प्रभातायां तु शर्वयां पौरास्ते राघवं विना। शोकोपहतनिश्चेष्टा बभूवुर्हतचेतसः॥
When the night had departed an day dawned, the citizens not finding Rāghava, overwhelmed with grief and were deprived of their senses. were
शोकजाश्रुपरिघूना वीक्षमाणास्ततस्ततः। आलोकमपि रामस्य न पश्यन्ति स्म दुःखिताः॥
With tears of grief and afflicted with distress, they looked hither and thither, but they could not discover even the dust raised by Rāma's car.
ते विषादातवदना रहितास्तेन धीमता। कृपणाः करुणा वाचो वदन्ति स्म मनीषिणः॥
And those intelligent ones, extremely distressed on being deprived of Rāma endowed with understanding, with countenance betokening sorrow, spoke these piteous words.
धिगस्तु खलु निद्रां तां ययापहतचेतसः। नाद्य पश्यामहे रामं पृथूरस्कं महाभुजम्॥
Oh! fie on that sleep through which having been deprived of senses, well shall not to-day behold Rāma of broad chest and mighty arms.
कथं रामो महाबाहुः स तथावितथक्रियः। भक्तं जनमभित्यज्य प्रवासं तापसो गतः॥
How could Rāma of mighty arms, resorting to this undesirable course, has gone into exile as an ascetic, leaving behind those that regard him dearly?
यो नः सदा पालयति पिता पुत्रानिवौरसान्। कथं रघूणां स श्रेष्ठस्त्यक्त्वा नो विपिनं गतः॥
Why has that foremost of Raghus, who has always cherished us even as a father cherishes his sons begot by his own loins, forsaking us, betaken himself to the forest?
इहैव निधनं याम महाप्रस्थानमेव वा। रामेण रहितानां नो किमर्थं जीवितं हितम्॥
Here will we either renounce our lives, or direct our course to the north to meet death. Of what good are our lives, when we have been deprived of Rāma?
सन्ति शुष्काणि काष्ठानि प्रभूतानि महान्ति च। तैः प्रज्वाल्य चितां सर्वे प्रविशामोऽथवा वयम्॥
There are nuge trunks of dry wood to be got here in plenty. Lighting the pile of woods will we all enter the fire.
किं वक्ष्यामो महाबाहुरनसूयः प्रियंवदः। नीतः स राघवोऽस्माभिरिति वक्तुं कथं क्षमम्॥
What shall we say (when people ask us?) How can we say, 'We took hence the mightyarmed, sweet-speeched and unavenging Rāma?
सा नूनं नगरी दीना दृष्ट्वास्मान् राघवं विना। भविष्यति निरानन्दा सस्त्रीबालवयोऽधिका॥
Surely seeing us without Rāghava, the forlorn city with her women, children and grown up folks will be plunged in grief.
निर्यातास्तेन वीरेण सह नित्यं महात्मना। विहीनास्तेन च पुनः कथं द्रक्ष्याम तां पुरीम्॥
We had issued with that high-souled hero. Deprived of him, how shall we behold that city again?
इतीव बहुधा वाचो बाहुमुद्यम्य ते जनाः। विलपन्ति स्म दुःखार्ता हृतवत्सा इवाग्र्यगाः॥
Thus raising up their arms, they stricken with grief, indulged in lamentations, like to kine deprived of their calves.
ततो मार्गानुसारेण गत्वा किंचित् ततः क्षणम्। मार्गनाशाद् विषादेन महता समभिप्लुताः॥
Then following for a while the track of the car, they, missing the track, became overwhelmed with woe.
रथमार्गानुसारेण न्यवर्तन्त मनस्विनः। किमिदं किं करिष्यामो दैवेनोपहता इति॥
And then those intelligent ones came back by the track of the car. "What is this? What shall we do? We have been foiled by some supernatural agency."
तदा यथागतेनैव मार्गेण क्लान्तचेतसः। अयोध्यामगमन् सर्वे पुरीं व्यथितसज्जनाम्॥
Then they returned to the city of Ayodhyā with its good people oppressed with grief, by the self-same way by which they had come.
आलोक्य नगरी तां च क्षयव्याकुलमानसाः। आवर्तयन्त तेऽश्रूणि नयनैः शोकपीडितैः॥ एषा रामेण नगरी रहिता नातिशोभते। आपगा गरुडेनेव हृदादुद्धृतपत्रगा॥ चन्द्रहीनमिवाकाशं तोयहीनमिवार्णवम्। अपश्यन् निहतानन्दं नगरं ते विचेतसः॥
Viewing the city, they with their eyes weighed down with grief, and minds oppressed with woc, shed plentiful, tears. "This city deprived of Rāma does not look beautiful, like a lake bereft of its serpent by Garuda, or the firmament deprived of the Moon, or the ocean without its waters.” And they disturbed in mind beheld the city sunk in sorrow.
ते तानि वेश्मानि महाधनानि दुःखेन दुःखोपहता विशन्तः। नैव प्रजग्मुः स्वजनं परं वा निरीक्ष्यमाणाः प्रविनष्टहर्षाः॥
And entering their wealthy mansions, they deprived of their senses by grief, could not recognize them for their own, nor could they with their hearts rendered absolutely cheerless, although looking at them minutely, distinguish their own from others.