Chapter 41 - The whole world grieves for Prince Rama

That Lion among men, Prince Ramacandra, having in humility departed, a great cry of distress arose among the ladies of the inner apartment. They cried: “Where is Ramacandra, the only asylum and refuge of the orphaned, the weak and the suffering? Where is Prince Rama, who when provoked, showed no anger, who caused no agitation to any heart, who appeased those who were wrathful, and considered others’ distress as his own? Where is that Rama now, who treated us with the same regard as he showed his illustrious mother, Queen Kaushalya? Where is he wandering now, that Rama, Protector of the World, who has gone to the forest, persecuted by Kaikeyi, and exiled by his father? O, how insensible the king has grown, that he has sent the virtuous and truthful Rama, the object of universal love, into exile.”

In this way, all the ladies of the court wept aloud like cows who have been bereft of their calves. The king overwhelmed with grief on account of separation from his son, suffered increasingly on hearing the loud and piteous cries of the ladies of the palace. On the prince’s departure, no brahmacari performed the fire ceremony, no householder prepared food but passed the day in deep distress. The elephants cast off their trappings and the cows refused to nourish their calves, mothers showed no delight at the sight of their first-born.

Trishanku, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Venus and other inauspicious planets gathered round the moon, pulsating there; the stars lost their brilliance and the planets their splendour. Vishaka, growing dim, was scarcely distinguishable in the sky. The clouds, driven by a strong wind, overtaking each other, resembled waves rising in the sea. When Shri Rama departed, an earthquake caused the city to tremble, the ten cardinal points were covered in darkness, neither were the planets nor the stars visible. All the inhabitants of the city were overwhelmed with misery, none partook of food that day or found pleasure in any pastime.

All the people of Ayodhya, sighing heavily, were filled with sorrow and grieved for the king. Those walking in the streets wept and nowhere was there any sign of joy. No cool breezes blew, nor did the moon shine, the rays of the sun were weak and the whole world mourned for Rama. Sons gave no thought to their parents, husbands were indifferent to their wives and brothers showed no affection to each other; all were sunk in grief. The friends of Rama, unconscious of themselves and filled with distress, were bereft of sleep. Without Rama, Ayodhya resembled the earth with all its mountains, suffering from drought. Every household was consumed with grief and the cries of elephants, horses and warriors filled the city.