Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 48: The Ladies in Ayodhyā Lament
Text 2.48.20
को न्वनेनाप्रतीतेन सोत्कण्ठितजनेन च।
सम्प्रीयेतामनोज्ञेन वासेन हृतचेतसा॥
ko nv anenāpratītena sotkaṇṭhita-janena ca
samprīyetāmanojñena vāsena hṛta-cetasā
kaḥ nu = who; anena = in this; apratītena = it is not praiseworthy; sa-utkaṇṭhita-janena ca = it is filled with people who remember the distresses [of Sītā-Rāma] and who hanker [to serve them]; samprīyeta = will be happy; amanojñena = it disturbs [our minds]; vāsena = city; hṛta-cetasā = and makes us senseless.
Who will be happy in this city? It is not praiseworthy. It is filled with people who remember the distresses [of Sītā-Rāma] and who hanker [to serve them]. It disturbs [our minds] and makes us senseless.
The city was [no longer] praiseworthy, that is, fit to be resided by saintly persons. The question “Who will be happy in this city?” implies that nobody would be happy in Ayodhyā [without Rāma]. The ladies thus say that Ayodhyā should be given up.