Hinduism

The Ramayana in Sanskrit: Book 2: Chapter 53

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This is a passage from the Valmiki Ramayana (Ayodhya Kanda), the ancient Sanskrit epic, presented in both romanized transliteration and Devanagari script. It recounts the charioteer Sumantra's return to Ayodhya after escorting Rama into forest exile, and his report of that grief-laden journey to King Dasharatha. The passage employs extended pathetic fallacy: trees wilt, animals cease to move, lotus ponds grow turbid, and the forest falls silent — all of nature is depicted as afflicted by Rama's absence. Ayodhya itself is equally desolate; no one welcomes the charioteer, citizens sigh constantly, and women weep from their balconies, with the city compared to a mother bereft of her son. Hearing this account, Dasharatha delivers a remarkable act of self-condemnation: he admits he acted rashly and in infatuation, driven by Kaikeyi, without consulting wise elders, ministers, friends, or citizens — a notable moment in which a king acknowledges that proper governance requires deliberation rather than personal caprice. He then desperately begs the charioteer to take him to Rama, declaring he cannot survive even a moment without seeing him. The passage ends with Dasharatha crying out to Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita and collapsing unconscious, while Kausalya — Rama's mother — is gripped by renewed terror at his worsening grief.

The Ramayana in Sanskrit: Book 2: Chapter 53

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