तामवेक्ष्य पुरीं सर्वां राममेवानुचिन्तयन्।
विलपन्प्राविशद्राजा गृहं सूर्य इवाम्बुदम्॥
tām avekṣya purīṁ sarvāṁ rāmam evānucintayan
vilapan prāviśad rājā gṛhaṁ sūrya ivāmbudam
tām = the; avekṣya = looking at; purīm = city; sarvām = entire; rāmam = of Rāma; eva = alone; anucintayan = while continuously thinking; vilapan = while lamenting; prāviśat = entered; rājā = the king; gṛham = his residence; sūryaḥ = the sun; iva = he was like; ambudam = [entering] a cloud.
Looking at the entire city while continuously thinking of Rāma alone, the king entered his residence while lamenting. He was like the sun [entering] a cloud.1
1 This example of Sage Vālmīki reveals that just as the sun only apparently enters a cloud, King Daśaratha only apparently entered his residence. Since his mind was absolutely absorbed in Rāma with the desire to please Rāma, he was with Rāma. This is similar to the Bhāgavatam’s description of Uddhava’s absolute and concentrated absorption in thought of Lord Kṛṣṇa. When Vidura met him and asked him about Kṛṣṇa, Uddhava became so absorbed in thought of Kṛṣṇa that he is described as having gone to the Lord’s abode and that he returned to the abode of humans from the Lord’s abode. See Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.2.6.
How was his residence like? That is described in the next verse.