Valmiki Ramayana 2.42.23-24: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 42, Shlokas 23-24
द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः · दशरथस्य शोक-विलापः तथा कौशल्यागृह-प्रवेशः
Dasaratha’s Lament and Return to Kausalya’s Apartments
शून्यचत्वरवेश्मान्तां संवृतापणदेवताम् ।
क्लान्तदुर्बलदुःखार्तां नात्याकीर्णमहापथाम् ॥२३॥
तामवेक्ष्य पुरीं सर्वां राममेवानुचिन्तयन् ।
विलपन् प्राविशद्राजा गृहं सूर्य इवाम्बुदम् ॥२४॥
śūnyacatvaraveśmāntāṃ saṃvṛtāpaṇadevatām |
klāntadurbaladuḥkhārtāṃ nātyākīrṇamahāpathām ||23||
tāmavekṣya purīṃ sarvāṃ rāmamevānucintayan |
vilapan prāviśadrājā gṛhaṃ sūrya ivāmbudam ||24||
ശൂന്യമായ ചത്വരങ്ങളും വീടുകളുടെ അകത്തളങ്ങളും, അടഞ്ഞ വിപണികളും മൗനമായ ദേവാലയങ്ങളും ഉള്ള, ക്ഷീണിതയും ദുർബലയും ദുഃഖാർത്തയും ആയി മഹാപഥങ്ങൾ പോലും തിരക്കില്ലാത്ത ആ മുഴുവൻ അയോധ്യയെ കണ്ടു, രാമനെയേ മനസ്സിൽ അനുസ്മരിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് വിലപിച്ച രാജാവ് ദശരഥൻ, മേഘത്തിൽ മറയുന്ന സൂര്യനെപ്പോലെ തന്റെ ഗൃഹത്തിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു.
There the mansions and squares on the highways were all deserted. The temples and market-places were closed. The people were weak, fatigued and tormented with grief. The highways were not much crowded. Having seen such a sight of the city on all sides, lamenting and brooding over Rama, Dasaratha entered his palace like the Sun plunging into a cloud.
FAQs
Even in duplicated transmission, the ethical point remains: adharma in governance produces collective suffering; dharma sustains civic vitality.
The source repeats the prior description while numbering it as a separate verse entry (a formatting/recensional presentation).
Rāma’s implicit virtue is underscored by the city’s reaction—his absence itself becomes the measure of loss.
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