Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 59: Sumantra Describes the Agony of all Creatures in the CountryText 2.59.12
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 59: Sumantra Describes the Agony of all Creatures in the Country
Text 2.59.12
जलजानि च पुष्पाणि माल्यानि स्थलजानि च।
नाद्य भान्त्यल्पगन्धीनि फलानि च यथापुरम्॥
jalajāni ca puṣpāṇi mālyāni sthalajāni ca
nādya bhānty alpa-gandhīni phalāni ca yathā-puram
jalajāni ca = growing in water; puṣpāṇi = flowers; mālyāni sthalajāni = on land 4; ca = and; na = do not; adya = now; bhānti = blossom; alpa-gandhīni = and are of less fragrance; phalāni ca = fruits do not grow well; yathā-puram = like before.
Flowers growing in water and on land do not blossom now. Fruits do not grow well like before and are of less fragrance.
1 These fruits are fragrant by nature. So they became less fragrant, not absolutely devoid of fragrance.
The fruits referred to here include mangoes and jackfruits. They grew with less fragrance because it is impossible to give up one’s nature.1