स तं वृक्षं समासाद्य संध्यामन्वास्य पश्चिमाम्। रामो रमयतां श्रेष्ठ इति होवाच लक्ष्मणम्॥
Having taken refuge under the tree and performed his evening devotions, that foremost of those capable of charming others. Rāma, addressed Laksmana, saying.
अद्येयं प्रथमा रात्रिर्याता जनपदाद् बहिः। या सुमन्त्रेण रहिता तां नोत्कण्ठितुमर्हसि ॥
To day is the first night (which we must spend) outside the inhabited tracts without the company of Sumantra.. You ought not to suffer your mind to be uneasy on that score.
जागर्तव्यमतन्द्रिभ्यामद्यप्रभृति रात्रिषु। योगक्षेमौ हि सीताया वर्तेते लक्ष्मणावयोः॥
From to night forth, we shall have to guard her vigilantly, for, O Laksmana, the preservation of what she has as well as the securing to her of what she has not, rests with us.
रात्रिं कथंचिदेवेमां सौमित्रे वर्तयामहे। अपवर्तामहे भूमावास्तीर्य स्वयमर्जितैः॥
We will, O son of Sumitrā, anyhow pass the night; let us ourselves procuring (leaves) and spreading them on the ground, anyhow lie down on it.
स तु संविश्य मेदिन्यां महार्हशयनोचितः। इमाः सौमित्रये रामो व्याजहार कथाः शुभाः॥
Saying this, Rāma lying down on the ground although worthy of a costly bed, spoke these excellent words to Sumitrā's son.
ध्रुवमद्य महाराजो दुःखं स्वपिति लक्ष्मण। कृतकामा तु कैकेयी तुष्टा भवितुमर्हति॥
O Lakşmaņa, surely the king sleeps uneasily to day, and Kaikeyi having attained her end ought to be satisfied.
सा हि देवी महाराज कैकेयी राज्यकारणात्। अपि न च्यावयेत् प्राणान् दृष्ट्वा भरतमागतम्॥
Will not that revered lady, for the purpose of having Bharata established in the kingdom, take the king's life, when she shall see Bharata arrived?
अनाथश्च हि वृद्धश्च मया चैव विना कृतः। किं करिष्यति कामात्मा कैकेय्या वशमागतः।।।।।
Forlorn and old and deprived of me. I do not know what he will do, his soul possessed by desire, and having come under the influence of Kaikeyi.
इदं व्यसनमालोक्य राज्ञश्च मतिविभ्रमम्। काम एवार्थधर्माभ्यां गरीयानिति मे मतिः॥
Viewing this calamity that has overtaken us) and the disorder that has taken place in the senses of the monarch, I deem even lust as more potent than either virtue or interest.
को ह्यविद्वानपि पुमान् प्रमदायाः कृते त्यजेत्। छन्दानुवर्तिनं पुत्रं तातो मामिव लक्ष्मण ॥
O Lakşmana, what man is there ignorant though he be, who for the sake of a female forsake as my father has done me, his son following his foot-steps?
सुखी बत सुभार्यश्च भरतः केकयीसुतः। मुदितान् कोसलानेको यो भोक्ष्यत्यधिराजवत्॥
Ah! Kaikeyi's son Bharata with his wife is really happy, he that enjoys the sole sovereignty of the delighted Kosalas.
स हि राज्यस्य सर्वस्य सुखमेकं भविष्यति। ताते तु वयसातीते मयि चारण्यमाश्रिते॥
Now that our father has grown old and I have taken refuge in the forest, he will alone experience the supreme felicity in the kingdom.
अर्थधर्मों परित्यज्य यः काममनुवर्तते। एवमापद्यते क्षिप्रं राजा दशरथो यथा॥
He that renouncing interest and virtue, follows lust, speedily gets himself involved in troubles even like king Dasaratha.
मन्ये दशरथान्ताय मम प्रव्राजनाय च। कैकेयी सौम्य सम्प्राप्ता राज्याय भरतस्य च॥
O amiable one, I think that Kaikeyi has been born for making an end of Dasaratha, sending me into exile, and conferring the kingdom on Bharata.
अपीदानीं तु कैकेयी सौभाग्यमदमोहिता। कौसल्यां च सुमित्रां च सा प्रबाधेत मत्कृते॥
At present for impareing me pain, Kaikeyi intoxicated by the tide of good fortune, will afflict Kausalya and Sumitrā.
मातास्मत्कारणाद् देवी सुमित्रा दुःखमावसेत्। अयोध्यामित एव त्वं काले प्रविश लक्ष्मण॥
Your mother, the reversed Sumitrā, will be smitten with grief on our account. Do you, Laks maņa, tomorrow morning repair to Ayodhyā:
अहमेको गमिष्यामि सीतया सह दण्डकान्। अनाथाया हि नाथस्त्वं कौसल्याया भविष्यसि ॥
I alone will go to Dandaka along with Sītā. You will be the protector of the helpless Kausalya.
क्षुद्रकर्मा हि कैकेयी द्वेषादन्यायमाचरेत्। परिदद्याद्धि धर्मज्ञ गरं ते मम मातरम्॥
Kaikeyi is surely mean-minded, she perpetrates wrongs from malice. O you cognizant of virtue, she may administer poison to my mother.
नूनं जात्यन्तरे तात स्त्रियः पुत्रैर्वियोजिताः। जनन्या मम सौमित्रे तदद्यैतदुपस्थितम्॥
Surely, O child, in a former birth, women were bereft of their sons by my mother, O son of Sumitrā; and it is for this that this misfortune has befallen her.
मया हि चिरपुष्टेन दुःखसंवर्धितेन च। विप्रयुज्यत कौसल्या फलकाले धिगस्तु माम्॥
Having been brought up and reared with great pains by Kausalyä, I have left her at the time when her labours ought to have borne fruit, Fie on me.
मा स्म सीमन्तिनी काचिज्जनयेत् पुत्रमीदृशम्। सौमित्रे योऽहमम्बाया दद्मि शोकमनन्तकम्॥
Let on woman, O son of Sumitrā, gibe birth to a son like me who have imparted such infinite pain to my mother.
मन्ये प्रीतिविशिष्टा सा मत्तोलक्ष्मण सारिका। यत्तस्याः श्रूयते वाक्यं शुक पादमरेर्दश॥
O Laksmana, I consider my mother's female parrot as more sharing her affection, since she is heard to say, 'O Śuka, do you bite the foot of the foe?
शोचन्त्याश्चाल्पभाग्याया न किंचिदुपकुर्वता। पुत्रेण किमपुत्राया मया कार्यमरिंदम॥ अल्पभाग्या हि मे माता कौसल्या रहिता मया। शेते परमदुःखार्ता पतिता शोकसागरे॥
What am I, O repressor of foes, now to do for her, bewailing, of slender fortune, she that has not profited in the least by her son, and who stands in no further need of his good offices ? Surely my unfortunate mother, Kausalyā, bereft of me, lies down on the ground, overwhelmed with woe, and plunged in an ocean of grief..
एको ह्यहमयोध्यां च पृथिवीं चापि लक्ष्मण । तरेयमिषुभिः क्रुद्धो ननु वीर्यमकारणम्॥
O Laksmana, enraged, I alone without doubt, can rid Ayodhyā, the Earth herself, by means of my arrows. But improper is the display of prowess for no reason,
अधर्मभयभीतश्च परलोकस्य चानघ। तेन लक्ष्मण नाद्याहमात्मानमभिषेचये॥
O sinless one, I am afraid of unrighteousness and of the next life; and for this it is that, O Lakşmaņa, I do not install myself in the kingdom.
एतदन्यच्च करुणं विलप्य विजने बहु। अश्रुपूर्णमुखो दीनो निशि तूष्णीमुपाविशत्॥
Having in solitude for a long while piteously bewailed thus and in other ways, Rāma sat silent in the night with tears in his eyes.
विलापोपरतं रामं गतार्चिषमिवानलम्। समुद्रमिव निर्वेगमाश्वासयत लक्ष्मणः।२८।।
Thereupon Lakşmaņa consoled Rāma spent with lamentation, like to fire deprived of its radiance or the ocean of its tide.
ध्रुवमद्य पुरी राम अयोध्याऽऽयुधिनां वर। निष्प्रभा त्वयि निष्क्रान्ते गतचन्द्रव शर्वरी॥
Surely, O Rama, O foremost of warriors, on your having come out, the city of Ayodhyā is shorn of its splendour like the night deprived of the moon.
नैतदौपयिकं राम यदिदं परितप्यसे। विषादयसि सीतां च मां चैव पुरुर्षभ॥
This is not fit that you should grieve; for thereby, O foremost of men, you make both Sītā and myself grieve.
न च सीता त्वया हीना न चाहमपि राघव। मुहूर्तमपि जीवावो जलान्मत्स्याविवोद्धतौ॥
O Rāghava, deprived of you neither Sītā nor I can live for a moment, like fish taken out of water : without you.
नहि तातं न शत्रुघ्नं न सुमित्रां परंतप। द्रष्टुमिच्छेयमद्याहं स्वर्ग चापि त्वया विना॥
O repressor of foes, I wish to see neither my father, nor Satrughna, nor Sumitrā, nor heaven itself.
ततस्तत्र समासीनौ नातिदूरे निरीक्ष्य ताम्। न्यग्रोधे सुकृतां शय्यां भेजाते धर्मवत्सलौ॥
Then viewing from where they sat at ease their well-laid bed under the banian tree, those virtuous ones (Rāma and Sītā) went to it.
स लक्ष्मणस्योत्तमपुष्कलं वचो निशम्य चैवं वनवासमादरात्। समाः समस्ता विदधे परंतपः प्रपद्य धर्म सुचिराय राघवः॥
Hearing Lakşmaņa's excellent and appropriate words with which he gladly assumed a life in the woods, that subduer of foes, Rāghava, in the name of righteousness, at once fully granted him the permission to dwell with him for the entire fourteen years.
ततस्तु तस्मिन् विजने महाबलौ महावने राघववंशबर्धनौ। र्यथैव सिंहौ गिरिसानुगोचरौ॥
Then like to a couple of lions dwelling on a mountain-summit, at that lone spot of the extensive forest, those powerful perpetuators of the Raghu race, began to dwell without fear.