यावत् तु निर्यतस्तस्य रजोरूपमदृश्यत। नैवेक्ष्वाकुवरस्तावत् संजहारात्मचक्षुषी॥
So long as he could see the dust raised by the car of Rāma setting out for the forest, so long that best of the Ikşvāku race did not turn his eyes from that direction.
यावद् राजा प्रियं पुत्रं पश्यत्यत्यन्तधार्मिकम्। तावद् व्यवर्धतेवास्य धरण्यां पुत्रदर्शने॥
And so long as the king could discover his exceedingly virtuous and favourite son, so long he raised himself (on his toes) on the earth with the view of beholding him.
न पश्यति रजोऽप्यस्य यदा रामस्य भूमिपः। तदार्तश्च निषण्णश्च पपात धरणीतले॥
When the ruler of earth could no longer perceive even the dust raised by Rāma's car, then pierced with sorrow, and in heaviness of heart, he fell down to the ground.
तस्य दक्षिणमन्वागात् कौसल्या बाहुमङ्गना। परं चास्यान्वगात् पार्श्व कैकेयी सा सुमध्यमा॥
Then (raising him up), Kausalyā held his right arm and walked with him, while the slenderwaisted Kaikeyi walked by his left.
तां नयेन च सम्पन्नो धर्मेण विनयेन च। उवाच राजा कैकेयीं समीक्ष्य व्यथितेन्द्रियः॥
Endowed with a sense of justice and with virtue and humility, the king with afflicted senses steadily eyeing Kaikeyī, thus spoke to her.
कैकेयि मामकाङ्गानि मा स्पाक्षी: पापनिश्चये। नहि त्वां द्रष्टुमिच्छामि न भार्या न च बान्धवी॥ ये च त्वामनुजीवन्ति नाहं तेषां न ते मम। केवलार्थपरां हि त्वां त्यक्तधर्मां त्यजाम्यहम्॥
O Kaikeyī, that have decided for following sin, do you not touch my person, nor do I wish to see you. You are no wife of mine, not even a maid-servant of a friend sharing his good graces. I am none to those that subsist on your favour, nor are they anything to me. I renounce you who solely seek your interest and have abandoned virtue.
अगृह्णां यच्च ते पाणिमग्निं पर्यणयं च यत्। अनुजानामि तत् सर्वमस्मिल्लोके परत्र च॥
I renounce all the advantages pertaining either to this world or the next which I am entitled to by virtue of having obtained your hand and having made you circumambulate the sacrificial fire.
भरतश्चेत् प्रतीतः स्याद् राज्यं प्राप्यैतदव्ययम्। यन्मे स दद्यात् पित्र) मा मां तद्दत्तमागमत्॥
If Bharata is satisfied with receiving this entire kingdom, let not what he spends on account of my funeral obsequies find its way to me.
अथ रेणुसमुद्भवस्तं समुत्थाप्य नराधिपम्। न्यवर्तत तदा देवी कौसल्या शोककर्शिता॥
Then raising the lord of men covered with dust, the noble Kausalyā pierced with grief, stopped (along with the monarch.)
हत्वेव ब्राह्मणं कामात् स्पृष्ट्वाग्निमिव पाणिना। अन्वतप्यत धर्मात्मा पुत्रं संचिन्त्य राघवम्॥
The righteous one remembering Rāghava repented himself, as if he had slain a Brāhmaṇa through inordinate desire, or as if he had placed his hand in fire.
निवृत्यैव निवृत्यैव सीदतो रथवर्मसु। नाज्ञो नातिबभौ रूपं ग्रस्तस्यांशुमतो यथा॥
Having stopped again and again, the visage of the monarch lamenting on beholding the track of the car, appeared dim like the Moon invaded by Rāhu,
विललाप स दुःखार्तः प्रियं पुत्रमनुस्मरन्। नगरान्तमनुप्राप्तं बुद्ध्वा पुत्रमथाब्रवीत्॥
And stricken with grief, he lamented, remembering his beloved son, and thinking that by this time he had reached the precincts of the city, he broke out into the following.
वाहनानां च मुख्यानां वहतां तं ममात्मजम्। पदानि पथि दृश्यन्ते स महात्मा न दृश्यते॥
On the way are traced the foot-prints of those foremost of bearers that are carrying my son away; but that magnanimous one I do not find.
यः सुखेनोपधानेषु शेते चन्दनरुषितः। वीज्यमानो महार्हाभिः स्त्रीभिर्मम सुतोत्तमः॥ स नूनं क्वचिदेवाद्य वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रितः। काष्ठं वा यदि वाश्मानमुपधाय शयिष्यते॥
And that meritorious son of mine, who, daubed with sandal, used to rest his head pleasantly upon a pillow, fanned by beauteous damsels decked in ornaments, will to-day surely take refuge underneath a tree, and lay his head on a wooden plank or a stone.
उत्थास्यति च मेदिन्याः कृपणः पांसुगुण्ठितः। विनिःश्वसन् प्रस्रवणात् करेणूनामिवर्षभः॥
Covered with dust, he heaving sighs will rise from the ground in sad guise, like a leader of she-elephants rising from the side of a mountain.
द्रक्ष्यन्ति नूनं पुरुषा दीर्घबाहुं वनेचराः। राममुत्थाय गच्छन्तं लोकनाथमनाथवत्॥
The rangers of the woods will now see the long-armed Rāma resembling the lord himself of the worlds, rising from the ground and going like one forlorn.
सा नूनं जनकस्येष्टा सुता सुखसदोचिता। कण्टकाक्रमणक्लान्ता वनमद्य गमिष्यति॥
That one so dearly loved by Janaka, worthy of being constantly ministered to with comforts, is to-day going to the forest, fatigued in consequence of having been pierced with thorns.
अनभिज्ञा वनानां सा नूनं भयमुपैष्यति। श्वपदानर्दितं श्रुत्वा गम्भीरं रोमहर्षणम्॥
Unacquainted with the forest, she is certainly afflicted with fright on hearing the deep roars of ferocious beasts, capable of making one's hair stand erect.
सकामा भव कैकेयि विधवा राज्यमावस। नहि तं पुरुषव्याघ्रं विना जीवितुमुत्सहे॥
O Kaikeyi, do you realise your desire, do you becoming a widow, rule this kingdom. Without that best of men I cannot live.
इत्येवं विलपन् राजा जनौघेनाभिसंवृतः। अपस्नात इवारिष्टं प्रविवेश गृहोत्तमम्॥
Thus lamenting, the king surrounded by the multitude, like one that had performed his bath after death, entered that best of cities filled with people enfeebled and smitten with grief, with its streets thinned of men and its stalls closed.
शून्यचत्वरवेश्मान्तां संवृतापणवेदिकाम्। क्लान्तदुर्बलदुःखार्ती नात्याकीर्णमहापथाम्॥ तामवेक्ष्य पुरीं सर्वां राममेवानुचिन्तयन्। विलपन् प्राविशद् राजा गृहं सूर्य इवाम्बुदम्॥ महाह्नदमिवाक्षोभ्यं सुपर्णेन हृतोरगम्। रामेण रहितं वेश्म वैदेह्या लक्ष्मणेन च॥
And beholding that entire city, with his mind fixed upon Rāma, the king lamenting, like to the sun entering clouds, entered that city like to an unagitated sea rid of serpents by Suparna,* the city without Rāma or Lakşmaņa or Sītā. *Fair-feathered, a name of Garuda.
अथ गद्भदशब्दस्तु विलपन् वसुधाधिपः। उवाच मृदु मन्दार्थं वचनं दीनमस्वरम्॥
Then with tears in his eyes, the lord of earth, lamenting, in unintelligible accents said these sad and broken words.
कौसल्याया गृहं शीघ्रं राममातुर्नयन्तु माम्। नह्यन्यत्र ममाश्वासो हृदयस्य भविष्यति॥
Do you speedily take me to the room of Rāma's mother, Kausalyā; for in no other place shall I find rest for my heart.
इति ब्रुवन्तं राजानमनयन् द्वारदर्शिनः। कौसल्याया गृहं तत्र न्यवेश्यत विनीतवत्॥
When the king had spoken thus, the ushers taking him to Kausalyā's chamber, made his lie down in lowly plight.
ततस्तत्र प्रविष्टस्य कौसल्याया निवेशनम्। अधिरुह्यापि शयनं बभूव लुलितं मनः॥
Having entered Kausalyā's apartment, the king having laid himself on the bed, was overwhelmed with emotion.
पुत्रद्वयविहीनं च स्नुषया च विवर्जितम्। अपश्यद् भवनं राजा नष्टचन्द्रमिवाम्बरम्॥
The king surveyed the mansion deprived of his two sons as well as his daughter-in-law, like to the welkin deprived of the Moon.
तच्च दृष्ट्वा महाराजो भुजमुद्यम्य वीर्यवान्। उच्चैः स्वरेण प्राक्रोशद्धा राम विजहासि नौ॥ सुखिता बत तं कालं जीविष्यन्ति नरोत्तमाः। परिष्वजन्तो ये रामं द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुनरागतम्॥
Beholding this, the puissant sovereign raising up his arm, burst out into lamentations, saying, “Ah! Rāma, you forsakes us both! Ah me! surely those blessed people are happy, who having passed this gap of time, will behold Rāma returned and will embrace him."
अथ रात्र्यां प्रपन्नायां कालरात्र्यामिवात्मनः। अर्धरात्रे दशरथः कौसल्यामिदमब्रवीत्॥
Then when the night had come like to his own fatal night, Dasaratha at mid-night addressed Kausalyā.
न त्वां पश्यामि कौसल्ये साधु मां पाणिना स्पृश। रामं मेऽनुगता दृष्टिरद्यापि न निवर्तते॥
I do not perceive you, O Kausalyā. Do you touch me with your hand. My sight having followed Rāma does not return yet.
तं राममेवानुविचिन्तयन्तं समीक्ष्य देवी शयने नरेन्द्रम्। उपोपविश्याधिकमार्तरूपा विनिःश्वसन्तं विललाप कृच्छ्रम्॥
Then seeing that foremost of men absorbed in the contemplation of Rāma, that noble dame sat by him, and afflicted with greater grief, began to indulge in sorrow,* sighing heavily. *Another text reads vinisvasantam, joining it to narendram, foremost of men.