These and other tokens of rejoicing please him as little as the adornment of a widow who joins her husband on the funeral pyre. That night no one had slept, for everyone was eagerly longing to see Rama.

At the palace was a throng of servants and ministers, who said to one another at the sight of the risen sun, ‘What can be the reason why the lord of Avadh (Dasharath) has not yet awaked?

The king is always wont to wake in the last watch of the night; his behaviour today seems to us most extraordinary. Go now, Sumantra, and rouse him and obtain the royal command to do our work.’

Then Sumantra entered the gynaeceum, but it wore such a dismal appearance that he feared to advance. It looked like a monster that would spring on him and devour him; its sight was so repelling. It seemed to be the very abode of disaster and despair.

He asked, but no one answered him; he proceeded to the apartment where were the king and Kaikeyi. ‘Long live the king,’ he cried, and bowed his head and took his seat. On seeing the king’s condition, he was horrified.

(He saw that -) the king lay upon the ground distracted with grief and colourless like a lotus stalk torn up by the root. terrified, the minister dared not ask a question; but Kaikeyi, full of evil and void of all good, broke the silence and said:

‘The king has not slept all night: God alone knows why. He has done nothing but repeat “Rama, Rama,” till daybreak, but refuses to disclose the reason.