Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 66, Shloka 2
अयोध्यायां शोकविलापः
Lamentation in Ayodhya after Daśaratha’s death
तमग्निमिव संशान्तमम्बुहीनमिवार्णवम्।हतप्रभमिवाऽऽदित्यं स्वर्गस्थं प्रेक्ष्य पार्थिवम्।।2.66.1।। कौसल्या बाष्पपूर्णाक्षी विविधां शोककर्शिता।उपगृह्य शिरो राज्ञः कैकेयीं प्रत्यभाषत।।2.66.2।।
tam agnim iva saṅśāntam ambuhīnam ivārṇavam |
hataprabham ivādityaṃ svargasthaṃ prekṣya pārthivam ||
kausalyā bāṣpapūrṇākṣī vividhāṃ śokakarśitā |
upagṛhya śiro rājñaḥ kaikeyīṃ pratyabhāṣata ||
เมื่อเห็นพระราชาเสด็จสู่สวรรค์—ประหนึ่งไฟที่ดับวูบ ประหนึ่งมหาสมุทรไร้น้ำ ประหนึ่งดวงอาทิตย์สิ้นรัศมี—พระนางเกาสัลยา ผู้มีดวงตาเอ่อท้นด้วยน้ำตาและถูกความโศกนานาประการบั่นทอน ได้ประคองพระเศียรของพระราชา แล้วตรัสกับไกเกยี
On seeing the king who ascended the heaven just as a blazing fire suddenly extinguishes, or like the ocean emptied of water or the Sun bereft of splendour Kausalya raised the head of the king on to her lap, her eyes filled with tears and body shrunk in sorrow, looked at Kaikeyi and said:
FAQs
The verse uses cosmic similes to show the moral and social vacuum created by the death of a righteous king—suggesting that rājadharma (right kingship) sustains the world’s order, and its collapse is felt like the loss of light and life.
Daśaratha has died. Kausalyā, overcome with grief, holds his head and turns toward Kaikeyī to speak—setting up a direct confrontation in the narrative.
Kausalyā’s frankness and moral clarity in grief: she does not suppress the truth of her suffering and is prepared to speak directly to the perceived cause.