वसिष्ठः पुरतः कृत्वा दारान् दशरथस्य च। अभिचक्राम तं देशं रामदर्शनतर्षितः॥
Desirous of seeing Rama, Vasistha, taking before him the wives of Dasaratha, proceeded towards the hermitage.
राजपत्ल्यश्च गच्छन्त्यो मन्दं मन्दाकिनी प्रति। ददृशुस्तत्र तत् तीर्थं रामलक्ष्मणसेवितम्॥
And as the wives of the king were going slowly by the Mandākinī, they discovered the landing-place which was used by Rāma and Laksmana.
कौसल्या बाष्पपूर्णेन मुखेन परिशुष्यता। सुमित्रामब्रवीद् दीनां याश्चान्या राजयोषितः॥ इदं तेषामनाथानां क्लिष्टमक्लिष्टकर्मणाम्। वने प्राक्कलनं तीर्थं ये ते निर्विषयीकृताः॥
Thereupon Kausalyä, with her eyes filled with tears and her countenance rendered pale, observed to the forlorn Sumitra as well as the other wives of the king, sacred like to a first wife, in this forest this is the landing-place of those unfortunate ones of untiring energy, who had been deprived of the kingdom.
इतः सुमित्रे पुत्रस्ते सदा जलमतन्द्रितः। स्वयं हरति सौमित्रिर्मम पुत्रस्य कारणात्॥
From here, O Sumitrā, does your son, Saumitri, ever vigilant, personally procure water for my son.
जघन्यमपि ते पुत्रः कृतवान् न तु गर्हितः। भ्रातुर्यदर्थरहितं सर्वं तद् गर्हितं गुणैः॥
Although your son performs a servile office, yet he is not to blame: (the performance of) that alone which serves no purpose of his brother possessed of many perfections, could bring blame upon him.
अद्यायमपि ते पुत्रः क्लेशानामतथोचितः। नीचानर्थसमाचारं सज्जं कर्म प्रमुञ्चतु॥
To day let your son, who does not deserve such toilsome work, cease to perform that office which is fraught with hardship fit only for the base.
दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु सा ददर्श महीतले। पितुरिङ्गुदिपिण्याकं न्यस्तमायतलोचना ॥
That lady of expansive eyes happened to see on the earth the Ingudī piņņa, which had been placed by Rāma for his sire on the darbha with their tops pointing south-wards.
तं भूमौ पितुरातेन न्यस्तं रामेण वीक्ष्य सा। उवाच देवी कौसल्या सर्वा दशरथस्त्रियः॥
Seeing this, which had been placed on the ground by Rāma disconsolate for his sire, the noble Kausaly, addressed all the wives of Dasaratha.
इदमिक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य राघवस्य महात्मनः। राघवेण पितुर्दत्तं पश्यतैतद् यथाविधि॥
Do you behold this that has been duly offered to the high-souled descendant of Raghu, lord of the Ikşvāku race, by Rāghava.
तस्य देवसमानस्य पार्थिवस्य महात्मनः। नैतदौपयिकं मन्ये भुक्तभोगस्य भोजनम्॥
Do not deem this as fit fare for that magnanimous monarch resembling a celestial, who had enjoyed every luxury (in life).
चतुरन्तां महीं भुक्त्वा महेन्द्रसदृशो भुवि। कथमिङ्गुदिपिण्याकं स भुङ्क्ते वसुधाधिपः॥
Having enjoyed this earth bounded by the four seas, how can that. lord of the world, resembling on earth the mighty Indra, feed on this Ingudī pinda?
अतो दु:खतरं लोके न किञ्चित् प्रतिभाति मे। यत्र रामः पितुर्दद्यादिगुदीक्षोदमृद्धिमान्॥
Nothing appears to me more deplorable in this world than this that the auspicious Rāma has offered an Ingudi cake to his father.
रामेणेङ्गुदिपिण्याकं पितुर्दत्तं समीक्ष्य मे। कथं दुःखेन हृदयं न स्फोटति सहस्रधा॥
Seeing the Ingudi pinda offered by Rāma to his father, why does not my heart break into a thousand shivers?
श्रुतिस्तु खल्वियं सत्या लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मे। यदन्नः पुरुषो भवति तदन्नास्तस्य देवता॥
Now the tradition in vogue among men, appearth to be true, viz., that “the fare that is pareaken by a person, is also partaken by his deity."
एवमाः सपत्न्यस्ता जग्मुराश्वास्य तां तदा। ददृशुश्चाश्रमे रामं स्वर्गच्युतमिवामरम्॥
Then those that were co-wives with her, consoled the distressed Kausalyā; and, (entering the asylum), beheld Rāma like an immortal dropped from the celestial regions.
तं भोगैः सम्परित्यक्तं रामं सम्प्रेक्ष्य मातरः। आर्ता मुमुचुरश्रूणि सस्वरं शोककर्शिताः॥
Seeing Rāma, who had been deprived of every comfort, his mothers, overwhelmed with grief and distress, began to shed tears, lamenting.
तासां रामः समुत्थाय जग्राह चरणाम्बुजान्। मातृणां मनुजव्याघ्रः सर्वासां सत्यसंगरः॥
Raising his mothers, that foremost of men, Rāma, true to his promise, took hold of those lotus feet of theirs.
ताः पाणिभिः सुखस्पर्श द्वङ्गुलितलैः शुभैः। प्रममा रजः पृष्ठाद् रामस्यायतलोचनाः॥
And those ones furnished with expansive eyes, (on their turn) by means of their fair hands of delicious feed furnished with soft fingers and palms, fell to rubbing the dust off Rāma's back.
सौमित्रिरपि ताः सर्वा मातृः सम्प्रेक्ष्य दुःखितः। अभ्यवादयदासक्तं शनै रामादनन्तरम्॥
After Rāma had done, Sumitrā's son also, seeing all his mothers, with sorrow gently paid his reverence to them with affection.
यथा रामे तथा तस्मिन् सर्वा ववृतिरे स्त्रियः। वृत्तिं दशरथाज्जाते लक्ष्मणे शुभलक्षणे॥
Thereat, as they had treated Rāma, all the ladies treated that one sprung from Daśaratha, Laksmana, graced with auspicious marks.
सीतापि चरणांस्तासामुपसंगृह्य दुःखिता। श्वश्रूणामश्रुपूर्णाक्षी सम्बभूवाग्रतः स्थिता॥
Sītă also with her eyes filled with tears, law, stood before them in distressful guise.
तां परिष्वज्य दुःखार्ता माता दुहितरं यथा। वनवासकृतां दीनां कौसल्या वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Embracing that woeful one in banishment, even as a mother does her daughter, Kausalya, smitten with grief, said.
वैदेहराजन्यसुता स्नुषा दशरथस्य च। रामपत्नी कथं दुःखं सम्प्राप्ता विजने वने॥
The daughter of Videha's King, and the daughter-in-law of Dasaratha, and the wife of Rāma himself, why does such a lady undergo misery in the lone forest?
पद्ममातपसंतप्तं परिक्लिष्टमिवोत्पलम्। काञ्चनं रजसा ध्वस्तं क्लिष्टं चन्द्रमिवाम्बुदैः॥ मुखं ते प्रेक्ष्य मां शोको दहत्यग्निरिवाश्रयम्। भृशं मनसि वैदेहि व्यसनारणिसम्भवः॥
O Vaidehi, beholding your face like to a lotus heated under the sun, or a lily that has been crushed, or like to gold covered with dust, or the moon enveloped by clouds, grief begot of this vortex of disaster that is in my mind, fiercely burns me, as fire consume a structure.
ब्रुवन्त्यामेवमार्तायां जनन्यां भरताग्रजः। पादावासाद्य जग्राह वसिष्ठस्य च राघवः॥
As his wretched mother was thus speaking, Bharata's elder brother, Räghava, approaching, took the feet of Vasiştha.
पुरोहतस्याग्निसमस्य तस्य वै बृहस्पतेरिन्द्र इवामराधिपः। प्रगृह्य पादौ सुसमृद्धतेजसः सहैव तेनोपविवेश राघवः॥
Having taken hold of the feet of the priest resembling a flame, and of accumulated energy, like to that lord of the immortals, Indra, taking the feet of Bșhaspati, Rāghava sat down with him.
ततो जघन्यं सहितैः स्वमन्त्रिभिः पुरप्रधानैश्च तथैव सैनिकैः। नुपोपविष्टो भरतस्तदाग्रजम्॥
Then behind them (Rāma and Vasistha), along with his own counsellors, and principal citizens, and generals, and persons of eminent piety, sat the virtuous Bharata in the presence of his elder brother.
स्तपस्विवेषेण समीक्ष्य राघवम्। र्यथा महेन्द्रः प्रयतः प्रजापतिम्॥
Seeing Raghava in the guise of an ascetic, flaming in grace, the exceedingly powerful Bharata with joined palms sat down in company with his brother, like the great Indra of controlled faculties in presence of Prajāpati.
किमेष वाक्यं भरतोऽद्य राघवं प्रणम्य सत्कृत्य च साधु वक्ष्यति। इतीव तस्यार्यजनस्य तत्त्वतो बभूव कौतूहलमुत्तमं तदा॥
"What will Bharata, having bowed to Rāghava and paid him homage, will say to him?", this intense curiosity arose in (the mind of) all the noble persons present there.
स राघवः सत्यधृतिश्च लक्ष्मणो महानुभावो भरतश्च धार्मिकः। वृताः सुहृद्भिश्च विरेचिरेऽध्वरे यथा सदस्यैः सहितात्रयोऽग्नयः॥
And Rāghava having truth and forbearance, and Lakşmaņa endowed with magnanimity, and Bharata possessed of righteousness, surrounded by their friends, appeared (there) like to the three fires surrounded by Sadasyas.