Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 43 of 119 · 21 verses
Kausalya’s Lament
Seeing the king sunk in grief on his bed, Kausalya, stricken for her son, says: “Having spat her poison on Raghava, tiger among men, Kaikeyi will roam free like a snake that has shed its skin. Having banished Rama, fortunate, her wish fulfilled, she will frighten me again like a wicked snake in the house. Better that Rama should live here in the city as a beggar, or even that my son be made her slave, than this. Kaikeyi has thrown Rama down from his place as she wished, like a fire-priest throwing the rakshasas’ share aside at the festival. The heroic, long-armed bowman, walking like a lord of elephants, is surely entering the forest now with his wife and Lakshmana. What will become of them in the forest, they who have never seen sorrow, abandoned to it by you at Kaikeyi’s wish? Young, stripped of their jewels, banished in the season of fruit, how will those poor ones live on fruit and roots?
“Will the time come, auspicious, the end of my grief, when I see Raghava here with his wife and brother? When will glorious Ayodhya, its people glad, hung with flags, hear that the two heroes are back? When will the city rejoice like the ocean at the full moon, seeing the two tigers among men return from the forest? When will the mighty hero enter Ayodhya, with Sita in front of him in the chariot? When will thousands of people scatter parched grain on my two sons on the royal road? When will I see them enter Ayodhya with their fine earrings, swords and weapons raised, like two peaked mountains? When will the brahmanas’ daughters, glad, walk around the city offering flowers and fruit? When will the righteous one, mature in wisdom and godlike in age, come to us like good rain? Surely, in a former life, I was cruel and cut off the mothers’ udders when the calves wanted to drink. So Kaikeyi has made me, loving my calf, calfless, like a cow whose young calf is taken by force by a lion. I, with one son, cannot live without him, so virtuous and learned. I have no strength to live without seeing my beloved son and mighty Lakshmana. This fire of grief for my son burns me today, as the sun burns the earth with its rays in summer.”
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ततः समीक्ष्य शयने सन्नं शोकेन पार्थिवम् । कौसल्या पुत्रशोकार्ता तमुवाच महीपतिम् ॥ १ ॥
Then, seeing the king sunk in grief on his bed, Kausalya, afflicted with grief for her son, spoke to the lord of the earth:
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Kausalya’s Lament 1 min read.
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राघवे नरशार्दूले विषं मुक्त्वाहिजिह्मगा । विचरिष्यति कैकेयी निर्मुक्तेव हि पन्नगी ॥ २ ॥
“Having released her poison on Raghava, the tiger among men, Kaikeyi, crooked like a snake, will roam about like a she-serpent that has shed its skin.
विवास्य रामं सुभगा लब्धकामा समाहिता । त्रासयिष्यति मां भूयो दुष्टाहिरिव वेश्मनि ॥ ३ ॥
“Having banished Rama, fortunate, her wish fulfilled, self-satisfied, she will frighten me again like a wicked snake in the house.
अथास्मिन् नगरे रामश्चरन् भैक्षं गृहे वसेत् । कामकारो वरं दातुमपि दासं ममात्मजम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Better that Rama should live at home in this city, going about begging; or let my son even be given as a slave, at her pleasure.
पातयित्वा तु कैकेय्या रामं स्थानाद् यथेष्टतः । प्रविद्धो रक्षसां भागः पर्वणीवाहिताग्निना ॥ ५ ॥
“But Kaikeyi, having thrown Rama from his place as she wished, has cast him away like the rakshasas’ share thrown out at a festival by the keeper of the fire.
नागराजगतिर्वीरो महाबाहुर्धनुर्धरः । वनमाविशते नूनं सभार्यः सहलक्ष्मणः ॥ ६ ॥
“The hero with the gait of a lord of elephants, long-armed, bearing his bow, is surely entering the forest with his wife and with Lakshmana.
वने त्वदृष्टदुःखानां कैकेय्यनुमते त्वया । त्यक्तानां वनवासाय कान्यावस्था भविष्यति ॥ ७ ॥
“What condition will be theirs in the forest, who have never seen sorrow, abandoned by you to forest life with Kaikeyi’s consent?
ते रत्नहीनास्तरुणाः फलकाले विवासिताः । कथं वत्स्यन्ति कृपणाः फलमूलैः कृताशनाः ॥ ८ ॥
“Stripped of their jewels, young, banished at the time of fruit, how will those poor ones live, eating fruit and roots?
अपीदानीं स कालः स्यान्मम शोकक्षयः शिवः । सहभार्यं सह भ्रात्रा पश्येयमिह राघवम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Will that auspicious time come now, the end of my grief, when I will see Raghava here with his wife and his brother?
श्रुत्वैवोपस्थितौ वीरौ कदायोध्या भविष्यति । यशस्विनी हृष्टजना सूच्छ्रितध्वजमालिनी ॥ १० ॥
“When will Ayodhya, glorious, its people glad, garlanded with high flags, be as soon as it hears that the two heroes have come?
कदा प्रेक्ष्य नरव्याघ्रावरण्यात् पुनरागतौ । भविष्यति पुरी हृष्टा समुद्र इव पर्वणि ॥ ११ ॥
“When will the city be glad, like the ocean at the full moon, seeing the two tigers among men come back from the forest?
कदायोध्यां महाबाहुः पुरीं वीरः प्रवेक्ष्यति । पुरस्कृत्य रथे सीतां वृषभो गोवधूमिव ॥ १२ ॥
“When will the mighty-armed hero enter the city of Ayodhya, with Sita before him in the chariot, like a bull with a young cow?
कदा प्राणिसहस्राणि राजमार्गे ममात्मजौ । लाजैरवकरिष्यन्ति प्रविशन्तावरिंदमौ ॥ १३ ॥
“When will thousands of creatures scatter parched grain on my two sons, subduers of enemies, as they enter on the royal road?
प्रविशन्तौ कदायोध्यां द्रक्ष्यामि शुभकुण्डलौ । उदग्रायुधनिस्त्रिंशौ सशृङ्गाविव पर्वतौ ॥ १४ ॥
“When will I see the two of them entering Ayodhya, with fine earrings, their weapons and swords raised, like two mountains with peaks?
कदा सुमनसः कन्या द्विजातीनां फलानि च । प्रदिशन्त्यः पुरीं हृष्टाः करिष्यन्ति प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ १५ ॥
“When will the brahmanas’ daughters, glad, offering flowers and fruits, walk around the city in reverence?
कदा परिणतो बुद्ध्या वयसा चामरप्रभाः । अभ्युपैष्यति धर्मात्मा सुवर्ष इव लालयन् ॥ १६ ॥
“When will the righteous one, mature in wisdom, shining like an immortal in his years, come to us, delighting us like good rain?
निःसंशयं मया मन्ये पुरा वीर कदर्यया । पातुकामेषु वत्सेषु मातॄणां शातिताः स्तनाः ॥ १७ ॥
“Without doubt, I think, in a former time, cruel as I was, I cut off the udders of mothers while their calves wished to drink.
साहं गौरिव सिंहेन विवत्सा वत्सला कृता । कैकेय्या पुरुषव्याघ्र बालवत्सेव गौर्बलात् ॥ १८ ॥
“So I, loving my calf, have been made calfless by Kaikeyi, tiger among men, like a cow with a young calf, by force, by a lion.
नहि तावद्गुणैर्जुष्टं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम् । एकपुत्रा विना पुत्रमहं जीवितुमुत्सहे ॥ १९ ॥
“I, who have one son, cannot bear to live without that son, so rich in virtues and learned in every science.
न हि मे जीविते किंचित् सामर्थ्यमिह कल्प्यते । अपश्यन्त्याः प्रियं पुत्रं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम् ॥ २० ॥
“I have no strength for life here, not seeing my beloved son and mighty Lakshmana.
अयं हि मां दीपयतेऽद्य वह्नि- स्तनूजशोकप्रभवो महाहितः । महीमिमां रश्मिभिरुत्तमप्रभो यथा निदाघे भगवान् दिवाकरः ॥ २१ ॥
“This fire born of grief for my son, a great enemy, burns me today, as the blessed sun of supreme radiance burns this earth with its rays in summer.”