance ensures freedom of movement and leisure without fear; the absence of lawful authority restricts even nonessential pleasures due to insecurity.
The speakers continue portraying how daily life contracts in a kingless realm, where travel and recreation become unsafe.
Order-maintenance (śāsana) and protection—key virtues expected of a king to keep roads and outskirts safe.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.