Chapter 29

Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

VERSE 1

एतत् तु वचनम् श्रुत्वा सीता रामस्य दुह्खिता
प्रसक्त अश्रु मुखी मन्दम् इदम् वचनम् अब्रवीत्

etat tu vacanam śrutvā sītā rāmasya duhkhitā
prasakta aśru mukhī mandam idam vacanam abravīt

SYNONYMS

sīta: Seetha | śrutvātu: heard | etat: these | vacanam: words | rāmasya: of Rama | duḥkhitā: distressed | prasaktāśrumukhī: having the face wet with tears | abravīt: spoke | idam vacanam: these words | mandam: slowly. |

TRANSLATION

Seetha was distressed to hear these words of Rama and spoke these words slowly, with her face with tears.

VERSE 2

ये त्वया कीर्तिता दोषा वने वस्तव्यताम् प्रति
गुणान् इति एव तान् विद्धि तव स्नेह पुरः कृतान्

ye tvayā kīrtitā doṣā vane vastavyatām prati
guṇān iti eva tān viddhi tava sneha puraḥ kṛtān

SYNONYMS

viddhi: know | ye: which | doṣāḥ: disadvantages | kīrtitāḥ: mentioned | tvayā: by you | vastavyatām prati: about dwelling | vane: in the forest | tān: those | guṇānityeva: to be advantages | tava sneha puraskṛtān: if your affection is placed before them. |

TRANSLATION

"know all those disadvantages you mentioned about dwelling in the forest become advantages to me, if your affection is placed before them."

VERSE 3

मृगाः सिम्हा गजाश्चैव शार्दूलाः शरभास्तथा
पक्षिणः सृमराश्चैव ये चान्ये वनचारिणः

mṛgāḥ simhā gajāścaiva śārdūlāḥ śarabhāstathā
pakṣiṇaḥ sṛmarāścaiva ye cānye vanacāriṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

4| rāghava: Oh | ṟama! mṛgāḥ: Antelopes | simhāḥ: lions | gaṇāścaiva: elephants | śārdūlāḥ: tigers | tathā: and | śarabhāḥ: sarabhas(a legendary animal with eight legs and said to be more powerful than the lion) | pakṣiṇaḥ: birds | sṛimarāścaiva: yaks | te sarve: all those | anye: others | ye: which | vanacāriṇaḥ: roam in the forest | apasarpcyuḥ: run away | dṛṣṭvaiva: after seeing | rūpam: your form | tava adṛṣṭapūrva rūpatvāt: since they have never seen your figure | bhaye: when there is cause for fear | sarve: all | bibhyati hi: would have indeed fear. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Rama! Antelopes, lions, elephants, tigers, sarabhas(legendary animal with eight legs), birds, yaks and all others which roam in the forest, run away after seeing your form, since they have never seen your figure before. When there is cause for fear, who would not have fear?"

VERSE 5

त्वया च सह गन्तव्यम् मया गुरु जन आज्ञया
त्वद् वियोगेन मे राम त्यक्तव्यम् इह जीवितम्

tvayā ca saha gantavyam mayā guru jana ājñayā
tvad viyogena me rāma tyaktavyam iha jīvitam

SYNONYMS

rāma: Oh | ṟama! gurujanāñjayā: as per the command of the elders | mayā ca: I also | gantavyam: should go | tvayāsaha: along with you | tvadviyogena: by separation from you | jīvitam: life | me: to me | tyaktavyam: is to be abandoned | iha: here. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Rama! As per the command of the elders, I also should go along with you. My life is to be abandoned here, if I were separated from you."

VERSE 6

न च माम् त्वत् समीपस्थम् अपि शक्नोति राघव
सुराणाम् ईश्वरः शक्रः प्रधर्षयितुम् ओजसा

na ca mām tvat samīpastham api śaknoti rāghava
surāṇām īśvaraḥ śakraḥ pradharṣayitum ojasā

SYNONYMS

rāghava: Oh | ṟama! śakraḥ api: even Devendra | īśvaraḥ: who is the lord | surāṇām: of celestials | na śaknoti: cannot | ojasā: by his strength | pradarṣiyitum: over power | mām: me | tvatsamīpasthām: who is in your vicinity. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Rama! Even Devendra the Lord of celestials, by his strength, cannot over power me, who is in your vicinity."

VERSE 7

पति हीना तु या नारी न सा शक्ष्यति जीवितुम्
कामम् एवम् विधम् राम त्वया मम विदर्शितम्

pati hīnā tu yā nārī na sā śakṣyati jīvitum
kāmam evam vidham rāma tvayā mama vidarśitam

SYNONYMS

yā nārī: which woman | patihīnā: is without husband | : she | na śakṣyati: should not be able | jīvitum: to live | rāma: Oh | ṟama! kāmam: verily | evam vidham: such a thing | vidarśitam: was taught | mama: to me | tvayā: by you. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Rama! Verily such a thing was taught to me by you, that a woman disunited from her husband should not be able to survive."

VERSE 8

अथ च अपि महा प्राज्ञ ब्राह्मणानाम् मया श्रुतम्
पुरा पितृ गृहे सत्यम् वस्तव्यम् किल मे वने

atha ca api mahā prājña brāhmaṇānām mayā śrutam
purā pitṛ gṛhe satyam vastavyam kila me vane

SYNONYMS

mahā prāñja: Oh | the very vide man! atha cāpi: besides | purā: formerly | pitṛgṛhe: in my father's house | brāhmaṇānām: brahmana's word | śrutam: was heard | mayā: by me | vastavyam kila: to be stayed | satyam: really | vane: in forest | me: to me. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Rama, the very wise! Besides, formerly in my father's house it was heard by me from the month of brahmanas that I was destined to stay really in a forest."

VERSE 9

लक्षणिभ्यो द्विजातिभ्यः श्रुत्वा अहम् वचनम् गृहे
वन वास कृत उत्साहा नित्यम् एव महा बल

lakṣaṇibhyo dvijātibhyaḥ śrutvā aham vacanam gṛhe
vana vāsa kṛta utsāhā nityam eva mahā bala

SYNONYMS

mahābala: Oh | man of great strength! aham: I | śrutvā: after hearning | purā: formerly vachanam = the word | dvijātibhyaḥ: from brahmanas | lakṣaṇibhyaḥ: who can interpret marks on the boday | nityameva: always | vanavāsakṛtotsāhā: I was enthusiastic to live in a forest. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Rama the man of great strength! Ever since I heard this word from brahmanas who can interpret marks on the body, I was always eager to stay in a forest."

VERSE 10

आदेशो वन वासस्य प्राप्तव्यः स मया किल
सा त्वया सह तत्र अहम् यास्यामि प्रिय न अन्यथा

ādeśo vana vāsasya prāptavyaḥ sa mayā kila
sā tvayā saha tatra aham yāsyāmi priya na anyathā

SYNONYMS

priya: Oh | ṟama the beloved! saḥ ādeśaḥ: that prediction | vanavāsasya: of dwelling in the forst praaptavyaH kila = is to be realised by me | aham: I saa = as such | yāsyāmi: can go | tatra: to forest | tvayā saha: along with you | na: not | anyathā: otherwise. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Rama the beloved! That prediction of dwelling in the forst is to be realised by me. I must accordingly accompany you to the forest, it cannot be otherwise."

VERSE 11

कृत आदेशा भविष्यामि गमिष्यामि सह त्वया
कालः च अयम् समुत्पन्नः सत्य वाग् भवतु द्विजः

kṛta ādeśā bhaviṣyāmi gamiṣyāmi saha tvayā
kālaḥ ca ayam samutpannaḥ satya vāg bhavatu dvijaḥ

SYNONYMS

bhaviṣyāmi: I shall become | kṛtādeśā: the one who has fulfilled brahmana's word | gamiṣyāmi: I shall come | tvayā saha: along with you | ayam: this | kālaśca: time also | samntpannaḥ: has come | bhavatn dvijaḥ: let brahmana become | bhavatu dvijaḥ: let brahmana become | satyavāk: true to his word. |

TRANSLATION

"I shall be the one who has fulfilled the brahmana's word. I shall accompany you to the forest. The time has come for brahmana's words to come true."

VERSE 12

वन वासे हि जानामि दुह्खानि बहुधा किल
प्राप्यन्ते नियतम् वीर पुरुषैः अकृत आत्मभिः

vana vāse hi jānāmi duhkhāni bahudhā kila
prāpyante niyatam vīra puruṣaiḥ akṛta ātmabhiḥ

SYNONYMS

vīra: Oh | valiant prince! abhijānāmi: I know | vanavāse: that in the forest | duḥkhāni: sufferings | bahudhākila: are many indeed | niyatam: certainly | prāpyante: be obtained | puruṣaiḥ: by men | akṛtātmabhiḥ: having unformed minds. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh valiant prince! I know that in the forest, sufferings indeed are many and are invariably obtained by men having unformed minds."

VERSE 13

कन्यया च पितुर् गेहे वन वासः श्रुतः मया
भिक्षिण्याः साधु वृत्ताया मम मातुर् इह अग्रतः

kanyayā ca pitur gehe vana vāsaḥ śrutaḥ mayā
bhikṣiṇyāḥ sādhu vṛttāyā mama mātur iha agrataḥ

SYNONYMS

mayā: by me | kanyayā: who was unmarried girl | pituḥ gehe: in my father's horse | vanavāsaḥ: dwelling in a forest | iha: now | śrutaḥ: was heard | bhikṣiṇyāḥ: from a female medicant | sādhuvṛttāyāḥ: who was having good manners | agvataḥ: in the presence | mama mātuḥ: of my mother |

TRANSLATION

"While I was an unmarried girl, the prediction about my dwelling the forest was heard by me in my father's house from a female mendicant having good manners, in the presence of my mother."

VERSE 14

प्रसादितः च वै पूर्वम् त्वम् वै बहु विधम् प्रभो
गमनम् वन वासस्य कान्क्षितम् हि सह त्वया

prasāditaḥ ca vai pūrvam tvam vai bahu vidham prabho
gamanam vana vāsasya kānkṣitam hi saha tvayā

SYNONYMS

prabho: Oh | ḻord! pūrvam: In the past | tvam: you | prasādiaśca vai: have been pleased really | bahutitham: for many a time vanavaasasya gamanam = for the tour of a forest | kāṇkṣitam hi: as desire by me indeed | tvayā saha: with you. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Lord! In the past, you have been really pleased for many a time to take me along with you indeed for the tour of a forest, as longed by me."

VERSE 15

कृत क्षणा अहम् भद्रम् ते गमनम् प्रति राघव
वन वासस्य शूरस्य चर्या हि मम रोचते

kṛta kṣaṇā aham bhadram te gamanam prati rāghava
vana vāsasya śūrasya caryā hi mama rocate

SYNONYMS

rāghava: Oh | ṟama! bhadvam: many all be well | te: with you! aham = I kR^itakshhaNaa = am waiting | gamanam prati: for a journey | vanavāsasya: of the forest | caryā: a work-out | śūrasya: of adventurist | rocate hi: is really delightful mama = to me. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, Rama! May all be well with you! I am waiting for a journey to the forest. A work-out of adventurist is really delightful to me."

VERSE 16

शुद्ध आत्मन् प्रेम भावाद्द् हि भविष्यामि विकल्मषा
भर्तारम् अनुगच्चन्ती भर्ता हि मम दैवतम्

śuddha ātman prema bhāvādd hi bhaviṣyāmi vikalmaṣā
bhartāram anugaccantī bhartā hi mama daivatam

SYNONYMS

śuddhātman: Oh | the pure-minded! prema bhāvāt hi: by loving devotion | anugacchantī: following | bhartāram: you | bhaviṣyāmi: I shall become | vikalmaṣā: sinless | mama: to me | bhartā: husband | daivatam hi: is supreme deity. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, the pure-minded! Following my husband with loving devotion, I shall become sin-less; for husband is the supreme deity to me."

VERSE 17

प्रेत्य भावे अपि कल्याणः सम्गमः मे सह त्वया
श्रुतिर् हि श्रूयते पुण्या ब्राह्मणानाम् यशस्विनाम्

pretya bhāve api kalyāṇaḥ samgamaḥ me saha tvayā
śrutir hi śrūyate puṇyā brāhmaṇānām yaśasvinām

SYNONYMS

18| pretya bhāve'pi: even after death | kalyāṇaḥ: auspicions | saṇgamaḥ: union | me: to me | tvayā saha: with you | puṇyā: meritoins | śrutiḥ: words of Veda | brahmaṇām: by brahmanas | śrūyate hi: being heard indeed | mahāmate: Oh | the great minded! yā strī: which woman | iha loke: in this world | dattā: was given away | yasya: to who | adbhiḥ: with water | pitṛbhiḥ: by her parents | svadharmeṇa: according to the moral code | tasya: to him | : she(belongs) pretya bhaave.api = even after death. |

TRANSLATION

"Even after my death, I shall stay united with you. On this subject, the meritorious words of brahmanas is being heard thus:- In this world, which woman was given away to whom by parents with water according to the moral code binding on them, that woman belongs to him alone even after death.

VERSE 19

एवम् अस्मात् स्वकाम् नारीम् सुवृत्ताम् हि पति व्रताम्
न अभिरोचयसे नेतुम् त्वम् माम् केन इह हेतुना

evam asmāt svakām nārīm suvṛttām hi pati vratām
na abhirocayase netum tvam mām kena iha hetunā

SYNONYMS

kena hetunā: by what reason | iha: now | tvam: you | nābhirocayase: are not willing | evam: thus | netum: to take | asmāt: from this place | mām: me | suvṛttām: having good conduct | pativratām: devoted to her husband | svakām nārīm: the woman belonging to you. |

TRANSLATION

"By what reason now are you thus not willing to take me, the woman having good conduct, devoted to her husband and belonging to you, from this place?"

VERSE 20

भक्ताम् पति व्रताम् दीनाम् माम् समाम् सुख दुह्खयोह्
नेतुम् अर्हसि काकुत्स्थ समान सुख दुह्खिनीम्

bhaktām pati vratām dīnām mām samām sukha duhkhayoh
netum arhasi kākutstha samāna sukha duhkhinīm

SYNONYMS

kākutthsa: Oh | the seion of k͟hakustha! arhasi: you ought to | netum: take | mām: me | bhaktām: who is a devotee | pativratām: devoted to husband | dīnām: who is distressed | samām: who is equal | sukhaduḥkhayoḥ: in pleasure and pain | samāna sukhaduḥkhanīm: sharing in your joys and sorrows. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh Rama, the seion of Kakutsa! You ought to take me, who is a devotee, so devoted to husband, who is distressed who feels alike in pleasure and pain and shares your joys and sorrows."

VERSE 21

यदि माम् दुह्खिताम् एवम् वनम् नेतुम् न च इच्चसि
विषम् अग्निम् जलम् वा अहम् आस्थास्ये मृत्यु कारणात्

yadi mām duhkhitām evam vanam netum na ca iccasi
viṣam agnim jalam vā aham āsthāsye mṛtyu kāraṇāt

SYNONYMS

āsthāsye: I shall take resort to | viṣam: poison or | agnim: fire or | jalamvā: water | mṛtyukāraṇāt: for dying | nacaicchasiyadi: if you are not willing | netum: to take | mām: me | duḥkhitām: afflicted as I am | evam: as above. |

TRANSLATION

"I shall take resort to poison or fire or water for dying, if you are not willing to take me, afflicted as I am, as above."

VERSE 22

एवम् बहु विधम् तम् सा याचते गमनम् प्रति
न अनुमेने महा बाहुस् ताम् नेतुम् विजनम् वनम्

evam bahu vidham tam sā yācate gamanam prati
na anumene mahā bāhus tām netum vijanam vanam

SYNONYMS

: she | evam: thus yaachate = requested | tam: him | bahuvidham: in many ways | gamanam prati: about setting out(to the forst) mahaabaahuH = Rama | nāmnumane: did not agree | netum: to take | tām: her | vanam: to forest | vijanam: which is a solitary place. |

TRANSLATION

Eventhough she requested him in many ways about setting out to the forest, he did not agree to take her to the forest, which is a solitary place.

VERSE 23

एवम् उक्ता तु सा चिन्ताम् मैथिली समुपागता
स्नापयन्ती इव गाम् उष्णैः अश्रुभिर् नयन च्युतैः

evam uktā tu sā cintām maithilī samupāgatā
snāpayantī iva gām uṣṇaiḥ aśrubhir nayana cyutaiḥ

SYNONYMS

sā maithili: that Seetha | uktā: who was spoken | evam: thus | samupāgatā: got | cintām: anguish | gām: with earth | snāpayantīva: as though wet | uṣṇaiḥaśrubhiḥ: by burning tears | nayanacyntaiḥ: trickling down from her eyes. |

TRANSLATION

After hearing Rama's words, seetha was sorrowful, moistening with earth as it were with burning tears, trickling down her eyes.

VERSE 24

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अयोध्य काण्डे एकोन त्रिंशः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye ayodhya kāṇḍe ekona triṃśaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

saḥ kakutthsaḥ: that Rama | ātmavān: the prudent man | tadā: then | asāntvayat: pacified | bahu: in many ways | nivartiyutum: to avert | tām sītām: that Seetha | tāmroṣṭhīm: with red lips | cintayantīm: who was sorrowful | tathā: as above. |

TRANSLATION

Rama the prudent man then pacified in many ways, to avert that Seetha with red lips, who was sorrowful as above.