Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 19 of 119 · 40 verses
“So Be It”: Rama Accepts
Hearing words like death, Rama, slayer of enemies, is not shaken. “So be it. I will go from here to live in the forest, wearing matted hair and bark, keeping the king’s promise. I only want to know why the king does not greet me as before. Do not be angry, queen; I will go. Commanded by my father, my guru and king, how could I not do what pleases him? Only one thing burns my heart: that the king did not himself tell me of Bharata’s consecration. I would gladly give Bharata Sita, the kingdom, my life and my wealth unasked; how much more when my father commands it and to please you. Comfort him; why does he weep with his eyes on the ground? Let messengers go on swift horses to bring Bharata. I go to Dandaka at once for fourteen years, without questioning my father’s word.”
Kaikeyi, delighted, hurries him: “The messengers will go. Don’t delay; leave at once. The king’s silence is only shame; don’t mind it. Until you leave the city, your father will neither bathe nor eat.” The king cries “Shame! Alas!” and faints on his golden couch. Rama raises him and, goaded by Kaikeyi like a horse by a whip, says calmly: “Queen, I do not wish to live in the world for wealth. Know me to be like the sages, devoted to pure dharma. Whatever I can do for my father’s pleasure, even giving my life, consider it done. There is no greater dharma than serving one’s father and doing his word. Even unasked by him, at your word alone I would live in the lonely forest fourteen years. You did not trust my virtues, that you had to ask the king. Let me take leave of my mother and console Sita, and then I will go today. See that Bharata rules and serves our father; that is the eternal dharma.”
The king weeps aloud. Rama bows to his unconscious father’s feet and to Kaikeyi’s, walks around them, and goes out. Lakshmana follows, eyes full of tears and furious. Rama walks around the consecration vessels respectfully and goes slowly without turning his eyes to them. The loss of the kingdom does not diminish his splendour, as waning does not lessen the moon’s loveliness. He sends away the umbrella, the whisks, the chariot and the people, and holding his grief in his mind, master of his senses, goes to his mother’s house to tell her the unwelcome news. No one sees any change in his face; he keeps his natural cheer, like the autumn moon its own radiance, greeting all with sweet words. Seeing the house full of joy, he shows no change, fearing that his friends would be hurt.
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तदप्रियममित्रघ्नो वचनं मरणोपमम् । श्रुत्वा न विव्यथे रामः कैकेयीं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing those hateful words, like death, Rama, slayer of enemies, was not shaken, and said to Kaikeyi:
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एवमस्तु गमिष्यामि वनं वस्तुमहं त्वितः । जटाचीरधरो राज्ञः प्रतिज्ञामनुपालयन् ॥ २ ॥
“So be it. I will go from here to live in the forest, wearing matted hair and bark, keeping the king’s promise.
इदं तु ज्ञातुमिच्छामि किमर्थं मां महीपतिः । नाभिनन्दति दुर्धर्षो यथापूर्वमरिंदमः ॥ ३ ॥
“But I wish to know this: why does the lord of the earth, unassailable, subduer of enemies, not greet me as before?
मन्युर्न च त्वया कार्यो देवि ब्रूमि तवाग्रतः । यास्यामि भव सुप्रीता वनं चीरजटाधरः ॥ ४ ॥
“You should not be angry, queen; I tell you to your face: I will go to the forest wearing bark and matted hair; be fully pleased.
हितेन गुरुणा पित्रा कृतज्ञेन नृपेण च । नियुज्यमानो विस्रब्धः किं न कुर्यामहं प्रियम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Commanded by my well-wisher, my guru, my father, my grateful king, why would I not confidently do what pleases him?
अलीकं मानसं त्वेकं हृदयं दहते मम । स्वयं यन्नाह मां राजा भरतस्याभिषेचनम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Only one false thing in my mind burns my heart: that the king did not himself tell me of Bharata’s consecration.
अहं हि सीतां राज्यं च प्राणानिष्टान् धनानि च । हृष्टो भ्रात्रे स्वयं दद्यां भरतायाप्रचोदितः ॥ ७ ॥
“For I would gladly give my brother Bharata, unasked, Sita and the kingdom, my dear life and my wealth,
किं पुनर्मनुजेन्द्रेण स्वयं पित्रा प्रचोदितः । तव च प्रियकामार्थं प्रतिज्ञामनुपालयन् ॥ ८ ॥
“how much more when urged by my father, the lord of men himself, and keeping his promise to please you.
तथाश्वासय ह्रीमन्तं किं त्विदं यन्महीपतिः । वसुधासक्तनयनो मन्दमश्रूणि मुञ्चति ॥ ९ ॥
“So comfort that modest one. But what is this, that the lord of the earth, his eyes fixed on the ground, slowly sheds tears?
गच्छन्तु चैवानयितुं दूताः शीघ्रजवैर्हयैः । भरतं मातुलकुलादद्यैव नृपशासनात् ॥ १० ॥
“Let messengers go on swift horses to bring Bharata from his uncle’s family today, by the king’s order.
दण्डकारण्यमेषोऽहं गच्छाम्येव हि सत्वरः । अविचार्य पितुर्वाक्यं समा वस्तुं चतुर्दश ॥ ११ ॥
“I am going to the Dandaka forest at once, to live there fourteen years, without questioning my father’s word.”
सा हृष्टा तस्य तद् वाक्यं श्रुत्वा रामस्य कैकयी । प्रस्थानं श्रद्दधाना सा त्वरयामास राघवम् ॥ १२ ॥
Kaikeyi, delighted to hear Rama’s words, believing he would leave, urged Raghava on:
एवं भवतु यास्यन्ति दूताः शीघ्रजवैर्हयैः । भरतं मातुलकुलादिहावर्तयितुं नराः ॥ १३ ॥
“So be it. Men will go as messengers on swift horses to bring Bharata back here from his uncle’s family.
तव त्वहं क्षमं मन्ये नोत्सुकस्य विलम्बनम् । राम तस्मादितः शीघ्रं वनं त्वं गन्तुमर्हसि ॥ १४ ॥
“But I think delay is not right for you, eager as you are. So, Rama, you should go quickly from here to the forest.
व्रीडान्वितः स्वयं यच्च नृपस्त्वां नाभिभाषते । नैतत् किंचिन्नरश्रेष्ठ मन्युरेषोऽपनीयताम् ॥ १५ ॥
“That the king, ashamed, does not speak to you himself is nothing, best of men; put aside this resentment.
यावत्त्वं न वनं यातः पुरादस्मादतित्वरम् । पिता तावन्न ते राम स्नास्यते भोक्ष्यतेऽपि वा ॥ १६ ॥
“Until you have gone very quickly from this city to the forest, your father will neither bathe nor eat, Rama.”
धिक्कष्टमिति निःश्वस्य राजा शोकपरिप्लुतः । मूर्च्छितो न्यपतत् तस्मिन् पर्यङ्के हेमभूषिते ॥ १७ ॥
Sighing “Shame! How painful!”, overwhelmed with grief, the king fell senseless on that couch adorned with gold.
रामोऽप्युत्थाप्य राजानं कैकेय्याभिप्रचोदितः । कशयेव हतो वाजी वनं गन्तुं कृतत्वरः ॥ १८ ॥
Rama raised the king, and, goaded by Kaikeyi like a horse struck by a whip, made haste to go to the forest.
तदप्रियमनार्याया वचनं दारुणोदयम् । श्रुत्वा गतव्यथो रामः कैकेयीं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १९ ॥
Having heard those hateful words of the ignoble woman, cruel in their outcome, Rama, free of distress, said to Kaikeyi:
नाहमर्थपरो देवि लोकमावस्तुमुत्सहे । विद्धि मामृषिभिस्तुल्यं विमलं धर्ममास्थितम् ॥ २० ॥
“I do not wish to live in the world devoted to wealth, queen. Know me to be like the sages, established in pure dharma.
यत् तत्रभवतः किंचिच्छक्यं कर्तुं प्रियं मया । प्राणानपि परित्यज्य सर्वथा कृतमेव तत् ॥ २१ ॥
“Whatever thing pleasing to my revered father I can do, even giving up my life, consider it done in every way.
न ह्यतो धर्मचरणं किंचिदस्ति महत्तरम् । यथा पितरि शुश्रूषा तस्य वा वचनक्रिया ॥ २२ ॥
“There is no practice of dharma greater than this: service to one’s father, or doing his word.
अनुक्तोऽप्यत्रभवता भवत्या वचनादहम् । वने वत्स्यामि विजने वर्षाणीह चतुर्दश ॥ २३ ॥
“Even without being told by my revered father, at your word alone I will live in the lonely forest these fourteen years.
न नूनं मयि कैकेयि किंचिदाशंससे गुणान् । यद् राजानमवोचस्त्वं ममेश्वरतरा सती ॥ २४ ॥
“Surely, Kaikeyi, you expect no virtues in me, since you spoke to the king, though you have greater power over me.
यावन्मातरमापृच्छे सीतां चानुनयाम्यहम् । ततोऽद्यैव गमिष्यामि दण्डकानां महद् वनम् ॥ २५ ॥
“Only until I take leave of my mother and console Sita; then I will go this very day to the great forest of Dandaka.
भरतः पालयेद् राज्यं शुश्रूषेच्च पितुर्यथा । तथा भवत्या कर्तव्यं स हि धर्मः सनातनः ॥ २६ ॥
“See that Bharata protects the kingdom and serves our father; you must see to it, for that is the eternal dharma.”
रामस्य तु वचः श्रुत्वा भृशं दुःखगतः पिता । शोकादशक्नुवन् वक्तुं प्ररुरोद महास्वनम् ॥ २७ ॥
Hearing Rama’s words, his father, in deep sorrow, unable to speak for grief, wept aloud.
वन्दित्वा चरणौ राज्ञो विसंज्ञस्य पितुस्तदा । कैकेय्याश्चाप्यनार्याया निष्पपात महाद्युतिः ॥ २८ ॥
Saluting the feet of his unconscious father, the king, and of ignoble Kaikeyi, the radiant one went out.
स रामः पितरं कृत्वा कैकेयीं च प्रदक्षिणम् । निष्क्रम्यान्तःपुरात् तस्मात् स्वं ददर्श सुहृज्जनम् ॥ २९ ॥
Rama, having walked around his father and Kaikeyi, came out of the inner apartments and saw his friends.
तं बाष्पपरिपूर्णाक्षः पृष्ठतोऽनुजगाम ह । लक्ष्मणः परमक्रुद्धः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः ॥ ३० ॥
Lakshmana, joy of Sumitra, followed behind him, his eyes full of tears, in the greatest anger.
आभिषेचनिकं भाण्डं कृत्वा रामः प्रदक्षिणम् । शनैर्जगाम सापेक्षो दृष्टिं तत्राविचालयन् ॥ ३१ ॥
Walking around the vessels for the consecration, Rama went slowly, still regarding them, without letting his eyes stray there.
न चास्य महतीं लक्ष्मीं राज्यनाशोऽपकर्षति । लोककान्तस्य कान्तत्वाच्छीतरश्मेरिव क्षयः ॥ ३२ ॥
The loss of the kingdom did not lessen his great splendour, as waning does not lessen the cool-rayed moon, beloved of the world for its loveliness.
न वनं गन्तुकामस्य त्यजतश्च वसुंधराम् । सर्वलोकातिगस्येव लक्ष्यते चित्तविक्रिया ॥ ३३ ॥
No change of mind was seen in him as he set out for the forest and gave up the earth, as in one who has passed beyond all the world.
प्रतिषिध्य शुभं छत्रं व्यजने च स्वलंकृते । विसर्जयित्वा स्वजनं रथं पौरांस्तथा जनान् ॥ ३४ ॥
धारयन् मनसा दुःखमिन्द्रियाणि निगृह्य च । प्रविवेशात्मवान् वेश्म मातुरप्रियशंसिवान् ॥ ३५ ॥
Forbidding the fine umbrella and the adorned whisks, sending away his kin, the chariot and the citizens and people, holding his grief in his mind and restraining his senses, the self-possessed one entered his mother’s house to tell her the unwelcome news.
सर्वोऽप्यभिजनः श्रीमान् श्रीमतः सत्यवादिनः । नालक्षयत रामस्य कंचिदाकारमानने ॥ ३६ ॥
All his glorious kin saw no change at all in the face of the glorious, truthful Rama.
उचितं च महाबाहुर्न जहौ हर्षमात्मवान् । शारदः समुदीर्णांशुश्चन्द्रस्तेज इवात्मजम् ॥ ३७ ॥
The self-possessed, mighty-armed one did not give up his natural cheer, as the autumn moon with its rays risen does not give up its own radiance.
वाचा मधुरया रामः सर्वं सम्मानयञ्जनम् । मातुः समीपं धर्मात्मा प्रविवेश महायशाः ॥ ३८ ॥
Honouring all the people with sweet words, the righteous, greatly renowned Rama went near his mother.
तं गुणैः समतां प्राप्तो भ्राता विपुलविक्रमः । सौमित्रिरनुवव्राज धारयन् दुःखमात्मजम् ॥ ३९ ॥
His brother of great valour, equal to him in virtues, Saumitri, followed, holding his own grief.
प्रविश्य वेश्मातिभृशं मुदा युतं समीक्ष्य तां चार्थविपत्तिमागताम् । न चैव रामोऽत्र जगाम विक्रियां सुहृज्जनस्यात्मविपत्तिशङ्कया ॥ ४० ॥
Entering the house, which was very full of joy, and seeing the ruin of his fortunes that had come, Rama showed no change there, fearing the distress of his friends.