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Válmiki
Yoga-Vāsistha, Book 1: Vairāgya-Prakarana (On Moral Apathy). Chapter 5 - Of Rāma's Self-Dejection and its Cause
Vālmīki said- Afterwards Rāma attained the fifteenth year of his age, and so also Śatrughna and Laksmana who followed Rāma (in birth), attained also the same age.
Bharata continued to dwell with joy at the house of his maternal grandfather, and the king (Daśaratha) ruled the whole earth as usual.
The most wise king Daśaratha (now) consulted his ministers day after day about the marriage of his sons.
But as Rāma remained at home since his return from pilgrimage, he began to decay day by day as the translucent lake in autumn.
His blooming face with its out-stretched eyes, assumed by degrees a paleness like that of the withering petals of the white lotus beset by a swarm of bees.
He sat silent and motionless in the posture of his folded legs (Padmāsana), and remained absorbed in thought with his palm placed under his cheek and neck.
Being emaciated in person, and growing thoughtful, sad and distracted in his mind, he remained speechless as a mute picture in painting.
On being repeatedly requested by the anxious inmates of the family to perform his daily rites, he discharged them with a melancholy countenance, (literally-with his faded lotus-like face).
Seeing the accomplished Rāma-the mine of merits in such a plight, all his brothers like-wise were reduced to the same condition with him.
The king of the earth observing all his three sons thus dejected and lean, gave way to anxiety together with all his queens.
Daśaratha asked Rāma repeatedly and in a gently voice (to tell him) what his anxiety was, and what was the cause of his thoughtfulness; but he returned no answer to it.
Then being taken up in his father's lap, the lotus-eyed Rāma replied, that he had no anxiety whatever, and held his silence.
Afterwards the king Daśaratha asked Vasist ha, the best of speakers and well informed in all matters, as to the cause why Rāma was so sorrowful.
The sage Vasistha thought over the matter (for a while), and then said, "there is a Oh king! a cause of Rama's sadness, but you need not be anxious about it.
"Wise men Oh king! never entertain the fluctuations of anger or grief, or a lengthened delight from frivolous causes, just as the grėat elements of the world do not change their states (of inertness) unless it were for the sake of (some new) production.
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