Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 41: Ayodhyā Suffers After Rāma’s Departure
Text 2.41.20
ये तु रामस्य सुहृदः सर्वे ते मूढचेतसः।
शोकभारेण चाक्रान्ताः शयनं न जहुस्तदा॥
ye tu rāmasya suhṛdaḥ sarve te mūḍha-cetasaḥ
śoka-bhāreṇa cākrāntāḥ śayanaṁ na jahus tadā
ye = who were; tu = but; rāmasya = Rāma’s; suhṛdaḥ = well-wishers; sarve = all; te = those; mūḍha-cetasaḥ = were bewildered in mind; śoka-bhāreṇa ca = by the burden of anguish; ākrāntāḥ = overcome; śayanam = their state of bewilderment; na = not; jahuḥ tadā = they did give up.
But all those who were Rāma’s well-wishers were bewildered in mind. Overcome by the burden of anguish, they did not give up their state of bewilderment.
One might wonder, “Had anyone there been Rāma’s well-wishers, they would have fallen at His feet and prevented Him [from going to the forest].” Anticipating this, the author states that Rāma’s well-wishers were bewildered in mind.
How can those bewildered in mind do acts done by those happy in mind? They were bewildered in mind because they were overcome by the burden of anguish which was as heavy as a mountain. Therefore they did not give up their bewilderment.