Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 32
अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्
Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation
तास्तथा विलपन्त्यस्तु नगरे नागरस्त्रियः।चुक्रुशु र्दुःखसन्तप्ता मृत्योरिव भयागमे।।2.48.32।।
tās tathā vilapantyas tu nagare nāgarastriyaḥ |
cukruśur duḥkhasantaptā mṛtyor iva bhayāgame || 2.48.32 ||
Demikianlah para perempuan kota meratap; terbakar oleh duka, mereka menjerit seakan-akan ketakutan telah datang menimpa seperti mendekatnya maut.
Such was the lamentation of the women of the city. Overcome with grief as if frightened at the approach of death, they wept bitterly.
FAQs
When dharma is violated at the center (the rightful heir exiled by deceit), society experiences it as existential fear—ethical disorder produces collective insecurity.
Women in Ayodhyā publicly grieve and cry out intensely after learning of Rāma’s exile.
Rāma’s protective value is implied by absence: the intensity of fear shows how deeply people trusted his dharmic presence.