Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 38 of 119 · 17 verses
“Sita Was Not in My Promise”
Seeing Sita in bark, as if she had no protector though she has one, all the people cry out: “Shame on you, Dasharatha!” Grieved by the uproar, the king loses faith in his life, his dharma and his fame. Sighing, he tells Kaikeyi: “Sita must not go in kusha bark. She is delicate, young and always used to comfort; my guru spoke truly that she is not fit for the forest. This poor daughter of the best of kings, given bark in the midst of the people, stands bewildered like some mendicant woman. Let Janaka’s daughter put off the bark; she was never in my promise. Let the princess go to the forest as she pleases, with all her jewels. I, unfit to live, made this cruel promise; you took it up from childishness; may it not burn me as the bamboo’s own flower burns the bamboo. Wicked one, even if Rama did you some wrong, what harm has Vaidehi ever done you, she with eyes like a doe’s, gentle and high-minded? Isn’t Rama’s exile enough for you? Why these further sins? I promised what you said in Rama’s presence when he came here for his consecration; but by seeing Maithili in bark, you are going beyond that, and want to go to hell.”
As his father speaks, head bowed, Rama, ready to leave, says: “Righteous one, here is my mother Kausalya, glorious, old and generous, who does not blame you, lord. Without me, giver of boons, she has fallen into an ocean of grief, a calamity she has never known before. Honour her more. Honoured by you, the honourable one, let her not suffer grief for her son; thinking of me, may she live, devoted, in your care. Act so, my king equal to Indra, that my mother, longing for me, worn with grief while I am in the forest, does not give up her life and go to Yama’s realm.”
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तस्यां चीरं वसानायां नाथवत्यामनाथवत् । प्रचुक्रोश जनः सर्वो धिक् त्वां दशरथं त्विति ॥ १ ॥
As she put on the bark, like one without a protector though she had one, all the people cried out: “Shame on you, Dasharatha!”
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तेन तत्र प्रणादेन दुःखितः स महीपतिः । चिच्छेद जीविते श्रद्धां धर्मे यशसि चात्मनः ॥ २ ॥
Pained by that uproar there, the lord of the earth lost faith in his life, his dharma and his fame.
स निःश्वस्योष्णमैक्ष्वाकस्तां भार्यामिदमब्रवीत् । कैकेयि कुशचीरेण न सीता गन्तुमर्हति ॥ ३ ॥
Sighing hotly, the Ikshvaku king said to that wife of his: “Kaikeyi, Sita should not go in kusha bark.
सुकुमारी च बाला च सततं च सुखोचिता । नेयं वनस्य योग्येति सत्यमाह गुरुर्मम ॥ ४ ॥
“She is delicate and young and always used to comfort. ‘She is not fit for the forest’: my guru spoke truly.
इयं हि कस्यापि करोति किंचित् तपस्विनी राजवरस्य पुत्री । या चीरमासाद्य जनस्य मध्ये स्थिता विसंज्ञा श्रमणीव काचित् ॥ ५ ॥
“This devoted daughter of the best of kings, does she harm anyone at all, that, given bark in the midst of the people, she stands bewildered like some mendicant woman?
चीराण्यपास्याज्जनकस्य कन्या नेयं प्रतिज्ञा मम दत्तपूर्वा । यथासुखं गच्छतु राजपुत्री वनं समग्रा सह सर्वरत्नैः ॥ ६ ॥
“Let Janaka’s daughter put off the bark; this was never my promise. Let the princess go to the forest as she pleases, complete, with all her jewels.
अजीवनार्हेण मया नृशंसा कृता प्रतिज्ञा नियमेन तावत् । त्वया हि बाल्यात् प्रतिपन्नमेतत् तन्मा दहेद् वेणुमिवात्मपुष्पम् ॥ ७ ॥
“I, unfit to live, made this cruel promise by my vow; and you took it up from childishness. Let it not burn me, as its own flower burns the bamboo.
रामेण यदि ते पापे किंचित्कृतमशोभनम् । अपकारः क इह ते वैदेह्या दर्शितोऽधमे ॥ ८ ॥
“If Rama has done you some wrong, wicked one, what harm has been shown you here by Vaidehi, vile woman?
मृगीवोत्फुल्लनयना मृदुशीला मनस्विनी । अपकारं कमिव ते करोति जनकात्मजा ॥ ९ ॥
“With eyes wide like a doe’s, gentle in nature, high-minded, what harm does Janaka’s daughter do you?
ननु पर्याप्तमेवं ते पापे रामविवासनम् । किमेभिः कृपणैर्भूयः पातकैरपि ते कृतैः ॥ १० ॥
“Is not Rama’s exile enough for you, wicked one? What use are these further wretched sins you commit?
प्रतिज्ञातं मया तावत् त्वयोक्तं देवि शृण्वता । रामं यदभिषेकाय त्वमिहागतमब्रवीः ॥ ११ ॥
“I promised what you said, queen, while I listened, when Rama came here for his consecration;
तत्त्वेतत् समतिक्रम्य निरयं गन्तुमिच्छसि । मैथिलीमपि या हि त्वमीक्षसे चीरवासिनीम् ॥ १२ ॥
“but going beyond that, you wish to go to hell, you who look on Maithili wearing bark.”
एवं ब्रुवन्तं पितरं रामः सम्प्रस्थितो वनम् । अवाक्शिरसमासीनमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १३ ॥
As his father, seated with his head bowed, spoke so, Rama, setting out for the forest, said:
इयं धार्मिक कौसल्या मम माता यशस्विनी । वृद्धा चाक्षुद्रशीला च न च त्वां देव गर्हते ॥ १४ ॥
“Righteous one, this is my mother Kausalya, glorious, old and of noble character, who does not blame you, lord.
मया विहीनां वरद प्रपन्नां शोकसागरम् । अदृष्टपूर्वव्यसनां भूयः सम्मन्तुमर्हसि ॥ १५ ॥
“Without me, giver of boons, she has fallen into an ocean of grief, having never before seen misfortune. You should honour her more.
पुत्रशोकं यथा नर्च्छेत् त्वया पूज्येन पूजिता । मां हि संचिन्तयन्ती सा त्वयि जीवेत् तपस्विनी ॥ १६ ॥
“Honoured by you, who are worthy of honour, let her not suffer grief for her son. Thinking of me, may that devoted woman live in your care.
इमां महेन्द्रोपम जातगर्धिनीं तथा विधातुं जननीं ममार्हसि । यथा वनस्थे मयि शोककर्शिता न जीवितं न्यस्य यमक्षयं व्रजेत् ॥ १७ ॥
“You, equal to great Indra, should so provide for my mother, now full of longing, that while I am in the forest, worn with grief, she does not give up her life and go to Yama’s abode.”