After the departure of Rama, a great cry of distress erupted from the women of the inner apartments. They cried "Where is he, who was the path and the protector of the people who are now rendered defenseless, weak and unhappy? Where is he, who was not angry even when provoked, who resolved every misunderstanding and who propitiated all those who were angry by sharing their suffering? Where is he, that illustrious and the great-hearted Rama, who treated us with the same reverence he paid to his own mother? He, the protector of the people and the whole world, driven to the forest by the king, goaded on by Kaikeyi. Alas! In his folly, the king has banished the virtuous, beloved and the strictly truthful son, Rama to the forest!"
All the queens lamented and wailed like cows deprived of their calves and in their affliction cried out loudly. Hearing those terrible crying sounds in the private apartments, the king profoundly afflicted by the departure of his son, became increasingly depressed.
There were no sacred fires in any household after the departure of Rama to the forest, no housewife prepared food, the people did not do their routine chores and even the sun was eclipsed. Elephants threw out the morsels of food they had taken into their mouths. Cows did not suckle their calves. Mothers did not rejoice in the birth of a son as her very first baby. Trisanku, Lohintanga, Brihaspati as also Budha and all other planets assumed a menacing aspect and got stayed with the moon. Stars ceased to twinkle. Planets lost their splendour. The stars of Visakha appeared in the heaven, veiled in the mist. The great oceans rose, as by a speed of a long-lasting tempest. After Rama left for the forest, that city was shaken as by a terrible earthquake. All the cardinal points, having been disturbed, were covered by darkness. Planets did not become visible, nor the stars nor any other thing in heaven. All the people of the city suddenly became apathetic. No one was interested in either food or in pastime. All the people of Ayodhya, afflicted by the grief, heaved profoundly and burning sighs and bewailed about the departure of the Lord of the earth. The people in the king's way were wearing distressed faces filled with tears. No one appeared rejoicing. All were possessed by grief. The wind was not blowing coolly. The moon did not appear beneficent. The sun did not give out warmth to the earth. The entire world was in disorder. Sons did not ask for their mothers and husbands did not ask for their wives. Brothers did not inquire about their sisters. All gave up every thing and thought of Rama and Rama and Rama. Then, all of Rama's own friends were bewildered in mind and the weight of their agony overwhelmed them. They did not leave their beds. Afflicted by fear and grief, the earth with its mountains suffered a terrible convulsion, as when it is abandoned by Indra the lord of rain, and a great uproar reigned in the city which was filled with elephants, warriors and horses.
All the queens lamented and wailed like cows deprived of their calves and in their affliction cried out loudly. Hearing those terrible crying sounds in the private apartments, the king profoundly afflicted by the departure of his son, became increasingly depressed.
There were no sacred fires in any household after the departure of Rama to the forest, no housewife prepared food, the people did not do their routine chores and even the sun was eclipsed. Elephants threw out the morsels of food they had taken into their mouths. Cows did not suckle their calves. Mothers did not rejoice in the birth of a son as her very first baby. Trisanku, Lohintanga, Brihaspati as also Budha and all other planets assumed a menacing aspect and got stayed with the moon. Stars ceased to twinkle. Planets lost their splendour. The stars of Visakha appeared in the heaven, veiled in the mist. The great oceans rose, as by a speed of a long-lasting tempest. After Rama left for the forest, that city was shaken as by a terrible earthquake. All the cardinal points, having been disturbed, were covered by darkness. Planets did not become visible, nor the stars nor any other thing in heaven. All the people of the city suddenly became apathetic. No one was interested in either food or in pastime. All the people of Ayodhya, afflicted by the grief, heaved profoundly and burning sighs and bewailed about the departure of the Lord of the earth. The people in the king's way were wearing distressed faces filled with tears. No one appeared rejoicing. All were possessed by grief. The wind was not blowing coolly. The moon did not appear beneficent. The sun did not give out warmth to the earth. The entire world was in disorder. Sons did not ask for their mothers and husbands did not ask for their wives. Brothers did not inquire about their sisters. All gave up every thing and thought of Rama and Rama and Rama. Then, all of Rama's own friends were bewildered in mind and the weight of their agony overwhelmed them. They did not leave their beds. Afflicted by fear and grief, the earth with its mountains suffered a terrible convulsion, as when it is abandoned by Indra the lord of rain, and a great uproar reigned in the city which was filled with elephants, warriors and horses.
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