Ayodhya Kanda: Chapter 94

दीर्घकालोषितस्तस्मिन् गिरौ गिरिवरप्रियः। वैदेह्याः प्रियमाकाङ्क्षन् स्वं च चित्तं विलोभयन्॥ अथ दाशरथिश्चित्रं चित्रकूटमदर्शयत्। भार्याममरसंकाशः शचीमिव पुरंदरः॥
Having spent a long time in that mountain, that lover of hills and woods, Dasaratha's son resembling an immortal, anxious to pleasure Vaidehī as well as to please his own mind, showed the variegated Citrakuța to his wife, like Purandara to Sacī.

न राज्यभ्रंशनं भद्रे न सुहद्भिर्विनाभवः। मनो मे बाधते दृष्ट्वा रमणीयमिमं गिरिम्॥
O gentle one, neither deprivation of the kingdom nor separation from friends afflicts my mind on beholding this romantic mountain.

पश्येममचलं भद्रे नानाद्विजगणायुतम्। शिखरैः खमिवोद्विद्धैर्धातुमद्भिर्विभूषितम्॥
My gentle one, look but at the hill abounding with flocks of various birds, adorned with summits cleaving the welkin and teeming with mineral substances,

केचिद् रजतसंकाशाः केचित् क्षतजसंनिभाः। पीतमाञ्जिष्ठवर्णाश्च केचिन्मणिवरप्रभाः॥ पुष्पार्ककेतकाभाश्च केचिज्ज्योतीरसप्रभाः। विराजन्तेऽचलेन्द्रस्य देशा धातुविभूषिताः॥
And some pares of this monarch of mountains are like silver, and some are blood-red, and some yellow like the hue of Mañjiștha, and some lustrous like sapphires, and some shining like blossoms or crystal or Ketakas, and some blazing like stars or mercury, and some digit in mineral substances.

नानामृगगणैर्दीपितरक्ष्वृक्षगणैर्वृतः। अदुष्टैर्भात्ययं शैलो बहुपक्षिसमाकुलः।७।।
And the mountain shines, being filled with divers beasts and multitudes of innocuous tigers, hyenas and bears, and thronged with innumerable birds.

आम्रजम्ब्वसनैलॊधैः प्रियालैः पनसैर्धवैः। अङ्कोलैर्भव्यतिनिशैर्बिल्वतिन्दुकवेणुभिः।।।। काश्मर्यारिष्टवरणैर्मधूकैस्तिलकैरपि। बदर्यामलकैर्नीपैत्रधन्वनबीजकैः॥ पुष्पवद्भिः फलोपेतैश्छायावद्भिर्मनोरमैः। एवमादिभिराकीर्णः श्रियं पुष्पत्ययं गिरिः॥
And overspread with mangos, tose-apples, and Asanas, and Lodhras,* Piyālas, jacks, Ankolas, and Bhavyatinisas, and Bilvas, and Tindukas, and bamboos, Kasmaris, Aristas, and Varanas, and Madhukas, sesames, and jujubes, and Amalakas, Nipas, canes, Dhanvanas, and citrons, all in full flower, and bearing fruits, umbrageous and charming, the mountain attains an accession of loveliness. *Symplocos racemosa.

शैलप्रस्थेषु रम्येषु पश्येमान् कामहर्षणान्। किंनरान् द्वन्द्वशो भद्रे रममाणान् मनस्विनः॥ शाखावसक्तान् खङ्गांश्च प्रवराण्यम्बराणि च। पश्य विद्याधरस्त्रीणां क्रीडोद्देशान् मनोरमान्॥
And, you gentle one, on the picturesque plateou of the hill behold these intelligent couples of Kinnaras engaged in sport at spots yeilding every enjoyment and look at their swords hung up on the boughs. And see the gorgeous apparel of Vidyadharis, as well as the charming regions in which they sport.

जलप्रपातैरुद्भेदैनिष्पन्दैश्च क्वचित् क्वचित्। स्रवद्भिर्भात्ययं शैलः स्रवन्मद इव द्विपः॥
And like an elephant dropping the temporal juice, this hill appears beautiful with cascades, fountains and riles, flowing here and there.

गुहासमीरणो गन्धान् नानापुष्पभवान् बहून्। घ्राणतर्पणमभ्येत्य के नरं न प्रहर्षयेत्॥
Whom does not the breeze laden with the perfumes of many a flower, soothing the sense of smell, fill with delight?

यदीह शरदोऽनेकास्त्वया सार्धमनिन्दिते। लक्ष्मणेन च वत्स्यामि न मां शोकः प्रधर्षति॥
If, O blameless one, I dwell (here) for many years with you as well as Lakşmaņa, grief cannot overcome me.

बहुपुष्पफले रम्ये नानाद्विजगणायुते। विचित्रशिखरे ह्यस्मिन् रतवानस्मि भामिनि ॥
O damsel, I take delight in this picturesque peak abounding in flowers and fruits, and frequented by various birds.

अनेन वनवासेन मम प्राप्तं फलद्वयम्। पितुश्चानृण्यता धर्मे भरतस्य प्रियं तथा॥
By this banishment of mine, I have gained two things, my father has maintained his truth in religion, and Bharata has obtained his dear interest.

वैदेहि रमसे कच्चिच्चित्रकूटे मया सह। पश्यन्ती विविधान् भावान् मनोवाक्वायसंमतान्॥
O daughter of Videha, are you being pleased on viewing along with me on Citrakuța, various objects grateful to mind, speech and body?

इदमेवामृतं प्राहू राज्ञि राजर्षयः परे। वनवासं भवार्थाय प्रेत्य मे प्रपितामहाः॥
O queen, this abode in the forest like to ambrosia has been declared by those royal saints, my ancestors, as working out one's emancipation after death.

शिलाः शैलस्य शोभन्ते विशालाः शतशोऽभितः। बहुला बहुलैर्वर्णैनीलपीतसितारुणैः॥
The giant crags of the mountain grace the place all round by hundreds; many and varioushued, blue and yellow and pale and red.

निशि भान्त्यचलेन्द्रस्य हुताशनशिखा इव। ओषध्यः स्वप्रभालक्ष्म्या भ्राजमानाः सहस्रशः॥
In the night, the annual herbs by thousands growing on this foremost of hills, shine and become visible by their own lustre, like flames of fire.

केचित् क्षयनिभा देशाः केचिदुद्यानसंनिभाः। केचिदेकशिला भान्ति पर्वतस्यास्य भामिनि॥
And, O lady, some parts of the mountain appear like dwellings, and some like gardens, and some, again, consist of single rocks (capable of accommodating numbers of men).

भित्त्वेव वसुधा भाति चित्रकूटः समुत्थितः। चित्रकूटस्य कूटोऽयं दृश्यते सर्वतः शुभः॥
And Citrakuța looks as if it had arisen, riving the earth; and the fair front of Citrakuța can be perceived from every point.

कुष्ठस्थगरपुंनागभूर्जपत्रोत्तरच्छदान्। कामिनां स्वास्तरान् पश्य कुशेशयदलायुतान्॥
behold the beds of pleasure-seekers, consisting of the petals of lotuses, with Sthagaras, Punāgas and Bhūrjapatras for their coverlets.

मृदिताश्चापिविद्धाश्च दृश्यन्ते कमलस्रजः। कामिभिर्वनिते पश्य फलानि विविधानि च॥
And, my wife, behold these lotus-garlands have been crushed and scattered; and the various fruits have been partaken of.

वस्वौकसारां नलिनीमतीत्यैवोत्तरान् कुरून्। पर्वतश्चित्रकूटोऽसौ बहुमूलफलोदकः॥
The mountain Citrakuța abounding in fruits and roots and waters, surpasses Kuvera's capital Śakra's city or the north Kurus.

स्त्वया च सीते सह लक्ष्मणेन । रतिं प्रपत्स्ये कुलधर्मवर्धिनी सतां पथि स्वैर्नियमैः परैः स्थितः॥
My wife, O Sītā, if in consonance with my own excellent rules, I can, remaining in the path of the pious, pleasantly pass this time along with yourself and Lakşmaņa, then I shall attain the happiness resulting from observing the duties of one's race. or