Chapter 43
Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya
ततः समीक्ष्य शयने सन्नम् शोकेन पार्थिवम्
कौसल्या पुत्र शोक आर्ता तम् उवाच मही पतिम्
tataḥ samīkṣya śayane sannam śokena pārthivam
kausalyā putra śoka ārtā tam uvāca mahī patim
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, Kausalya afflicted with grief of her son and seeing the king lying down depressed with sorrow, spoke to the monarch as follows:
राघवो नर शार्दूल विषम् उप्त्वा द्विजिह्ववत्
विचरिष्यति कैकेयी निर्मुक्ता इव हि पन्नगी
rāghavo nara śārdūla viṣam uptvā dvijihvavat
vicariṣyati kaikeyī nirmuktā iva hi pannagī
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Having planted her poison on Rama the tiger among men, indeed Kaikeyi of crooked ways will surely wander about freely like a female serpent that has cast off its slough"
विवास्य रामम् सुभगा लब्ध कामा समाहिता
त्रासयिष्यति माम् भूयो दुष्ट अहिर् इव वेश्मनि
vivāsya rāmam subhagā labdha kāmā samāhitā
trāsayiṣyati mām bhūyo duṣṭa ahir iva veśmani
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Having fulfilled her desire of expelling Rama to the forest, Kaikeyi the charming woman will frighten by clamping down upon me, like a dangerous serpent in the house."
अथ स्म नगरे रामः चरन् भैक्षम् गृहे वसेत्
काम कारः वरम् दातुम् अपि दासम् मम आत्मजम्
atha sma nagare rāmaḥ caran bhaikṣam gṛhe vaset
kāma kāraḥ varam dātum api dāsam mama ātmajam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Even giving my son to her as a slave would have been better. By that Rama would have at least stayed in the house by doing the work entrusted by her and roaming about in the city, asking alms.
पातयित्वा तु कैकेय्या रामम् स्थानात् यथा इष्टतः
प्रदिष्टः रक्षसाम् भागः पर्वणि इव आहित अग्निना
pātayitvā tu kaikeyyā rāmam sthānāt yathā iṣṭataḥ
pradiṣṭaḥ rakṣasām bhāgaḥ parvaṇi iva āhita agninā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Having willfully thrown Rama out of his position, Kaikeyi has acted in the same way as one who tends the sacred fire throws a part of the sacrifice to ogres on a new or full moon."
गज राज गतिर् वीरः महा बाहुर् धनुर् धरः
वनम् आविशते नूनम् सभार्यः सह लक्ष्मणः
gaja rāja gatir vīraḥ mahā bāhur dhanur dharaḥ
vanam āviśate nūnam sabhāryaḥ saha lakṣmaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Together with his wife, accompanied by Lakshmana and walking like king of elephants having a bow in hand, the mighty armed hero surely will have entered the forest "
वने तु अदृष्ट दुह्खानाम् कैकेय्या अनुमते त्वया
त्यक्तानाम् वन वासाय का न्व् अवस्था भविष्यति
vane tu adṛṣṭa duhkhānām kaikeyyā anumate tvayā
tyaktānām vana vāsāya kā nv avasthā bhaviṣyati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
" In the forest, what fate will befall them who had never seen such a suffering before and who have been sent by you to a forest life as per the wishes of Kaikeyi?"
ते रत्न हीनाः तरुणाः फल काले विवासिताः
कथम् वत्स्यन्ति कृपणाः फल मूलैः कृत अशनाः
te ratna hīnāḥ taruṇāḥ phala kāle vivāsitāḥ
katham vatsyanti kṛpaṇāḥ phala mūlaiḥ kṛta aśanāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Devoid of riches, those youthful beings, in exile at the age when they should be enjoying diversions of every kind, how are they to live in misery, having only roots and fruits for their nourishment?"
अपि इदानीम् स कालः स्यान् मम शोक क्षयः शिवः
सभार्यम् यत् सह भ्रात्रा पश्येयम् इह राघवम्
api idānīm sa kālaḥ syān mama śoka kṣayaḥ śivaḥ
sabhāryam yat saha bhrātrā paśyeyam iha rāghavam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When that auspicious hour will come to me that will bring an end to my sorrows and I shall see Rama with his wife and brother returning here?"
श्रुत्वा एव उपस्थितौ वीरौ कदा अयोध्या भविष्यति
यशस्विनी हृष्ट जना सूच्च्रित ध्वज मालिनी
śrutvā eva upasthitau vīrau kadā ayodhyā bhaviṣyati
yaśasvinī hṛṣṭa janā sūccrita dhvaja mālinī
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When will Ayodhya regain her pristine glory, with people thrilling with rapture and be adorned with rows of towering banners the moment it hears of the two heroic princes (Rama and Lakshmana) being present ? "
कदा प्रेक्ष्य नर व्याघ्राव् अरण्यात् पुनर् आगतौ
नन्दिष्यति पुरी हृष्टा समुद्रैव पर्वणि
kadā prekṣya nara vyāghrāv araṇyāt punar āgatau
nandiṣyati purī hṛṣṭā samudraiva parvaṇi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When will the city rejoice like an ocean swelling jubilantly on a full moon night to perceive the two princes who are tigers among men come back from the forest? "
कदा अयोध्याम् महा बाहुः पुरीम् वीरः प्रवेक्ष्यति
पुरः कृत्य रथे सीताम् वृषभो गो वधूम् इव
kadā ayodhyām mahā bāhuḥ purīm vīraḥ pravekṣyati
puraḥ kṛtya rathe sītām vṛṣabho go vadhūm iva
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When will the mighty armed hero (Rama) enter the city of Ayodhya placing Sita in his front in the chariot as a bull would follow a cow?"
कदा प्राणि सहस्राणि राज मार्गे मम आत्मजौ
लाजैः अवकरिष्यन्ति प्रविशन्ताव् अरिम् दमौ
kadā prāṇi sahasrāṇi rāja mārge mama ātmajau
lājaiḥ avakariṣyanti praviśantāv arim damau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When will thousands of men shower the parched grains of paddy on the royal highway over my two sons (Rama and Lakshmana) the subduer of their enemies, entering the city?"
प्रविशनौ कदा।अपियोध्याम् द्रक्ष्यामि शुभकुण्डता
उदग्रायुधनिस्त्रींशौ सशृङ्गाविव पर्वतौ
praviśanau kadā|apiyodhyām drakṣyāmi śubhakuṇḍatā
udagrāyudhanistrīṃśau saśṛṅgāviva parvatau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When shall I see the two princes adorned with splendid ear-rings and armed with excellent bows and swords, entering Ayodhya like a pair of mountains crowned with peaks?"
कदा सुमनसः कन्या द्विजातीनाम् फलानि च
प्रदिशन्त्यः पुरीम् हृष्टाः करिष्यन्ति प्रदक्षिणम्
kadā sumanasaḥ kanyā dvijātīnām phalāni ca
pradiśantyaḥ purīm hṛṣṭāḥ kariṣyanti pradakṣiṇam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When will those two princes with Sita merrily go round the city clockwise, giving away flowers and fruits to virgins and brahmanas?"
कदा परिणतः बुद्ध्या वयसा च अमर प्रभः
अभ्युपैष्यति धर्मज्ञः त्रिवर्षैव माम् ललन्
kadā pariṇataḥ buddhyā vayasā ca amara prabhaḥ
abhyupaiṣyati dharmajñaḥ trivarṣaiva mām lalan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"When will the pious Rama, grown ripe in intellect and shining like a god in point of age ,return to me, cherishing the world like the proportious and timely rain?"
निह्संशयम् मया मन्ये पुरा वीर कदर्यया
पातु कामेषु वत्सेषु मातृऋणाम् शातिताः स्तनाः
nihsaṃśayam mayā manye purā vīra kadaryayā
pātu kāmeṣu vatseṣu mātṛṛṇām śātitāḥ stanāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Undoubtedly in some past life, through mean-mindedness, Oh, valiant king, I believe that the teats of cows were cut off by me while their calves were longing to suck them."
सा अहम् गौर् इव सिम्हेन विवत्सा वत्सला कृता
कैकेय्या पुरुष व्याघ्र बाल वत्सा इव गौर् बलात्
sā aham gaur iva simhena vivatsā vatsalā kṛtā
kaikeyyā puruṣa vyāghra bāla vatsā iva gaur balāt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, tiger among heroes! Fond of my child like a cow, I, as such was forcibly deprived of my child by Kaikeyi in the same way as a cow having a calf of tender age may be deprived of her calf by a lion."
न हि तावद् गुणैः जुष्टम् सर्व शास्त्र विशारदम्
एक पुत्रा विना पुत्रम् अहम् जीवितुम् उत्सहे
na hi tāvad guṇaiḥ juṣṭam sarva śāstra viśāradam
eka putrā vinā putram aham jīvitum utsahe
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I cannot indeed wish to survive without my only son who is adorned with all virtues and is well-versed in all scriptures."
न हि मे जीविते किंचित् सामर्थम् इह कल्प्यते
अपश्यन्त्याः प्रियम् पुत्रम् महा बाहुम् महा बलम्
na hi me jīvite kiṃcit sāmartham iha kalpyate
apaśyantyāḥ priyam putram mahā bāhum mahā balam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"There is not the least capacity imaginable in me to sustain my life here so long as I fail to perceive my beloved son (Rama) who is mighty armed and Lakshmana of great strength"
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अयोध्य काण्डे त्रिचत्वारिंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye ayodhya kāṇḍe tricatvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This fire born of grief occasioned by separation from my son, is torturing me in the same way as the illustrious sun, possessed of greatest splendor, scorches this earth with its rays in summer." Thus completes 43rd chapter in the Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic. Verse Locator for Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya : Chapter 43 Top of Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 © August 2002, K. M. K. Murthy