Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 66, Shloka 24
अयोध्यायां शोकविलापः
Lamentation in Ayodhya after Daśaratha’s death
निशा चन्द्रविहीनेव स्त्रीव भर्तृविवर्जिता।पुरी नाराजतायोध्या हीना राज्ञा महात्मना।।।।
niśā candravihīneva strīva bhartṛvivarjitā |
purī nārājatāyodhyā hīnā rājñā mahātmanā ||
மகாத்மா அரசன் இல்லாத அயோத்தி நகரம் இனி ஒளிவிடவில்லை—நிலா இல்லாத இரவு போல, கணவன் இழந்த பெண் போல.
Like night without the Moon, like a woman forsaken by her husband, this city of Ayodhya without that magnanimous king has lost its earlier splendour.
FAQs
The verse teaches that righteous leadership (rājadharma) is a sustaining light for society; when the just ruler is gone, the community’s harmony and confidence dim.
After Daśaratha’s death, the city’s atmosphere turns bleak; the narrator describes Ayodhyā’s loss of splendour.
Daśaratha’s stature as a ‘mahātmā’ (noble ruler) is emphasized through the city’s dependence on his presence.