In Chakbast’s Urdu poem Ramayan ka ek scene, Ram approaches his mother after taking leave of his father. He tries to contain his grief so that seeing him distressed will not deepen hers. He needs comfort while preparing to offer it.
For readers exploring Ayodhya through literature, this is a rewarding work to open slowly. It brings attention to a conversation within the Ramayana tradition, rather than attempting to retell the whole epic.
A poet with a Faizabad connection
Saraswati Saran Kaif’s Sahitya Akademi monograph on Chakbast records that he was born in Faizabad on 19 January 1882. Published in the Makers of Indian Literature series, the book also discusses this particular poem.
Kaif singles it out for its emotional portrayal and identifies the encounter as Ram’s meeting with his mother, Kaushalya, before leaving for the forest. That critical emphasis is a useful invitation: read for the changing feelings within the scene, not simply for the events you already know.
Listen to both sides of the farewell
In the poem, the mother’s grief gives little value to royal power beside the presence of her son. Ram answers with patience, hope and an acceptance of duty. Her reply insists on the pain that his reasoning cannot remove. Their exchange eventually gives way to an embrace and shared tears.
One way to read that movement is to notice the difference between offering reassurance and being able to receive it. The conversation leaves room for both attachment and obligation. This is a reading of a poetic, devotional narrative, not a record of an independently dated historical encounter.
Try a second reading with one question
Open Rekhta’s text of the poem and read a little at a time. Its page credits Chakbast and separately credits Mehr Afshan Farooqi for the English translation. The observations here do not replace reading it.
On a second pass, choose one question: where does speech help, and where does it reach its limit? Mark a passage that changes your response, then compare it with your first impression. You need not settle on a single moral or agree with every character’s argument to find the reading worthwhile.
If you read with someone else, begin by asking which moment held their attention. Let the different answers stand before debating them. That makes a familiar story an occasion for careful listening.
For another approach to narrative, explore how a Ramayana painting holds several moments in one landscape.
Sources checked on 7 November 2026. This is a short literary reading, not a full review of Chakbast’s work or a historical reconstruction.
AI-generated editorial illustration of an unlettered book beside an imagined doorway. Not a photograph of a manuscript, historical room or sacred scene. Resized and JPEG-compressed for display.
