Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 37 of 119 · 37 verses
The Bark Garments
Rama tells his father: “I have given up pleasures and will live on what the forest gives; what use is an escort to one who has given up all attachments? Whoever gives away a fine elephant and then sets his heart on its girth-rope, what does his love of the rope matter? So what is an army to me? I give it all up. Let them bring me only bark garments, and a spade and a basket for my fourteen years in the forest.”
Kaikeyi herself, shameless before the crowd, brings the bark garments and says, “Put these on.” Rama takes them, throws off his fine clothes and puts on the garments of a sage; Lakshmana does the same before his father. Sita, in silk, sees the bark and is terrified, like a doe seeing a net. Ashamed and wretched, she takes the two kusha-grass garments from Kaikeyi and, her eyes full of tears, asks her husband, who looks like the king of the gandharvas: “How do the forest sages tie these on?” Not knowing how, she is bewildered again and again; she stands holding one garment at her throat and one in her hand, embarrassed. Rama comes quickly and ties the bark garment over her silk himself. Seeing this, the women of the palace weep and say: “Child, this high-minded lady was not ordered to live in the forest. Let her stay, so that seeing her may bring us some comfort. Go with Lakshmana as your companion; she should not live in the forest like an ascetic.” Rama still ties the garment on Sita, who shares his nature.
Then Vasishtha, the king’s guru, in tears, stops Sita and tells Kaikeyi: “Wicked, family-disgracing Kaikeyi, you have gone too far; having deceived the king, you do not keep to limits. Queen Sita shall not go to the forest. She will sit on the throne meant for Rama; a wife is a man’s own self, and she will govern the earth as Rama’s self. If Vaidehi goes with Rama, we will follow, and so will this city, the frontier guards, the whole kingdom; Bharata and Shatrughna in bark will live in the forest with their elder brother. Then you alone, wicked woman, may rule an empty earth with the trees. Where Rama is not king there will be no kingdom; the forest where he lives will be the kingdom. Bharata, if he is truly the king’s son, will not rule a land his father has not given; even if you fly into the sky, he will not act against his family’s ways. You have hurt your son in your greed for him; there is no one who does not follow Rama. Today you will see beasts, birds and even trees turn toward Rama as he goes. Take off the bark from your daughter-in-law and give her the finest ornaments. You chose forest life for Rama alone; let her live in the forest adorned, with carriages and servants and every comfort; she was not in your boon.” But Sita, wishing only to be like her beloved husband, does not change her mind.
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महामात्रवचः श्रुत्वा रामो दशरथं तदा । अभ्यभाषत वाक्यं तु विनयज्ञो विनीतवत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing the chief minister’s words, Rama, who knew humility, spoke modestly to Dasharatha:
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त्यक्तभोगस्य मे राजन् वने वन्येन जीवतः । किं कार्यमनुयात्रेण त्यक्तसङ्गस्य सर्वतः ॥ २ ॥
“King, I have given up pleasures and will live in the forest on forest food; what need of an escort has one who has abandoned all attachment?
यो हि दत्त्वा द्विपश्रेष्ठं कक्ष्यायां कुरुते मनः । रज्जुस्नेहेन किं तस्य त्यजतः कुञ्जरोत्तमम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Whoever gives away the best of elephants and then sets his mind on its girth: what use is love of the rope to one who gives up the best of elephants?
तथा मम सतां श्रेष्ठ किं ध्वजिन्या जगत्पते । सर्वाण्येवानुजानामि चीराण्येवानयन्तु मे ॥ ४ ॥
“So, best of the good, lord of the world, what use is an army to me? I give it all up; let them bring me only bark garments.
खनित्रपिटके चोभे समानयत गच्छत । चतुर्दश वने वासं वर्षाणि वसतो मम ॥ ५ ॥
“Bring a spade and a basket, both; go. I will live in the forest for fourteen years.”
अथ चीराणि कैकेयी स्वयमाहृत्य राघवम् । उवाच परिधत्स्वेति जनौघे निरपत्रपा ॥ ६ ॥
Then Kaikeyi herself brought the bark garments and, shameless in the crowd of people, said to Raghava: “Put them on.”
स चीरे पुरुषव्याघ्रः कैकेय्याः प्रतिगृह्य ते । सूक्ष्मवस्त्रमवक्षिप्य मुनिवस्त्राण्यवस्त ह ॥ ७ ॥
The tiger among men took those two bark garments from Kaikeyi, threw off his fine clothes and put on the garments of a sage.
लक्ष्मणश्चापि तत्रैव विहाय वसने शुभे । तापसाच्छादने चैव जग्राह पितुरग्रतः ॥ ८ ॥
Lakshmana too, right there, abandoning his lovely clothes, took the ascetic’s coverings before his father.
अथात्मपरिधानार्थं सीता कौशेयवासिनी । सम्प्रेक्ष्य चीरं संत्रस्ता पृषती वागुरामिव ॥ ९ ॥
सा व्यपत्रपमाणेव प्रगृह्य च सुदुर्मनाः । कैकेय्याः कुशचीरे ते जानकी शुभलक्षणा ॥ १० ॥
Then Sita, dressed in silk, seeing the bark meant for her to wear, was frightened like a doe seeing a net. As if ashamed, very unhappy, Janaki of auspicious marks took those two kusha-grass bark garments from Kaikeyi,
अश्रुसम्पूर्णनेत्रा च धर्मज्ञा धर्मदर्शिनी । गन्धर्वराजप्रतिमं भर्तारमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ ११ ॥
and, her eyes full of tears, knowing dharma and seeing dharma, said to her husband, who was like the king of the gandharvas:
कथं नु चीरं बघ्नन्ति मुनयो वनवासिनः । इति ह्यकुशला सीता सा मुमोह मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ १२ ॥
“How do the sages living in the forest tie on bark?” Not knowing how, Sita was bewildered again and again.
कृत्वा कण्ठे स्म सा चीरमेकमादाय पाणिना । तस्थौ ह्यकुशला तत्र व्रीडिता जनकात्मजा ॥ १३ ॥
Putting one bark garment at her throat and taking the other in her hand, Janaka’s daughter stood there, not knowing how, embarrassed.
तस्यास्तत् क्षिप्रमागत्य रामो धर्मभृतां वरः । चीरं बबन्ध सीतायाः कौशेयस्योपरि स्वयम् ॥ १४ ॥
Rama, best of upholders of dharma, came to her quickly and himself tied the bark garment on Sita over her silk.
रामं प्रेक्ष्य तु सीताया बध्नन्तं चीरमुत्तमम् । अन्तःपुरचरा नार्यो मुमुचुर्वारि नेत्रजम् ॥ १५ ॥
Seeing Rama tying the excellent bark garment on Sita, the women who lived in the inner palace shed tears from their eyes.
ऊचुश्च परमायत्ता रामं ज्वलिततेजसम् । वत्स नैवं नियुक्तेयं वनवासे मनस्विनी ॥ १६ ॥
Deeply troubled, they said to Rama, blazing with splendour: “Child, this high-minded lady has not been ordered to live in the forest.
पितुर्वाक्यानुरोधेन गतस्य विजनं वनम् । तावद् दर्शनमस्या नः सफलं भवतु प्रभो ॥ १७ ॥
“While you go to the lonely forest in obedience to your father’s word, let the sight of her at least be fruitful for us, lord.
लक्ष्मणेन सहायेन वनं गच्छस्व पुत्रक । नेयमर्हति कल्याणि वस्तुं तापसवद् वने ॥ १८ ॥
“Go to the forest with Lakshmana as your companion, son. This auspicious lady does not deserve to live in the forest like an ascetic.
कुरु नो याचनां पुत्र सीता तिष्ठतु भामिनी । धर्मनित्यः स्वयं स्थातुं न हीदानीं त्वमिच्छसि ॥ १९ ॥
“Grant our request, son: let passionate Sita stay. You yourself, always devoted to dharma, do not wish to stay now.”
तासामेवंविधा वाचः शृण्वन् दशरथात्मजः । बबन्धैव तथा चीरं सीतया तुल्यशीलया ॥ २० ॥
Hearing such words of theirs, Dasharatha’s son nevertheless tied the bark garment on Sita, whose nature was like his own.
चीरे गृहीते तु तया सबाष्पो नृपतेर्गुरुः । निवार्य सीतां कैकेयीं वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २१ ॥
When she had taken the bark garment, the king’s guru Vasishtha, with tears, stopped Sita and spoke to Kaikeyi:
अतिप्रवृत्ते दुर्मेधे कैकेयि कुलपांसनि । वञ्चयित्वा तु राजानं न प्रमाणेऽवतिष्ठसि ॥ २२ ॥
“You have gone too far, wicked Kaikeyi, disgrace of the family. Having deceived the king, you do not stay within bounds.
न गन्तव्यं वनं देव्या सीतया शीलवर्जिते । अनुष्ठास्यति रामस्य सीता प्रकृतमासनम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Queen Sita shall not go to the forest, you who are without character. Sita will occupy the seat prepared for Rama.
आत्मा हि दाराः सर्वेषां दारसंग्रहवर्तिनाम् । आत्मेयमिति रामस्य पालयिष्यति मेदिनीम् ॥ २४ ॥
“For of all who are married, the wife is their very self. As Rama’s own self, she will govern the earth.
अथ यास्यति वैदेही वनं रामेण संगता । वयमत्रानुयास्यामः पुरं चेदं गमिष्यति ॥ २५ ॥
“But if Vaidehi goes to the forest with Rama, we will follow here, and this city will go too.
अन्तपालाश्च यास्यन्ति सदारो यत्र राघवः । सहोपजीव्यं राष्ट्रं च पुरं च सपरिच्छदम् ॥ २६ ॥
“And the frontier guards will go where Raghava is with his wife, and the kingdom with its dependants, and the city with its belongings.
भरतश्च सशत्रुघ्नश्चीरवासा वनेचरः । वने वसन्तं काकुत्स्थमनुवत्स्यति पूर्वजम् ॥ २७ ॥
“And Bharata, with Shatrughna, wearing bark and living in the forest, will live in the forest with Kakutstha, his elder brother.
ततः शून्यां गतजनां वसुधां पादपैः सह । त्वमेका शाधि दुर्वृत्ता प्रजानामहिते स्थिता ॥ २८ ॥
“Then you alone, of evil conduct, standing against the people’s good, may rule the empty, deserted earth with its trees.
न हि तद् भविता राष्ट्रं यत्र रामो न भूपतिः । तद् वनं भविता राष्ट्रं यत्र रामो निवत्स्यति ॥ २९ ॥
“For that will not be a kingdom where Rama is not king; that forest will be a kingdom where Rama will live.
न ह्यदत्तां महीं पित्रा भरतः शास्तुमिच्छति । त्वयि वा पुत्रवद् वस्तुं यदि जातो महीपतेः ॥ ३० ॥
“Bharata will not want to rule the earth not given by his father, nor to live with you as a son, if he is born of the lord of the earth.
यद्यपि त्वं क्षितितलाद् गगनं चोत्पतिष्यसि । पितृवंशचरित्रज्ञः सोऽन्यथा न करिष्यति ॥ ३१ ॥
“Even if you fly up from the earth into the sky, he who knows the ways of his father’s line will not act otherwise.
तत् त्वया पुत्रगर्धिन्या पुत्रस्य कृतमप्रियम् । लोके नहि स विद्येत यो न राममनुव्रतः ॥ ३२ ॥
“So you, greedy for your son, have done your son a displeasure. For there is no one in the world who is not devoted to Rama.
द्रक्ष्यस्यद्यैव कैकेयि पशुव्यालमृगद्विजान् । गच्छतः सह रामेण पादपांश्च तदुन्मुखान् ॥ ३३ ॥
“You will see today, Kaikeyi, cattle, beasts of prey, deer and birds going with Rama, and the trees turned toward him.
अथोत्तमान्याभरणानि देवि देहि स्नुषायै व्यपनीय चीरम् । न चीरमस्याः प्रविधीयतेति न्यवारयत् तद् वसनं वसिष्ठः ॥ ३४ ॥
“Now, queen, remove the bark and give your daughter-in-law the finest ornaments.” Saying “Bark is not prescribed for her,” Vasishtha forbade that garment.
एकस्य रामस्य वने निवास- स्त्वया वृतः केकयराजपुत्रि । विभूषितेयं प्रतिकर्मनित्या वसत्वरण्ये सह राघवेण ॥ ३५ ॥
“Forest life was chosen by you for Rama alone, daughter of the Kekaya king. Let her, adorned, always cared for, live in the forest with Raghava.
यानैश्च मुख्यैः परिचारकैश्च सुसंवृता गच्छतु राजपुत्री । वस्त्रैश्च सर्वैः सहितैर्विधानै- र्नेयं वृता ते वरसम्प्रदाने ॥ ३६ ॥
“Let the princess go well attended, with the best carriages and servants, with all her clothes and furnishings; she was not covered by your choice of boon.”
तस्मिंस्तथा जल्पति विप्रमुख्ये गुरौ नृपस्याप्रतिमप्रभावे । नैव स्म सीता विनिवृत्तभावा प्रियस्य भर्तुः प्रतिकारकामा ॥ ३७ ॥
While that chief brahmana, the king’s guru of matchless power, spoke so, Sita did not turn from her purpose, wishing to be like her beloved husband.