Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 42 of 119 · 35 verses
The King Rejects Kaikeyi
As long as the dust of the departing chariot can be seen, the best of the Ikshvakus does not take his eyes from it; as long as he can see his beloved, righteous son, he seems to grow taller on the earth. When he can no longer see even Rama’s dust, he falls to the ground in anguish. Kausalya comes to his right arm, and Kaikeyi to his other side. The king, his senses shaken, says: “Kaikeyi, wicked-minded, do not touch my body. I do not want to see you; you are neither my wife nor my kin. Those who depend on you are not mine, nor I theirs. You care only for gain and have abandoned dharma; I abandon you. The hand I took, the fire I circled with you, I renounce it all, in this world and the next. If Bharata is pleased to have this kingdom, let nothing he offers for his father reach me.”
Kausalya, wasted with grief, raises the dust-covered king and turns back. The righteous king grieves for Raghava as if he had killed a brahmana out of desire or touched fire with his hand. Turning back again and again, sinking in the chariot ruts, he looks like the eclipsed sun. He laments: “I see the hoofprints of the fine horses that carry my son on the road, but not the great soul himself. My best son, who slept on cushions, anointed with sandal, fanned by fine women, today will lie at the foot of a tree with a log or a stone for a pillow, and rise from the earth wretched and covered with dust, sighing like a bull elephant from a spring. Forest-dwellers will see long-armed Rama, the world’s protector, walking like one without protection. Janaka’s beloved daughter, used to comfort, will go into the forest today worn out from stepping on thorns, and, not knowing forests, she will be afraid when she hears the deep, hair-raising roar of the wild beasts. Have your wish, Kaikeyi; rule as a widow. I cannot live without that tiger among men.”
Lamenting, surrounded by crowds, he enters his palace like one who has bathed after a funeral. He sees the city with its squares and houses deserted, markets closed, its people tired, weak and grieving, its great roads half empty, and he enters like the sun into a cloud. His house, without Rama, Vaidehi and Lakshmana, is like a great still lake whose serpent Garuda has taken. In a broken voice he says: “Take me quickly to Kausalya’s house, Rama’s mother’s; my heart will find comfort nowhere else.” They take him there. He lies down, his mind in turmoil, and sees the house without his two sons and his daughter-in-law, like the sky without the moon. He raises his arm and cries aloud: “Ha Rama, you are leaving us both! Happy are the best of men who will live to embrace Rama when he comes back.” At midnight, a night like the night of doom for him, he says: “Kausalya, I cannot see you; touch me with your hand. My sight went after Rama and has not come back.” Seeing the king lying there thinking only of Rama, the queen sits close beside him and, sighing, laments bitterly.
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यावत् तु निर्यतस्तस्य रजोरूपमदृश्यत । नैवेक्ष्वाकुवरस्तावत् संजहारात्मचक्षुषी ॥ १ ॥
As long as the dust of the departing one could be seen, the best of the Ikshvakus did not withdraw his eyes.
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यावद् राजा प्रियं पुत्रं पश्यत्यत्यन्तधार्मिकम् । तावद् व्यवर्धतेवास्य धरण्यां पुत्रदर्शने ॥ २ ॥
As long as the king could see his beloved, most righteous son, he seemed to grow taller on the earth at the sight of his son.
न पश्यति रजोऽप्यस्य यदा रामस्य भूमिपः । तदार्तश्च निषण्णश्च पपात धरणीतले ॥ ३ ॥
When the lord of the earth could no longer see even the dust of Rama, then, afflicted and sinking, he fell to the ground.
तस्य दक्षिणमन्वागात् कौसल्या बाहुमङ्गना । परं चास्यान्वगात् पार्श्वं कैकेयी सा सुमध्यमा ॥ ४ ॥
Kausalya, his wife, came to his right arm; Kaikeyi, slender-waisted, came to his other side.
तां नयेन च सम्पन्नो धर्मेण विनयेन च । उवाच राजा कैकेयीं समीक्ष्य व्यथितेन्द्रियः ॥ ५ ॥
Looking at her, the king, full of policy, dharma and courtesy, his senses shaken, said to Kaikeyi:
कैकेयि मामकाङ्गानि मा स्प्राक्षीः पापनिश्चये । नहि त्वां द्रष्टुमिच्छामि न भार्या न च बान्धवी ॥ ६ ॥
“Kaikeyi, wicked in purpose, do not touch my limbs. I do not want to see you; you are neither my wife nor my kin.
ये च त्वामनुजीवन्ति नाहं तेषां न ते मम । केवलार्थपरां हि त्वां त्यक्तधर्मां त्यजाम्यहम् ॥ ७ ॥
“Those who depend on you, I am not theirs nor are they mine. You care only for gain and have abandoned dharma; I abandon you.
अगृह्णां यच्च ते पाणिमग्निं पर्यणयं च यत् । अनुजानामि तत् सर्वमस्मिंल्लोके परत्र च ॥ ८ ॥
“That I took your hand and led you around the fire: I renounce all of it, in this world and the next.
भरतश्चेत् प्रतीतः स्याद् राज्यं प्राप्यैतदव्ययम् । यन्मे स दद्यात् पित्रर्थं मा मां तद्दत्तमागमत् ॥ ९ ॥
“If Bharata is pleased at gaining this imperishable kingdom, let whatever he gives for his father’s sake not reach me as given.”
अथ रेणुसमुद्ध्वस्तं समुत्थाप्य नराधिपम् । न्यवर्तत तदा देवी कौसल्या शोककर्शिता ॥ १० ॥
Then Queen Kausalya, wasted with grief, raised up the dust-covered lord of men and turned back.
हत्वेव ब्राह्मणं कामात् स्पृष्ट्वाग्निमिव पाणिना । अन्वतप्यत धर्मात्मा पुत्रं संचिन्त्य राघवम् ॥ ११ ॥
The righteous one grieved, thinking of his son Raghava, as if he had killed a brahmana out of desire, or touched fire with his hand.
निवृत्यैव निवृत्यैव सीदतो रथवर्त्मसु । राज्ञो नातिबभौ रूपं ग्रस्तस्यांशुमतो यथा ॥ १२ ॥
Turning back again and again, sinking in the ruts of the chariot, the king’s form did not shine, like the sun seized by an eclipse.
विललाप स दुःखार्तः प्रियं पुत्रमनुस्मरन् । नगरान्तमनुप्राप्तं बुद्ध्वा पुत्रमथाब्रवीत् ॥ १३ ॥
Afflicted with grief, he lamented, remembering his beloved son, and, knowing his son had reached the end of the city, said:
वाहनानां च मुख्यानां वहतां तं ममात्मजम् । पदानि पथि दृश्यन्ते स महात्मा न दृश्यते ॥ १४ ॥
“The tracks of the fine horses carrying my son are seen on the road, but that great soul is not seen.
यः सुखेनोपधानेषु शेते चन्दनरूषितः । वीज्यमानो महार्हाभिः स्त्रीभिर्मम सुतोत्तमः ॥ १५ ॥
स नूनं क्वचिदेवाद्य वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रितः । काष्ठं वा यदि वाश्मानमुपधाय शयिष्यते ॥ १६ ॥
“My best of sons, who slept happily on pillows, anointed with sandal, fanned by costly women, surely today, sheltering at the foot of some tree, will lie with a log or a stone for a pillow,
उत्थास्यति च मेदिन्याः कृपणः पांसुगुण्ठितः । विनिःश्वसन् प्रस्रवणात् करेणूनामिवर्षभः ॥ १७ ॥
“and will rise from the earth wretched, covered with dust, sighing like a bull elephant rising from a spring among the cow-elephants.
द्रक्ष्यन्ति नूनं पुरुषा दीर्घबाहुं वनेचराः । राममुत्थाय गच्छन्तं लोकनाथमनाथवत् ॥ १८ ॥
“Surely the men who roam the forest will see long-armed Rama, the protector of the world, rising and walking like one without a protector.
सा नूनं जनकस्येष्टा सुता सुखसदोचिता । कण्टकाक्रमणक्लान्ता वनमद्य गमिष्यति ॥ १९ ॥
“Surely Janaka’s beloved daughter, always used to comfort, will go to the forest today, wearied by treading on thorns.
अनभिज्ञा वनानां सा नूनं भयमुपैष्यति । श्वपदानर्दितं श्रुत्वा गम्भीरं रोमहर्षणम् ॥ २० ॥
“Not knowing forests, surely she will be frightened, hearing the deep, hair-raising roar of beasts of prey.
सकामा भव कैकेयि विधवा राज्यमावस । नहि तं पुरुषव्याघ्रं विना जीवितुमुत्सहे ॥ २१ ॥
“Have your wish, Kaikeyi; live in the kingdom as a widow. For I cannot bear to live without that tiger among men.”
इत्येवं विलपन् राजा जनौघेनाभिसंवृतः । अपस्नात इवारिष्टं प्रविवेश गृहोत्तमम् ॥ २२ ॥
Lamenting so, the king, surrounded by crowds of people, entered his excellent house like one who has bathed after a death.
शून्यचत्वरवेश्मान्तां संवृतापणवेदिकाम् । क्लान्तदुर्बलदुःखार्तां नात्याकीर्णमहापथाम् ॥ २३ ॥
तामवेक्ष्य पुरीं सर्वां राममेवानुचिन्तयन् । विलपन् प्राविशद् राजा गृहं सूर्य इवाम्बुदम् ॥ २४ ॥
Seeing the whole city, its squares and houses empty, its shops and platforms closed, its people tired, weak and afflicted, its great roads not very crowded, thinking only of Rama, lamenting, the king entered his house like the sun entering a cloud.
महाह्रदमिवाक्षोभ्यं सुपर्णेन हृतोरगम् । रामेण रहितं वेश्म वैदेह्या लक्ष्मणेन च ॥ २५ ॥
The house, without Rama, Vaidehi and Lakshmana, was like a great still lake whose serpent had been carried off by Suparna.
अथ गद्गदशब्दस्तु विलपन् वसुधाधिपः । उवाच मृदु मन्दार्थं वचनं दीनमस्वरम् ॥ २६ ॥
Then the lord of the earth, lamenting with a choked voice, said gentle, faint, wretched, toneless words:
कौसल्याया गृहं शीघ्रं राममातुर्नयन्तु माम् । नह्यन्यत्र ममाश्वासो हृदयस्य भविष्यति ॥ २७ ॥
“Let them take me quickly to Kausalya’s house, to Rama’s mother. For nowhere else will my heart find comfort.”
इति ब्रुवन्तं राजानमनयन् द्वारदर्शिनः । कौसल्याया गृहं तत्र न्यवेशयत विनीतवत् ॥ २८ ॥
As the king spoke so, the doorkeepers took him to Kausalya’s house, and he was laid down there respectfully.
ततस्तत्र प्रविष्टस्य कौसल्याया निवेशनम् । अधिरुह्यापि शयनं बभूव लुलितं मनः ॥ २९ ॥
Having entered Kausalya’s house there and lain down on the bed, his mind was in turmoil.
पुत्रद्वयविहीनं च स्नुषया च विवर्जितम् । अपश्यद् भवनं राजा नष्टचन्द्रमिवाम्बरम् ॥ ३० ॥
The king saw the house without his two sons and without his daughter-in-law, like the sky without the moon.
तच्च दृष्ट्वा महाराजो भुजमुद्यम्य वीर्यवान् । उच्चैःस्वरेण प्राक्रोशद्धा राम विजहासि नौ ॥ ३१ ॥
Seeing it, the mighty great king raised his arm and cried out in a loud voice: “Ha Rama, you are leaving us both!
सुखिता बत तं कालं जीविष्यन्ति नरोत्तमाः । परिष्वजन्तो ये रामं द्रक्ष्यन्ति पुनरागतम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“Happy indeed are the best of men who will live to that time and will see Rama come back again, and embrace him.”
अथ रात्र्यां प्रपन्नायां कालरात्र्यामिवात्मनः । अर्धरात्रे दशरथः कौसल्यामिदमब्रवीत् ॥ ३३ ॥
Then, when night had come, like the night of doom for him, at midnight Dasharatha said to Kausalya:
न त्वां पश्यामि कौसल्ये साधु मां पाणिना स्पृश । रामं मेऽनुगता दृष्टिरद्यापि न निवर्तते ॥ ३४ ॥
“Kausalya, I cannot see you; touch me well with your hand. My sight went after Rama and does not come back even now.”
तं राममेवानुविचिन्तयन्तं समीक्ष्य देवी शयने नरेन्द्रम् । उपोपविश्याधिकमार्तरूपा विनिश्वसन्तं विललाप कृच्छ्रम् ॥ ३५ ॥
Seeing the lord of men on the bed thinking only of Rama, the queen sat close beside him and, more afflicted still, lamented bitterly over him as he sighed.