Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 116 of 119 · 26 verses
The Ascetics Leave Chitrakuta
After Bharata has gone back, Rama, living in the forest of austerities, notices anxiety and unease among the ascetics. The ascetics in the hermitage in front of Chitrakuta, who had depended on Rama, he sees uneasy. Pointing at Rama with their eyes and brows, suspicious, whispering to one another, they talk quietly together. Seeing their unease, Rama, doubting himself, joins his palms and says to the seer who heads the community: “Lord, is nothing amiss in my conduct, that the ascetics are troubled? Has my younger brother Lakshmana, through carelessness, done something the seers have seen, unworthy of himself? Has Sita, who serves you and is devoted to serving me, failed to behave properly, out of carelessness?” The seer, old with age and with austerity, says to Rama, who cares for all beings, as if trembling: “How could Vaidehi, of good nature and devoted to good, waver, dear one, especially toward ascetics? It is because of you that this is happening to the ascetics; they are alarmed by the rakshasas, and so they talk among themselves. There is a rakshasa here named Khara, Ravana’s younger brother, who has driven out all the ascetics living in Janasthana. Bold, flushed with victory, cruel, a man-eater, arrogant and wicked, he cannot bear you, dear one. Ever since you have lived in this hermitage, the rakshasas have been harassing the ascetics. They show themselves in many hideous, cruel, terrifying, deformed and grotesque forms. They foul the ascetics with unclean, impure things, and strike others suddenly, the ignoble ones, standing before them. Lurking unnoticed in the hermitages, the small-minded ones delight in destroying the ascetics. They throw away the ladles and vessels, pour water on the fires, and smash the pots when the oblation is ready. Wishing to leave hermitages defiled by those wicked ones, the seers are urging me to go to another country. Before those wicked ones show bodily violence to the ascetics, Rama, we will leave this hermitage. Not far from here is a wonderful forest, rich in roots and fruit; I will go back with my company to the old hermitage. Khara will behave wrongly toward you too, dear one. Come with us from here, if your mind is so inclined. For one with his wife there is always danger, Raghava; though you are able, living here is painful for you now.” Prince Rama cannot hold back the eager ascetic with his answers. Having praised Raghava, taken leave and reassured him, the head of the community leaves the hermitage and goes with his people. Rama follows the hosts of seers some way from that place, salutes the head of the community, and, having been taught well by them in their love and given leave, returns to his own holy dwelling to live. The lord Raghava does not leave the hermitage, empty of seers, even for a moment; for ascetics who uphold the virtues of the seers’ way of life always come to Raghava.
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प्रतिप्रयाते भरते वसन् रामस्तपोवने । लक्षयामास सोद्वेगमथौत्सुक्यं तपस्विनाम् ॥ १ ॥
When Bharata had gone back, Rama, living in the forest of austerities, noticed agitation and then unease among the ascetics.
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The Ascetics Leave Chitrakuta 1 min read.
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ये तत्र चित्रकूटस्य पुरस्तात्तापसाश्रमे । राममाश्रित्य निरतास्तानलक्षयदुत्सुकान् ॥ २ ॥
Those ascetics in the hermitage in front of Chitrakuta, who had depended on Rama and were devoted to him: he saw them uneasy.
नयनैर्भुकुटीभिश्च रामं निर्दिश्य शङ्किताः । अन्योन्यमुपजल्पन्तः शनैश्चक्रुर्मिथः कथाः ॥ ३ ॥
Pointing at Rama with their eyes and eyebrows, suspicious, whispering to one another, they slowly talked together.
तेषामौत्सुक्यमालक्ष्य रामस्त्वात्मनि शङ्कितः । कृताञ्जलिरुवाचेदमृषिं कुलपतिं ततः ॥ ४ ॥
Noticing their unease, Rama, suspicious of himself, joined his palms and then said this to the seer who was head of the community:
न कच्चिद्भगवन् किञ्चित्पूर्ववृत्तमिदं मयि । दृश्यते विकृतं येन विक्रियन्ते तपस्विनः ॥ ५ ॥
“Lord, is there nothing in my former conduct seen to be amiss, because of which the ascetics are disturbed?
प्रमादाच्चरितं कच्चित्किञ्चिन्नावरजस्य मे । लक्ष्मणस्यर्षिभिर्दृष्टं नानुरूपमिवात्मनः ॥ ६ ॥
“Has something been done carelessly by my younger brother Lakshmana, seen by the seers, unworthy as it were of himself?
कच्चिच्छुश्रूषमाणा वः शुश्रूषणपरा मयि । प्रमादाभ्युचितां वृत्तिं सीता युक्तं न वर्तते ॥ ७ ॥
“Has Sita, who serves you and is devoted to serving me, failed to behave fittingly, through carelessness?”
अथर्षिर्जरया वृद्धस्तपसा च जरां गतः । वेपमान इवोवाच रामं भूतदयापरम् ॥ ८ ॥
Then the seer, old with age and grown old through austerity, said, as if trembling, to Rama, devoted to kindness to beings:
कुतः कल्याणसत्त्वायाः कल्याणाभिरतेस्तथा । चलनं तात वैदेह्यास्तपस्विषु विशेषतः ॥ ९ ॥
“How could there be any wavering, dear one, in Vaidehi, of good nature and delighting in good, especially toward ascetics?
त्वन्निमित्तमिदं तावत्तापसान् प्रति वर्तते । रक्षोभ्यस्तेन संविग्नाः कथयन्ति मिथः कथाः ॥ १० ॥
“It is because of you that this is happening to the ascetics. Alarmed by the rakshasas, they are talking among themselves.
रावणावरजः कश्चित् खरो नामेह राक्षसः । उत्पाट्य तापसान् सर्वान् जनस्थाननिकेतनान् ॥ ११ ॥
“There is a rakshasa here named Khara, Ravana’s younger brother, who has rooted out all the ascetics living in Janasthana.
धृष्टश्च जितकाशीं च नृशंसः पुरुषादकः । अवलिप्तश्च पापश्च त्वां च तात न मृष्यते ॥ १२ ॥
“Bold and flushed with victory, cruel, a man-eater, arrogant and wicked, he cannot bear you, dear one.
त्वं यदाप्रभृति ह्यस्मिन्नाश्रमे तात वर्तसे । तदाप्रभृति रक्षांसि विप्रकुर्वन्ति तापसान् ॥ १३ ॥
“Ever since you have been in this hermitage, dear one, from then on the rakshasas have been harassing the ascetics.
दर्शयन्ति हि बीभत्सैः क्रूरैर्भीषणकैरपि । नानारूपैर्विरूपैश्च रूपैर्विकृतदर्शनैः ॥ १४ ॥
“They show themselves in loathsome, cruel, terrifying forms of many kinds, deformed and hideous to see.
अप्रशस्तैरशुचिभिः सम्प्रयोज्य च तापसान् । प्रतिघ्नन्त्यपरान् क्षिप्रमनार्य्याः पुरतः स्थिताः ॥ १५ ॥
“Having fouled the ascetics with unclean, impure things, the ignoble ones, standing before them, quickly strike down others.
तेषु तेष्वाश्रमस्थानेष्वबुद्धमवलीय च । रमन्ते तापसांस्तत्र नाशयन्तो ऽल्पयेतसः ॥ १६ ॥
“Hiding unnoticed in those hermitages, the small-minded ones delight there in destroying the ascetics.
अपक्षिपन्ति स्रुग्भाण्डानग्नीन् सिञ्चन्ति वारिणा । कलशांश्च प्रमृद्नन्ति हवने समुपस्थिते ॥ १७ ॥
“They throw away the ladles and vessels, sprinkle the fires with water, and crush the jars when the offering is about to be made.
तैर्दुरात्मभिरामृष्टानाश्रमान् प्रजिहासवः । गमनायान्यदेशस्य चोदयन्त्यृषयो ऽद्य माम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Wishing to abandon hermitages defiled by those wicked ones, the seers are urging me today to go to another country.
तत्पुरा राम शारीरीमुपहिंसां तपस्विषु । दर्शयन्ति हि दुष्टास्ते त्यक्ष्याम इममाश्रमम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Before those wicked ones show bodily violence to the ascetics, Rama, we will abandon this hermitage.
बहुमूलफलं चित्रमविदूरादितो वनम् । पुराणाश्रममेवाहं श्रयिष्ये सगणः पुनः ॥ २० ॥
“Not far from here is a wonderful forest with many roots and fruits. I will go back with my company to the old hermitage itself.
खरस्त्वय्यपि चायुक्तं पुरा तात प्रवर्त्तते । सहास्माभिरितो गच्छ यदि बुद्धिः प्रवर्त्तते ॥ २१ ॥
“Khara will act wrongly toward you too, dear one. Come with us from here, if your mind turns to it.
सकलत्रस्य सन्देहो नित्यं यत्तस्य राघव । समर्थस्यापि वसतो वासो दुःखमिहाद्य ते ॥ २२ ॥
“For one with his wife, Raghava, there is always danger; though you are able, living here is painful for you now.”
इत्युक्तवन्तं रामस्तं राजपुत्रस्तपस्विनम् । न शशाकोत्तरैर्वाक्यैरवरोद्धुं समुत्सुकः ॥ २३ ॥
To the ascetic speaking so, eager to go, Prince Rama could not hold him back with answering words.
अभिनन्द्य समापृच्छ्य समाधाय च राघवम् । स जगामाश्रमं त्यक्त्वा कुलैः कुलपतिः सह ॥ २४ ॥
Having praised Raghava, taken leave of him and reassured him, the head of the community left the hermitage and went with his people.
रामः संसाध्य त्वृषिगणमनुगमनाद्देशात्तस्मात् कुलपतिमभिवाद्य ऋषिम् । सम्यक्प्रीतैस्तैरनुमत उपदिष्टार्थः पुण्यं वासाय स्वनिलयमुपसम्पेदे ॥ २५ ॥
Rama, having followed the host of seers some way from that place and saluted the seer, the head of the community, given leave by them, well pleased, having been taught what was good, returned to his own holy dwelling to live.
आश्रमं त्वृषिविरहितं प्रभुः क्षणमपि न विजहौ स राघवः । राघवं हि सततमनुगतास्तापसाश्चार्षचरितधृतगुणाः ॥ २६ ॥
That lord Raghava did not leave the hermitage, empty of seers, even for a moment; for ascetics who upheld the virtues of the seers’ way of life always followed Raghava.