Valmiki Ramayana 2.66.24 — 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 ||
మహాత్ముడైన రాజు లేని అయోధ్యాపురి ఇక శోభించలేదు—చంద్రుడు లేని రాత్రిలా, భర్త లేని స్త్రీలాగా।
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.
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