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Valmiki Ramayana — Ayodhya Kanda · Chapter 48

Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 48

अयोध्याकाण्डः सर्गः 48

30 verses

तेषामेवं विषण्णानां पीडितानामतीव च। बाष्पविप्लुतनेत्राणां सशोकानां मुमूर्षया॥ अभिगम्य निवृत्तानां रामं नगरवासिनाम्। उद्गतानीव सत्त्वानि बभूवुरमनस्विनाम्॥ स्वं स्वं निलयमागम्य पुत्रदारैः समावृताः। अश्रूणि मुमुचुः सर्वे बाष्पेण पिहिताननाः॥

teṣāmevaṃ viṣaṇṇānāṃ pīḍitānāmatīva ca| bāṣpaviplutanetrāṇāṃ saśokānāṃ mumūrṣayā|| abhigamya nivṛttānāṃ rāmaṃ nagaravāsinām| udgatānīva sattvāni babhūvuramanasvinām|| svaṃ svaṃ nilayamāgamya putradāraiḥ samāvṛtāḥ| aśrūṇi mumucuḥ sarve bāṣpeṇa pihitānanāḥ||

Then with depressed spirits, and exceedingly afflicted, with tears flooding their eyes, smitten with mortal grief, the inhabitants of the city went back from Rāma to the city. And with their lives appearing as ready to go out, those unsteady ones came to their respective homes, and surrounded by their wives and sons, washed their faces with copious tears.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

न चाहृष्यन् न चामोदन् वणिजो न प्रसारयन्। न चाशोभन्त पण्यानि नापचन् गृहमेधिनः॥ नष्टं दृष्ट्वा नाभ्यनन्दन विपुलं वा धनागमम्। पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाप्यनन्दत ॥

na cāhṛṣyan na cāmodan vaṇijo na prasārayan| na cāśobhanta paṇyāni nāpacan gṛhamedhinaḥ|| naṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭvā nābhyanandana vipulaṃ vā dhanāgamam| putraṃ prathamajaṃ labdhvā jananī nāpyanandata ||

They forgot to rejoice or make merry, and the traders did not spread (their stores), and stalls did not grace the place, and the householders did not cook, and people did not rejoice on recovering lost property or gaining a profuse accession of wealth, and mothers did not feel any delight on beholding their first-born.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

गृहे गृहे रुदत्यश्च भर्तारं गृहमागतम्। व्यगर्हयन्त दुःखार्ता वाग्भिस्तोत्रैरिव द्विपान्॥

gṛhe gṛhe rudatyaśca bhartāraṃ gṛhamāgatam| vyagarhayanta duḥkhārtā vāgbhistotrairiva dvipān||

And in every home females afflicted with woe, weeping child their husbands coming home, with the following words as (drivers) spur elephants with hooks.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

किं नु तेषां गृहै: कार्यं किं दारैः किं धनेन वा। पुत्रैर्वापि सुखैर्वापि ये न पश्यन्ति राघवम्॥

kiṃ nu teṣāṃ gṛhai: kāryaṃ kiṃ dāraiḥ kiṃ dhanena vā| putrairvāpi sukhairvāpi ye na paśyanti rāghavam||

Of what use are their houses, and wives, and wealth, and sons, and comforts, to those who see not Rāghava (in their midst?)

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

एक: सत्पुरुषो लोके लक्ष्मणः सह सीतया। योऽनुगच्छति काकुत्स्थं रामं परिचरन् वने॥

eka: satpuruṣo loke lakṣmaṇaḥ saha sītayā| yo'nugacchati kākutsthaṃ rāmaṃ paricaran vane||

There is one only good man in this world even Lakşmaņa, who along with Sītā is following Käkutstha Rāma to the woods.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

आपगाः कृतपुण्यास्ताः पद्मिन्यश्च सरांसि च। येषु यास्यति काकुत्स्थो विगाह्य सलिलं शुचि॥

āpagāḥ kṛtapuṇyāstāḥ padminyaśca sarāṃsi ca| yeṣu yāsyati kākutstho vigāhya salilaṃ śuci||

Those streams, assemblage of lotuses, and pools are blessed by which bathing in the sacred waters, Kakutstha will pass.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

शोभयिष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमटव्यो रम्यकाननाः। आपगाश्च महानूपाः सानुमन्तश्च पर्वताः॥

śobhayiṣyanti kākutsthamaṭavyo ramyakānanāḥ| āpagāśca mahānūpāḥ sānumantaśca parvatāḥ||

And romantic forests and woods, watery expanses of mighty volume, and mountains with flat spaces, will grace Kākutstha.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

काननं वापि शैलं वा यं रामोऽनुगमिष्यति । प्रियातिथिमिव प्राप्तं नैनं शक्ष्यन्त्यनर्चितुम्॥

kānanaṃ vāpi śailaṃ vā yaṃ rāmo'nugamiṣyati | priyātithimiva prāptaṃ nainaṃ śakṣyantyanarcitum||

And forests and hills to which will repair Rāma cannot go without paying him homage like to a welcome guest.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

विचित्रकुसुमापीडा बहुमञ्जरिधारिणः। राघवं दर्शयिष्यन्ति नगा भ्रमरशालिनः॥

vicitrakusumāpīḍā bahumañjaridhāriṇaḥ| rāghavaṃ darśayiṣyanti nagā bhramaraśālinaḥ||

And wested with flowers of various hues and putting forth frequent shoots, trees, swarming with bees will show themselves to Rāghava.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

अकाले चापि मुख्यानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च। दर्शयिष्यन्त्यनुक्रोशाद् गिरयो राममागतम्॥ प्रस्त्रविष्यन्ति तोयानि विमलानि महीधराः। विदर्शयन्तो विविधान् भूयश्चित्रांश्च निर्झरान्॥

akāle cāpi mukhyāni puṣpāṇi ca phalāni ca| darśayiṣyantyanukrośād girayo rāmamāgatam|| prastraviṣyanti toyāni vimalāni mahīdharāḥ| vidarśayanto vividhān bhūyaścitrāṃśca nirjharān||

And hills from regard will show to Rāma arrived there the choicest flowers and fruits even out of season and will supply him with fountains of pure water.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

पादपाः पर्वताग्रेषु रमयिष्यन्ति राघवम्। यत्र रामो भयं नात्र नास्ति तत्र पराभवः॥ स हि शूरो महाबाहुः पुत्रो दशरथस्य च। पुरा भवति नोऽदूरादनुगच्छाम राघवम्॥

pādapāḥ parvatāgreṣu ramayiṣyanti rāghavam| yatra rāmo bhayaṃ nātra nāsti tatra parābhavaḥ|| sa hi śūro mahābāhuḥ putro daśarathasya ca| purā bhavati no'dūrādanugacchāma rāghavam||

And presenting him with many a charming fountain, trees will delight Rāma at the tops of mountains.* Where Rama is, there is nor fear or failure. That mighty-armed son of Dasaratha is heroic. Let us while he is yet ahead within a short distance of us, follow Rāghava. *The meaning is, Trees will please Rāghava by spreading for him a bed of leaves and flowers.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

पादच्छाया सुखं भर्तुस्तादृशस्य महात्मनः। स हि नाथो जनस्यास्य स गतिः स परायणम्॥

pādacchāyā sukhaṃ bhartustādṛśasya mahātmanaḥ| sa hi nātho janasyāsya sa gatiḥ sa parāyaṇam||

Even the shadow of the feet of our master, so high-souled, would bring us happiness. He is the lord of all these, he is the refuge, he is the accomplishment of our religious duties.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

वयं परिचरिष्यामः सीता यूयं च राघवम्। इति पौरस्त्रियो भर्तृन् दुःखार्तास्तत्तदब्रुवन् ॥

vayaṃ paricariṣyāmaḥ sītā yūyaṃ ca rāghavam| iti paurastriyo bhartṛn duḥkhārtāstattadabruvan ||

We and you, will serve Sītā, and Rāghava. Thus afflicted with grief, the women of the city spoke to their husbands.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

युष्माकं राघवोऽरण्ये योगक्षेमं विधास्यति। सीता नारीजनस्यास्य योगक्षेमं करिष्यति॥

yuṣmākaṃ rāghavo'raṇye yogakṣemaṃ vidhāsyati| sītā nārījanasyāsya yogakṣemaṃ kariṣyati||

In the forest Rāghava will attain for you the unattainable and protect what is attained; and Sītā being a female will do the same for these (women.)

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

को न्वनेनाप्रतीतेन सोत्कण्ठितजनेन च। सम्प्रीयेतामनोज्ञेन वासेन हृतचेतसा॥

ko nvanenāpratītena sotkaṇṭhitajanena ca| samprīyetāmanojñena vāsena hṛtacetasā||

Who will take pleasure in residing in a dwelling where the heart dies within itself, which is devoid of delight, where the people are always agitated with anxiety and which is exceedingly disagreeable?

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कैकेय्या यदि चेद् राज्यं स्यादधर्म्यमनाथवत्। न हि नो जीवितेनार्थः कुतः पुत्रैः कुतो धनैः॥

kaikeyyā yadi ced rājyaṃ syādadharmyamanāthavat| na hi no jīvitenārthaḥ kutaḥ putraiḥ kuto dhanaiḥ||

If this kingdom devolves on Kaikeyi it will be divested of all virtues and will be like to one without a master. And of what avail then is our life itself, not to speak of sons and wealth.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

यया पुत्रश्च भर्ता च त्यक्तावैश्वर्यकारणात्। कं सा परिहरेदन्यं कैकेयी कुलपांसनी॥

yayā putraśca bhartā ca tyaktāvaiśvaryakāraṇāt| kaṃ sā pariharedanyaṃ kaikeyī kulapāṃsanī||

Whom else will that stainer of her line, Kaikeyī, forsake now, who for the sake of wealth has forsaken her son and her lord?

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

कैकेय्या न वयं राज्ये भृतका हि वसेमहि । जीवन्त्या जातु जीवन्त्यः पुत्रैरपि शपामहे ॥

kaikeyyā na vayaṃ rājye bhṛtakā hi vasemahi | jīvantyā jātu jīvantyaḥ putrairapi śapāmahe ||

We swear by our sons that so long as Kaikeyi is alive, we living will never stay in her kingdom, although we may be maintained by her.

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या पुत्रं पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य प्रवासयति निघृणा। कस्तां प्राप्य सुखं जीवेदधा दुष्टचारिणीम्॥

yā putraṃ pārthivendrasya pravāsayati nighṛṇā| kastāṃ prāpya sukhaṃ jīvedadhā duṣṭacāriṇīm||

What happiness can be ours by living with that wicked and unrighteous one who lost to every sense of shame is bent upon exiling the son of the foremost of kings?

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उपद्रुतमिदं सर्वमनालम्भमनायकम्। कैकेय्यास्तु कृते सर्वं विनाशमुपयास्यति॥

upadrutamidaṃ sarvamanālambhamanāyakam| kaikeyyāstu kṛte sarvaṃ vināśamupayāsyati||

Troubled by disturbances, with all its sacrifices stopped, and having no master over it, the entire (kingdom) will meet with destruction because of Kaikeyi.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

नहि प्रव्रजिते रामे जीविष्यति महीपतिः। मृते दशरथे व्यक्तं विलोपस्तदनन्तरम्॥

nahi pravrajite rāme jīviṣyati mahīpatiḥ| mṛte daśarathe vyaktaṃ vilopastadanantaram||

On Rāma retiring to the forest, the lord of earth will surely not live; and Dasaratha dying, it is evident everything will come to naught.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

ते विषं पिबतालोड्य क्षीणपुण्याः सुदुःखिताः। राघवं वानुगच्छध्वमश्रुतिं वापि गच्छत॥

te viṣaṃ pibatāloḍya kṣīṇapuṇyāḥ suduḥkhitāḥ| rāghavaṃ vānugacchadhvamaśrutiṃ vāpi gacchata||

Do you, your virtue exhausted, and oppressed with grief, pounding poison, take it, or follow Rāghava, or remove to such a place that the very name of Kaikeyī may not reach your ears.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

मिथ्याप्रताजितो रामः सभार्यः सहलक्ष्मणः। भरते संनिबद्धाः स्मः सौनिके पशवो यथा॥

mithyāpratājito rāmaḥ sabhāryaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ| bharate saṃnibaddhāḥ smaḥ saunike paśavo yathā||

Rāma has been deceitfully exiled along with his wife and Lakşmaņa; and we are bound to Bharata like to a (sacrificial) beast before one that is to slaughter it.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

पूर्णचन्द्राननः श्यामो गूढजत्रुररिंदमः। आजानुबाहुः पद्माक्षो रामो लक्ष्मणपूर्वजः॥ पूर्वाभिभाषी मधुरः सत्यवादी महाबलः। सौम्यश्च सर्वलोकस्य चन्द्रवत् प्रियदर्शनः॥

pūrṇacandrānanaḥ śyāmo gūḍhajatrurariṃdamaḥ| ājānubāhuḥ padmākṣo rāmo lakṣmaṇapūrvajaḥ|| pūrvābhibhāṣī madhuraḥ satyavādī mahābalaḥ| saumyaśca sarvalokasya candravat priyadarśanaḥ||

Surely that mighty car warrior, with deepest collar-bones having a countenance resembling the full-moon, sable-hued, repressing his foes, with this arms reaching to his knees and lotuslike eyes, Rāma the elder brother of Laksmana, always speaking first (to a visitor,) suave, truthtelling, endowed with prowess, amiable to all men, and lovely like the moon himself, surely that foremost of men gifted with the strength of a mad elephant, will grace the forests, ranging it around.

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नूनं पुरुषशार्दूलो मत्तमातङ्गविक्रमः। शोभयिष्यत्यरण्यानि विचरन् स महारथः॥ तास्तथा विलपन्त्यस्तु नगरे नागरस्त्रियः। चुक्रुशुर्दुःखसंतप्ता मृत्योरिव भयागमे॥

nūnaṃ puruṣaśārdūlo mattamātaṅgavikramaḥ| śobhayiṣyatyaraṇyāni vicaran sa mahārathaḥ|| tāstathā vilapantyastu nagare nāgarastriyaḥ| cukruśurduḥkhasaṃtaptā mṛtyoriva bhayāgame||

Thus lamenting in the city, the females thereof burning in grief became distressed like people stricken with panic on the occasion of a plague.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

इत्येवं विलपन्तीनां स्त्रीणां वेश्मसु राघवम्। जगामास्तं दिनकरो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत ॥

ityevaṃ vilapantīnāṃ strīṇāṃ veśmasu rāghavam| jagāmāstaṃ dinakaro rajanī cābhyavartata ||

As the women were thus bewailing Rāghava in their homes, the Sun set and night came on.

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नष्टज्वलनसंतापा प्रशान्ताध्यायसत्कथा। तिमिरेणानुलिप्तेव तदा सा नगरी बभौ॥

naṣṭajvalanasaṃtāpā praśāntādhyāyasatkathā| timireṇānulipteva tadā sā nagarī babhau||

The city became enveloped in darkness, and the light of the sacrificial fires) extinguished, and the sounds of study and edifying discourse ceased.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

उपशान्तवणिकपण्या नष्टहर्षा निराश्रया। अयोध्या नगरी चासीन्नष्टतारमिवाम्बरम्॥

upaśāntavaṇikapaṇyā naṣṭaharṣā nirāśrayā| ayodhyā nagarī cāsīnnaṣṭatāramivāmbaram||

The shops of the tradesmen being closed, and festive mirth having disappeared, and people becoming defenceless, the city of Ayodhyā resembled the firmament deprived of the stars.

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तदा स्त्रियो रामनिमित्तमातुरा यथा सुते भ्रातरि वा विवासिते। विलप्य दीना रुरुदुर्विचेतसः सुतैर्हितासापधिकोऽपि सोऽभवत्॥

tadā striyo rāmanimittamāturā yathā sute bhrātari vā vivāsite| vilapya dīnā rurudurvicetasaḥ sutairhitāsāpadhiko'pi so'bhavat||

Distressed for the sake of Rāma as if it was a was son or a brother of theirs that was banished, the women weeping forlorn, lamented with senses lost; and Rāma was to them more than a son.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)

प्रशान्तगीतोत्सवनृत्यवादना विभ्रष्टहर्षा पिहितापणोदया। तदा ह्ययोध्या नगरी बभूव सा महार्णवः संक्षपितोदको यथा॥

praśāntagītotsavanṛtyavādanā vibhraṣṭaharṣā pihitāpaṇodayā| tadā hyayodhyā nagarī babhūva sā mahārṇavaḥ saṃkṣapitodako yathā||

And the voice of song and festal glee and dance and sounds of instruments having died away, and mirth having disappeared, and the shops not displaying their wares, Ayodhyā then resembled the mighty ocean emptied of its waters.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)