Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48, Shloka 4
अयोध्यायाः शोकवर्णनम्
Ayodhya’s Lament and Civic Desolation
न चाहृष्यन् नचामोदन् वणिजो न प्रसारयन्।न चाशोभन्त पण्यानि नापचन् गृहमेधिनः।।2.48.4।।
na cāhṛṣyan na cāmōdan vaṇijo na prasārayan |
na cāśobhanta paṇyāni nāpacan gṛhamedhinaḥ ||2.48.4||
Tak seorang pun bersukacita, tak seorang pun merasa gembira; para pedagang tidak menggelar barang dagangan untuk dijual. Barang-barang pasar kehilangan semaraknya, dan para kepala rumah tangga pun tidak memasak.
The people had no joy in life nor did they find cheer in anything. The merchants did not offer their wares for sale. The market-place looked graceless (lifeless). (The stocks were empty). The householders did not cook their food.
FAQs
Dharma is shown as the sustaining force of civic life: when the righteous prince is wronged and sent away, the people’s inner moral shock manifests outwardly as the collapse of normal duties and livelihoods.
Ayodhyā responds to Rāma’s exile with collective paralysis—trade stops and even daily domestic routines like cooking are abandoned.
Rāma’s role as the moral center of the kingdom is emphasized indirectly: his absence makes ordinary people feel that ordinary pursuits are meaningless.