तेषामेवं विषण्णानां पीडितानामतीव च। बाष्पविप्लुतनेत्राणां सशोकानां मुमूर्षया॥ अभिगम्य निवृत्तानां रामं नगरवासिनाम्। उद्गतानीव सत्त्वानि बभूवुरमनस्विनाम्॥ स्वं स्वं निलयमागम्य पुत्रदारैः समावृताः। अश्रूणि मुमुचुः सर्वे बाष्पेण पिहिताननाः॥
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.
न चाहृष्यन् न चामोदन् वणिजो न प्रसारयन्। न चाशोभन्त पण्यानि नापचन् गृहमेधिनः॥ नष्टं दृष्ट्वा नाभ्यनन्दन विपुलं वा धनागमम्। पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाप्यनन्दत ॥
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.
गृहे गृहे रुदत्यश्च भर्तारं गृहमागतम्। व्यगर्हयन्त दुःखार्ता वाग्भिस्तोत्रैरिव द्विपान्॥
And in every home females afflicted with woe, weeping child their husbands coming home, with the following words as (drivers) spur elephants with hooks.
किं नु तेषां गृहै: कार्यं किं दारैः किं धनेन वा। पुत्रैर्वापि सुखैर्वापि ये न पश्यन्ति राघवम्॥
Of what use are their houses, and wives, and wealth, and sons, and comforts, to those who see not Rāghava (in their midst?)
एक: सत्पुरुषो लोके लक्ष्मणः सह सीतया। योऽनुगच्छति काकुत्स्थं रामं परिचरन् वने॥
There is one only good man in this world even Lakşmaņa, who along with Sītā is following Käkutstha Rāma to the woods.
आपगाः कृतपुण्यास्ताः पद्मिन्यश्च सरांसि च। येषु यास्यति काकुत्स्थो विगाह्य सलिलं शुचि॥
Those streams, assemblage of lotuses, and pools are blessed by which bathing in the sacred waters, Kakutstha will pass.
शोभयिष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमटव्यो रम्यकाननाः। आपगाश्च महानूपाः सानुमन्तश्च पर्वताः॥
And romantic forests and woods, watery expanses of mighty volume, and mountains with flat spaces, will grace Kākutstha.
काननं वापि शैलं वा यं रामोऽनुगमिष्यति । प्रियातिथिमिव प्राप्तं नैनं शक्ष्यन्त्यनर्चितुम्॥
And forests and hills to which will repair Rāma cannot go without paying him homage like to a welcome guest.
विचित्रकुसुमापीडा बहुमञ्जरिधारिणः। राघवं दर्शयिष्यन्ति नगा भ्रमरशालिनः॥
And wested with flowers of various hues and putting forth frequent shoots, trees, swarming with bees will show themselves to Rāghava.
अकाले चापि मुख्यानि पुष्पाणि च फलानि च। दर्शयिष्यन्त्यनुक्रोशाद् गिरयो राममागतम्॥ प्रस्त्रविष्यन्ति तोयानि विमलानि महीधराः। विदर्शयन्तो विविधान् भूयश्चित्रांश्च निर्झरान्॥
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.
पादपाः पर्वताग्रेषु रमयिष्यन्ति राघवम्। यत्र रामो भयं नात्र नास्ति तत्र पराभवः॥ स हि शूरो महाबाहुः पुत्रो दशरथस्य च। पुरा भवति नोऽदूरादनुगच्छाम राघवम्॥
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.
पादच्छाया सुखं भर्तुस्तादृशस्य महात्मनः। स हि नाथो जनस्यास्य स गतिः स परायणम्॥
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.
वयं परिचरिष्यामः सीता यूयं च राघवम्। इति पौरस्त्रियो भर्तृन् दुःखार्तास्तत्तदब्रुवन् ॥
We and you, will serve Sītā, and Rāghava. Thus afflicted with grief, the women of the city spoke to their husbands.
युष्माकं राघवोऽरण्ये योगक्षेमं विधास्यति। सीता नारीजनस्यास्य योगक्षेमं करिष्यति॥
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.)
को न्वनेनाप्रतीतेन सोत्कण्ठितजनेन च। सम्प्रीयेतामनोज्ञेन वासेन हृतचेतसा॥
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?
कैकेय्या यदि चेद् राज्यं स्यादधर्म्यमनाथवत्। न हि नो जीवितेनार्थः कुतः पुत्रैः कुतो धनैः॥
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.
यया पुत्रश्च भर्ता च त्यक्तावैश्वर्यकारणात्। कं सा परिहरेदन्यं कैकेयी कुलपांसनी॥
Whom else will that stainer of her line, Kaikeyī, forsake now, who for the sake of wealth has forsaken her son and her lord?
कैकेय्या न वयं राज्ये भृतका हि वसेमहि । जीवन्त्या जातु जीवन्त्यः पुत्रैरपि शपामहे ॥
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.
या पुत्रं पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य प्रवासयति निघृणा। कस्तां प्राप्य सुखं जीवेदधा दुष्टचारिणीम्॥
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?
उपद्रुतमिदं सर्वमनालम्भमनायकम्। कैकेय्यास्तु कृते सर्वं विनाशमुपयास्यति॥
Troubled by disturbances, with all its sacrifices stopped, and having no master over it, the entire (kingdom) will meet with destruction because of Kaikeyi.
नहि प्रव्रजिते रामे जीविष्यति महीपतिः। मृते दशरथे व्यक्तं विलोपस्तदनन्तरम्॥
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.
ते विषं पिबतालोड्य क्षीणपुण्याः सुदुःखिताः। राघवं वानुगच्छध्वमश्रुतिं वापि गच्छत॥
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.
मिथ्याप्रताजितो रामः सभार्यः सहलक्ष्मणः। भरते संनिबद्धाः स्मः सौनिके पशवो यथा॥
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.
पूर्णचन्द्राननः श्यामो गूढजत्रुररिंदमः। आजानुबाहुः पद्माक्षो रामो लक्ष्मणपूर्वजः॥ पूर्वाभिभाषी मधुरः सत्यवादी महाबलः। सौम्यश्च सर्वलोकस्य चन्द्रवत् प्रियदर्शनः॥
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.
नूनं पुरुषशार्दूलो मत्तमातङ्गविक्रमः। शोभयिष्यत्यरण्यानि विचरन् स महारथः॥ तास्तथा विलपन्त्यस्तु नगरे नागरस्त्रियः। चुक्रुशुर्दुःखसंतप्ता मृत्योरिव भयागमे॥
Thus lamenting in the city, the females thereof burning in grief became distressed like people stricken with panic on the occasion of a plague.
इत्येवं विलपन्तीनां स्त्रीणां वेश्मसु राघवम्। जगामास्तं दिनकरो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत ॥
As the women were thus bewailing Rāghava in their homes, the Sun set and night came on.
नष्टज्वलनसंतापा प्रशान्ताध्यायसत्कथा। तिमिरेणानुलिप्तेव तदा सा नगरी बभौ॥
The city became enveloped in darkness, and the light of the sacrificial fires) extinguished, and the sounds of study and edifying discourse ceased.
उपशान्तवणिकपण्या नष्टहर्षा निराश्रया। अयोध्या नगरी चासीन्नष्टतारमिवाम्बरम्॥
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.
तदा स्त्रियो रामनिमित्तमातुरा यथा सुते भ्रातरि वा विवासिते। विलप्य दीना रुरुदुर्विचेतसः सुतैर्हितासापधिकोऽपि सोऽभवत्॥
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.
प्रशान्तगीतोत्सवनृत्यवादना विभ्रष्टहर्षा पिहितापणोदया। तदा ह्ययोध्या नगरी बभूव सा महार्णवः संक्षपितोदको यथा॥
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.