Ayodhya Kaanda Sumantra returns to Ayodhya and finds the city a picture of grief - Chaupais
Ramcharitmanas · Ayodhya Kaanda Sumantra returns to Ayodhya and finds the city a picture of grief · Verse Chaupais 1848
Sanskrit Original
एहि बिधि करत पंथ पछितावा। तमसा तीर तुरत रथु आवा।। बिदा किए करि बिनय निषादा। फिरे पायँ परि बिकल बिषादा।। पैठत नगर सचिव सकुचाई। जनु मारेसि गुर बाँभन गाई।। बैठि बिटप तर दिवसु गवाँवा। साँझ समय तब अवसरु पावा।। अवध प्रबेसु कीन्ह अँधिआरें। पैठ भवन रथु राखि दुआरें।। जिन्ह जिन्ह समाचार सुनि पाए। भूप द्वार रथु देखन आए।। रथु पहिचानि बिकल लखि घोरे। गरहिं गात जिमि आतप ओरे।। नगर नारि नर ब्याकुल कैंसें। निघटत नीर मीनगन जैंसें।।
ēhi bidhi karata paṃtha pachitāvā. tamasā tīra turata rathu āvā.. bidā kiē kari binaya niṣādā. phirē pāyaom pari bikala biṣādā.. paiṭhata nagara saciva sakucāī. janu mārēsi gura bāombhana gāī.. baiṭhi biṭapa tara divasu gavāomvā. sāomjha samaya taba avasaru pāvā.. avadha prabēsu kīnha aomdhiārēṃ. paiṭha bhavana rathu rākhi duārēṃ.. jinha jinha samācāra suni pāē. bhūpa dvāra rathu dēkhana āē.. rathu pahicāni bikala lakhi ghōrē. garahiṃ gāta jimi ātapa ōrē.. nagara nāri nara byākula kaiṃsēṃ. nighaṭata nīra mīnagana jaiṃsēṃ..
While Sumantra was thus lamenting on the way, his chariot presently reached the bank of the Tamasa river. He politely dismissed the Nisadas, who fell at his feet and returned with a heart stricken with grief. The minister hesitated to enter the city as if he had murdered his own preceptor, killed a Brahmana or butchered a cow. He passed the day sitting under a tree and found his opportunity only when it was dusk. He entered Ayodhya in the dark and slunk into the palace leaving the chariot at the gate. All who heard the news flocked to the entrance of the royal palace to see the chariot. When they recognized the chariot and found the horses restless with their body wasting away as hail in the sun, the citizens, both men and women, were sore distressed as fish when the water runs short.