सप्तपञ्चाशः सर्गः
Sumantra’s Return to Ayodhya and the Palace’s Lament
कच्चिन्न सगजा साऽश्वा सजना सजनाधिपा।रामसन्तापदुःखेन दग्धा शोकाग्निना पुरी।।।।
kaccin na sagajā sāśvā sajanā sajanādhipā |
rāma-santāpa-duḥkhena dagdhā śokāgninā purī ||
“莫非此城已被忧悲之火所焚——因罗摩(Rāma)受苦之痛而燃起的哀火——连同象马、臣民与其君主一并焚尽?”
Beholding the silent city, almost empty, the deeply depressed Sumantra, afflicted with gushing tears reflected:
A ruler and city are bound together by dharma: when the righteous heir suffers, the polity suffers too—dharma is not merely personal, it is social.
Sumantra, seeing the eerie silence, fears Ayodhyā may have collapsed under grief for Rāma.
Compassionate concern: Sumantra worries not only for the royal family but for the whole city and its well-being.