Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 48: The Ladies in Ayodhyā Lament
Text 2.48.27
ते विषं पिबतालोड्य क्षीणपुण्याः सुदुर्गताः।
राघवं वानुगच्छध्वमश्रुतिं वापि गच्छत॥
te viṣaṁ pibatāloḍya kṣīṇa-puṇyāḥ sudurgatāḥ
rāghavaṁ vānugacchadhvam aśrutiṁ vāpi gacchata
te = all of you; viṣam = poison; pibata = drink; āloḍya = think about this and; kṣīṇa-puṇyāḥ = are devoid of piety; sudurgatāḥ = and greatly impoverished; rāghavam = Rāghava; vā = either; anugacchadhvam = follow; aśrutim = oblivion; vā api = or else; gacchata = fade into.
Think about this and drink poison. All of you are devoid of piety and greatly impoverished. Either follow Rāghava or else fade into oblivion.1
1 Literally, “Go to that place where no one [even] hears [your names].”
The ladies considered their husbands greatly impoverished because they were without Rāma, their [true] wealth.
They anticipated that their husbands might ask, “What is wrong with Rāma’s exile? After all, it was done on the order of His father and to please Kaikeyī.” And so they spoke the next verse.