Ayodhya Kanda: Chapter 22

अथ तं व्यथया दीनं सविशेषममर्षितम्। सरोषमिव नागेन्द्रं रोषविस्फारितेक्षणम्॥ आसाद्य रामः सौमित्रिं सुहृदं भ्रातरं प्रियम्। उवाचेदं स धैर्येण धारयन् सत्त्वमात्मवान्॥
Here after holding the equanimity of mind with patience self-possessed Răma spoke thus to the son of Sumitrā, his dear brother, and friend, who was greatly sorry, had lost his patience and was pressed down with this misfortune of Rāma, and had his eyes inflated with anger like to an infuriated elephant.

निगृह्य रोष शोकं च धैर्यमाश्रित्य केवलम्। अवमानं निरस्यैनं गृहीत्वा हर्षमुत्तमम्॥ उपक्लुप्तं यदैतन्मे अभिषेकार्थमुत्तमम्। सर्वं निवर्तय क्षिप्रं कुरु कार्य निरव्ययम्॥
Subduing this anger and sorrow, taking recourse to patience only, brooking the insult and resorting to joy, do you set aside all those things that have been collected here for my installation and make preparations speedily for my repairing to the forest.

सौमित्रे योऽभिषेकार्थे मम सम्भारसम्भ्रमः। अभिषेकनिवृत्त्यर्थे सोऽस्तु सम्भारसम्भ्रमः॥
Oh son of Sumitrā, do you take that amount of trouble for preventing now the collection of materials for installation, as did you take beforehand for collecting them.

यस्या मदभिषेकार्थे मानसं परितप्यते। माता नः सा यथा न स्यात् सविशङ्का तथा कुरु॥
Do you act therefore in such a way as will remove the apprehension from the mind of our mother (Kaikeyi), who is troubled at heart so greatly on hearing of my installation.

तस्याः शङ्कामयं दुःखं मुहूर्तमपि नोत्सहे। मनसि प्रतिसंजातं सौमित्रेऽहमुपेक्षितुम्।७।।
Oh, son of Sumitra, I cannot neglect for a moment the trouble which has arisen in her mind on account of this fear.

न बुद्धिपूर्वं नाबुद्धं स्मरामीह कदाचन। मातृणां वा पितुहिं कृतमल्पं च विप्रियम्॥
I do not remember to have done on any occasion wilfully or unwilfully any thing that is displeasing to my father or mothers.

सत्यः सत्याभिसंधश्च नित्यं सत्यपराक्रमः। परलोकभयाद् भीतो निर्भयोऽस्तु पिता मम॥
My father is of truthful words and vows and he has been greatly terrified by the fear of the next world; may his fear disappear now.

तस्यापि हि भवेदस्मिन् कर्मण्यप्रतिसंहते। सत्यं नेति मनस्तापस्तस्य तापस्तपेच्च माम्॥
If this work of installation be not stopped, my father shall be greatly pained at heart thinking that his vows shall not be fulfilled and his sorrow will also ache me.

अभिषेकविधानं तु तस्मात् संहृत्य लक्ष्मण। अन्वगेवाहमिच्छामि वनं गन्तुमितः पुरः॥
And it is for this reason, Oh Laksmana, that I purpose speedily to retire from this city to the forest, renouncing the preparations for my installation.

मम प्रव्राजनादद्य कृतकृत्या नृपात्मजा। सुतं भरतमव्यग्रमभिषेचयतां ततः॥
On my wandering away to the forest to-day, the daughter of Kekaya shall have her ends attained and shall install Bharata on the throne without any disturbance whatsoever,

मयि चीराजिनधरे जटामण्डलधारिणि। गतेऽपण्यं च कैकेय्या भविष्यति मनः सुखम्॥
Myself going to the forest, wearing. bark, tiger-skin and matted hair, Kaikeyi shall attain the happiness of her mind.

बुद्धिः प्रणीता येनेयं मनश्च सुसमाहितम्। तं नु नार्हामि संक्लेष्टुं प्रव्रजिष्यामि मा चिरम्॥
That great One, who' has inspired Kaikeyi with this mode of mind and has kept it firm, I cannot offend. I shall repair hence without any delay.

कृतान्त एव सौमित्रे द्रष्टव्यो मत्प्रवासने। राज्यस्य च वितीर्णस्य पुनरेव निवर्तते॥
Do you regard, Oh Laksmana, destiny as the only cause of this transfer of the kingdom, although attained, and of my banishment.

कैकेय्याः प्रतिपत्तिर्हि कथं स्यान्मम वेदने। यदि तस्या न भावोऽयं कृतान्तविहितो भवेत्॥
Had not destiny been instrumental; in bringing about this; determination in Kaikeyi, she would not have been so much persevering in the infliction of misery upon me.

जानासि हि यथा सौम्य न मातृषु ममान्तरम्। भूतपूर्वं विशेषो वा तस्या मयि सुतेऽपि वा॥ सोऽभिषेकनिवृत्त्यथैः प्रवासाथैश्च दुर्वचैः। उग्रैर्वाक्यैरहं तस्या नान्यद् दैवात् समर्थये॥
Do you know, Oh gentle Laksmana, that I have never made any distinction in my mind between my mothers, nor did Kaikeyi make any such thing before between me and her son; consequently it is destiny only that has made her press for the prevention of my installation and for my exile with harsh and cruel words, or else why should she, a daughter of a king and possessed of an excellent temper and high accomplishments, speak painful words to me in the presence of her husband like to an ordinary woman.

कथं प्रकृतिसम्पन्ना राजपुत्री तथागुणा। ब्रूयात् सा प्राकृतेव स्त्री मत्पीड्यं भर्तृसंनिधौ ॥
That which is above comprehension is Destiny and it is beyond the power of creatures to avert its consequences; and evidently it is through this Destiny that have sprung up this distemper of Kaikeyi and my loss of kingdom.

यदचिन्त्यं तु तद् दैवं भूतेष्वपि न हन्यते। व्यक्तं मयि च तस्यां च पतितो हि विपर्ययः॥ कश्च दैवेन सौमित्रे योद्धमुत्सहते पुमान्। यस्य नु ग्रहणं किंचित् कर्मणोऽन्यन्न दृश्यते॥
What man dares wiinstand Oh son of Sumitrā, this (terrible) destiny bidden from our view until known by the consequences of action destiny is the prime source of all those inconceivable causes which occur with reference to happiness misery, fear, and anger, profit and loss, birth and deliverance.

सुखदुःखे भयक्रोधौ लाभालाभौ भवाभवौ। यस्य किंचित् तथाभूतं ननु दैवस्य कर्म तत्॥ ऋषयोऽप्युग्रतपसो दैवेनाभिप्रचोदिताः। उत्सृज्य नियमास्तीव्रान् भ्रश्यन्ते काममन्युभिः॥
Seers of great austerity being influenced by this Destiny, succumb to the attack of anger and desire, renouncing all their hard disciplines.

असंकल्पितमेवेह यदकस्मात् प्रवर्तते। निवारब्धमारम्भैननु दैवस्य कर्म तत्॥
The hindrance in this world to the completion of works taken in hand, and the origination of an unthought of event in its stead is nothing but the action of this Destiny.

एतया तत्त्वया बुद्धया संस्तभ्यात्मानमात्मना। व्याहतेऽप्यभिषेके मे परितापो न पिद्यते॥
The mind being brought under discipline by this true rationale, there remains no cause of sorrow regarding my installation being put a stop to.

तस्मादपरितापः संस्त्वमप्यनुविधाय माम्। प्रतिसंहारय क्षिप्रमाभिषेचनिकी क्रियाम्॥
Do you therefore assuage your grief and follow me and intercept speedily the collection of materials for my installation.

एभिरेव घटैः सर्वैरभिषेचनसम्भृतैः। मम लक्ष्मण तापस्ये व्रतस्नानं भविष्यति ॥
The bathing ceremony, necessary before taking the vows of asceticism, shall be performed, Oh Laksmana, with all these jars full of water brought for my installation.

अथवा किं मयैतेन राज्यद्रव्यमयेन तु। उद्धृतं मे स्वयं तोयं व्रतादेशं करिष्यति॥
Or what necessity have I with all these articles of installation; water drawn from the well by myself shall do for entering into the vow of exile.

मा च लक्ष्मण संतापं कार्षीर्लक्ष्या विपर्यये। राज्यं वा वनवासो वा वनवासो महोदयः॥
Do you not grieve, Oh Laksmana, for this loss of kingdom. Of kingdom and exile into the forest, exile is fraught with glorious results.

न लक्ष्मणास्मिन् मम राज्यविघ्ने माता यवीयस्यभिशङ्कितव्या। ज्जानासि दैवं हि तथाप्रभावम्॥
Know you now the mighty power of destiny and do you not blame therefore my younger mother and my father labouring under the influence of Destiny.