Chapter 24
Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya
तम् समीक्ष्य तु अवहितम् पितुर् निर्देश पालने
कौसल्या बाष्प सम्रुद्धा वचो धर्मिष्ठम् अब्रवीत्
tam samīkṣya tu avahitam pitur nirdeśa pālane
kausalyā bāṣpa samruddhā vaco dharmiṣṭham abravīt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Seeing him firm minded in protecting the command of his father, Kausalya in a choked voice spoke these righteous words:
अदृष्ट दुह्खो धर्मात्मा सर्व भूत प्रियम् वदः
मयि जातः दशरथात् कथम् उन्चेन वर्तयेत्
adṛṣṭa duhkho dharmātmā sarva bhūta priyam vadaḥ
mayi jātaḥ daśarathāt katham uncena vartayet
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
�Rama who is born in me and Dasaratha, is a righteous person. He speaks lovingly to all beings. He has not faced grief at any time. How can such a person live in a forest, by gathering grains ?'
यस्य भृत्याः च दासाः च मृष्टानि अन्नानि भुन्जते
कथम् स भोक्ष्यते नाथो वने मूल फलानि अयम्
yasya bhṛtyāḥ ca dāsāḥ ca mṛṣṭāni annāni bhunjate
katham sa bhokṣyate nātho vane mūla phalāni ayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"While the dependants and the servants of Lord Rama eat pleasant foods all the while, how can he eat roots and fruits himself in the forest ?"
क एतत् श्रद्दधेत् श्रुत्वा कस्य वा न भवेद् भयम्
गुणवान् दयितः राज्ञो राघवो यद् विवास्यते
ka etat śraddadhet śrutvā kasya vā na bhaved bhayam
guṇavān dayitaḥ rājño rāghavo yad vivāsyate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Hearing that Rama the beloved and virtuous is being thus sent to exile by the king , who will believe these words? Who will not develop fear ?"
नूनम् तु बलवान् लोके कृतान्तः सर्वमादिशन्
लोके रामाभिरामस्त्वम् वनम् यत्र गमिष्यसि
nūnam tu balavān loke kṛtāntaḥ sarvamādiśan
loke rāmābhirāmastvam vanam yatra gamiṣyasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
�Oh, Rama ! If you , the charming in the world are to go to exile , then it can be certainly said that everything is ordered by a strong destiny'
अयम् तु मामात्मभवस्तवादर्शनमारुतः
विलापदुःखसमिधो रुदिताश्रुहुताहुतिः
ayam tu māmātmabhavastavādarśanamārutaḥ
vilāpaduḥkhasamidho ruditāśruhutāhutiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Son! Soon after your departure to a distant forest, a great and incomparable fire of sorrow will generate in my whole body. The wind which flares it up is your not being seen here. My lamentation and grief are the fire-sticks. My wailing tears will be the offerings as an oblation to fire. The choking and anxiety will be a great smoke .The thought that when you would return, will generate smoke again. Such a fire of grief will make me emaciated completely and will burn like dry wood by fire in winter.'
कथम् हि धेनुः स्वम् वत्सम् गच्चन्तम् न अनुगच्चति
अहम् त्वा अनुगमिष्यामि यत्र पुत्र गमिष्यसि
katham hi dhenuḥ svam vatsam gaccantam na anugaccati
aham tvā anugamiṣyāmi yatra putra gamiṣyasi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Son! A cow follows its calf wherever it goes. So also, I shall come with you wherever you go."'
तथा निगदितम् मात्रा तत् वाक्यम् पुरुष र्षभः
श्रुत्वा रामः अब्रवीद् वाक्यम् मातरम् भृश दुह्खिताम्
tathā nigaditam mātrā tat vākyam puruṣa rṣabhaḥ
śrutvā rāmaḥ abravīd vākyam mātaram bhṛśa duhkhitām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, son! A cow follows its calf wherever it goes. So also, I shall come with you wherever you go."
कैकेय्या वन्चितः राजा मयि च अरण्यम् आश्रिते
भवत्या च परित्यक्तः न नूनम् वर्तयिष्यति
kaikeyyā vancitaḥ rājā mayi ca araṇyam āśrite
bhavatyā ca parityaktaḥ na nūnam vartayiṣyati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Kaikeyi already deceived the king .He will not be alive, when I leave for the forest and you also leave him .It is certain."
भर्तुः किल परित्यागो नृशंसः केवलम् स्त्रियाः
स भवत्या न कर्तव्यो मनसा अपि विगर्हितः
bhartuḥ kila parityāgo nṛśaṃsaḥ kevalam striyāḥ
sa bhavatyā na kartavyo manasā api vigarhitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"To a woman, abandonment of husband is entirely a cruel act. That bad act is not to be perceived even by mind."
यावज् जीवति काकुत्स्थः पिता मे जगती पतिः
शुश्रूषा क्रियताम् तावत् स हि धर्मः सनातनः
yāvaj jīvati kākutsthaḥ pitā me jagatī patiḥ
śuśrūṣā kriyatām tāvat sa hi dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Till Dasaratha, my father and the great king is alive, you should serve him well. It is eternal justice."
एवम् उक्ता तु रामेण कौसल्या शुभ दर्शना
तथा इति उवाच सुप्रीता रामम् अक्लिष्ट कारिणम्
evam uktā tu rāmeṇa kausalyā śubha darśanā
tathā iti uvāca suprītā rāmam akliṣṭa kāriṇam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
After Rama spoke thus, Kausalya with auspicious appearance, was very much pleased and spoke to Rama, who performs indefatigable actions, in consent.
एवम् उक्तः तु वचनम् रामः धर्मभ्र्ताम् वरः
भूयः ताम् अब्रवीद् वाक्यम् मातरम् भृश दुह्खिताम्
evam uktaḥ tu vacanam rāmaḥ dharmabhrtām varaḥ
bhūyaḥ tām abravīd vākyam mātaram bhṛśa duhkhitām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That Rama, the best among upholders of righteousness, after hearing the words of his mother ,spoke again to her who was very much distressed.
मया चैव भवत्या च कर्तव्यम् वचनम् पितुः
राजा भर्ता गुरुः श्रेष्ठः सर्वेषाम् ईश्वरः प्रभुः
mayā caiva bhavatyā ca kartavyam vacanam pituḥ
rājā bhartā guruḥ śreṣṭhaḥ sarveṣām īśvaraḥ prabhuḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"The words of father are to be followed by you and me. For all, he is the king, the nourished, a venerable man, the best among men, the lord and the ruler."
इमानि तु महा अरण्ये विह्र्त्य नव पन्च च
वर्षाणि परम प्रीतः स्थास्यामि वचने तव
imāni tu mahā araṇye vihrtya nava panca ca
varṣāṇi parama prītaḥ sthāsyāmi vacane tava
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"After roaming in the great forest for fourteen years, I shall come back and very gladly stand by your command."
एवम् उक्ता प्रियम् पुत्रम् बाष्प पूर्ण आनना तदा
उवाच परम आर्ता तु कौसल्या पुत्र वत्सला
evam uktā priyam putram bāṣpa pūrṇa ānanā tadā
uvāca parama ārtā tu kausalyā putra vatsalā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
After hearing the words of Rama, Kausalya who was affectionate to her son , was in great sorrow with her face filled with tears and spoke thus to her beloved son Rama .
आसाम् राम सपत्नीनाम् वस्तुम् मध्ये न मे क्षमम्
नय माम् अपि काकुत्स्थ वनम् वन्यम् म्र्गीम् यथा
āsām rāma sapatnīnām vastum madhye na me kṣamam
naya mām api kākutstha vanam vanyam mrgīm yathā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Rama! I can not reside in the middle of these step-wives. If you have made up your mind to go to forest as per your father's wish ,also take me, like taking a female deer of the forest ,to the woods ''
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Rama spoke thus these words bemoaningly to her, who was weeping= "as long as a woman is alive ,her husband is god and master to her".
भवत्या मम चैव अद्य राजा प्रभवति प्रभुः
भरतः च अपि धर्मात्मा सर्व भूत प्रियम् वदः
bhavatyā mama caiva adya rājā prabhavati prabhuḥ
bharataḥ ca api dharmātmā sarva bhūta priyam vadaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"King Dasaratha, supreme commander has authority over you and me also now. when king, the lord of the earth and the wise man is there , we are not indeed master-less.'
भवतीम् अनुवर्तेत स हि धर्म रतः सदा
यथा मयि तु निष्क्रान्ते पुत्र शोकेन पार्थिवः
bhavatīm anuvarteta sa hi dharma rataḥ sadā
yathā mayi tu niṣkrānte putra śokena pārthivaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Bharata also, who is a righteous person and who speaks lovingly to all beings will be obliging to you. He is indeed always devoted to righteousness.'
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"While I take leave, take care of the king attentively so that he will not get fatigued even a little with grief over his son."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Act always soothingly for a well-being of the aged king, seeing that his terrible grief will not destroy him ."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
�Even if a woman is interested in religious vows and fastings in addition to being the best of the excellent ;if she does not obey her husband she will become ill-fated !''
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
�Even if a woman does not offer salutation to celestials and does not worship the gods, she will attain the highest heaven by service to her husband ."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
�She has to do service, truly devoted in love and welfare of her husband. This is seen in the world from the beginning, was heard from ancient texts and mentioned as righteousness.'
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Oh, Mother! You always worship gods by sacrificial fire and by flowers for my sake . Brahmanas also with right voes are to be worshipped .'
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Look forward for the time of my return in such a manner with restraint, being temperate in food and being devoted in the service of your husband."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"After my return, your best desire will be fulfilled if our father the best among protectors of righteousness ,is still alive till then."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Kausalya who was afflicted with grief over her son, was with eyes full of tears after hearing Rama's utterances and spoke thus to Rama.
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Brave son! I am not able to avert your well-made resolution, in the matter of your going to forest. Time is inscrutable .It is certain."
गच्च पुत्र त्वम् एक अग्रः भद्रम् ते अस्तु सदा विभो
gacca putra tvam eka agraḥ bhadram te astu sadā vibho
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, son! You go undisturbed. Let there be auspiciousness always to you .I shall become refreshed, when you return again."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You, the illustrious after accomplishing a purpose, having observed a vow and having attained freedom from debt to your father, after having come again, I shall get great happiness".
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"The path of the destiny, which extinguishes my words and impels you to go to the forest ,is ever not imaginable on this earth"
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, Rama the valiant !Go just now and come again safely, when you will rejoice me with your pleasing and tranquillising words ."
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"How good it will be, if today itself is the day of your returning from the forest, wearing twisted hair and garment made of bark."