Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 44 of 119 · 31 verses
Sumitra Consoles Kausalya
Sumitra, steadfast in dharma, speaks to the lamenting Kausalya: “Noble lady, your son is endowed with every virtue, the best of men; why weep and lament so? Your mighty son has given up the kingdom and gone, doing right by his great-souled, truthful father. Rama stands in the dharma the good have always practised, which bears fruit after death; he is never to be pitied. Lakshmana, always sinless, compassionate to all beings, serves him in the best way; that is his gain. Vaidehi, used to comfort, follows your righteous son knowing the hardships of the forest. What has your son, the lord who waves the banner of fame in the world, devoted to dharma and truth, not attained? Knowing Rama’s purity and greatness, the sun will not scorch his body with its rays. The wind from the forests, cool or warm as needed, will serve Raghava happily at all times. The moon, cool, will embrace the sinless one at night like a father and delight him with its touch. He to whom Brahma gave divine weapons after seeing the danava king, Timidhvaja’s son, slain in battle, relying on the strength of his own arms, will live in the forest unafraid, as in his own house. How can the earth not obey him, at whose arrows’ path enemies perish?
“With Rama’s splendour, valour and good nature, he will soon regain his kingdom after his forest life. He is the sun of the sun, the fire of fire, lord of lords, the glory of glory, the fame of fame, the patience of patience, the god of gods, the best of beings. What faults has he, in the forest or the city? Rama will soon be consecrated together with these three: the earth, Vaidehi and Fortune. When all Ayodhya sheds tears to see him go, when Lakshmi follows him in bark like Sita, and Lakshmana goes ahead with bow, arrows, sword and weapons, what is out of his reach? You will see him back, his forest life ended. Give up grief and delusion, queen; I tell you the truth. You will see your son again, bowing his head at your feet, like the rising moon, and you will soon shed tears of joy as he enters, consecrated and glorious. You ought to comfort all these people, sinless one; why do you let your heart weaken? You who have Raghava for a son should not grieve; no one in the world is more firmly on the good path than Rama. Soon you will see your son, with his friends, saluting you, and you will weep for joy like a monsoon cloud; your son, giver of boons, back in Ayodhya, will press your feet with his soft, strong hands.” Having comforted Rama’s mother with many words, skilled in speech, Queen Sumitra falls silent. Hearing Lakshmana’s mother, the grief in Kausalya’s body vanishes at once, like an autumn cloud with little water.
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विलपन्तीं तथा तां तु कौसल्यां प्रमदोत्तमाम् । इदं धर्मे स्थिता धर्म्यं सुमित्रा वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
To Kausalya, best of women, lamenting so, Sumitra, steadfast in dharma, spoke these righteous words:
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Sumitra Consoles Kausalya 1 min read.
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तवार्ये सद्गुणैर्युक्तः स पुत्रः पुरुषोत्तमः । किं ते विलपितेनैवं कृपणं रुदितेन वा ॥ २ ॥
“Noble lady, your son is endowed with true virtues, the best of men. What use is this pitiful lament or weeping of yours?
यस्तवार्ये गतः पुत्रस्त्यक्त्वा राज्यं महाबलः । साधु कुर्वन् महात्मानं पितरं सत्यवादिनम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Your son, noble lady, who has gone giving up the kingdom, the mighty one, is doing right by his great-souled, truthful father.
शिष्टैराचरिते सम्यक्शश्वत् प्रेत्य फलोदये । रामो धर्मे स्थितः श्रेष्ठो न स शोच्यः कदाचन ॥ ४ ॥
“Rama, the best, standing in the dharma always practised by the good, which bears fruit after death, is never to be grieved for.
वर्तते चोत्तमां वृत्तिं लक्ष्मणोऽस्मिन् सदानघः । दयावान् सर्वभूतेषु लाभस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥ ५ ॥
“And Lakshmana, always sinless, compassionate to all beings, practises the best conduct toward him; that is the gain of the great soul.
अरण्यवासे यद् दुःखं जानन्त्येव सुखोचिता । अनुगच्छति वैदेही धर्मात्मानं तवात्मजम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Vaidehi, used to comfort, knowing well the sorrow of forest life, follows your righteous son.
कीर्तिभूतां पताकां यो लोके भ्रमयति प्रभुः । धर्मः सत्यव्रतपरः किं न प्राप्तस्तवात्मजः ॥ ७ ॥
“The lord who waves the banner of fame in the world, devoted to dharma and to truthful vows: what has your son not attained?
व्यक्तं रामस्य विज्ञाय शौचं माहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । न गात्रमंशुभिः सूर्यः संतापयितुमर्हति ॥ ८ ॥
“Surely, knowing Rama’s purity and supreme greatness, the sun will not scorch his body with its rays.
शिवः सर्वेषु कालेषु काननेभ्यो विनिःसृतः । राघवं युक्तशीतोष्णः सेविष्यति सुखोऽनिलः ॥ ९ ॥
“A kindly, pleasant wind, cool or warm as needed, coming out of the forests, will serve Raghava at all times.
शयानमनघं रात्रौ पितेवाभिपरिष्वजन् । घर्मघ्नः संस्पृशन् शीतश्चन्द्रमा ह्लादयिष्यति ॥ १० ॥
“As he lies sinless at night, the cool moon, dispeller of heat, will touch him, embracing him like a father, and gladden him.
ददौ चास्त्राणि दिव्यानि यस्मै ब्रह्मा महौजसे । दानवेन्द्रं हतं दृष्ट्वा तिमिध्वजसुतं रणे ॥ ११ ॥
स शूरः पुरुषव्याघ्रः स्वबाहुबलमाश्रितः । असंत्रस्तो ह्यरण्येऽसौ वेश्मनीव निवत्स्यते ॥ १२ ॥
“He to whom Brahma gave divine weapons, the mighty one, on seeing the lord of the danavas, Timidhvaja’s son, slain in battle, that hero, tiger among men, relying on the strength of his own arms, will live unafraid in the forest as in a house.
यस्येषुपथमासाद्य विनाशं यान्ति शत्रवः । कथं न पृथिवी तस्य शासने स्थातुमर्हति ॥ १३ ॥
“How should the earth not stand under the rule of him, whose arrow’s path his enemies reach and perish?
या श्रीः शौर्यं च रामस्य या च कल्याणसत्त्वता । निवृत्तारण्यवासः स्वं क्षिप्रं राज्यमवाप्स्यति ॥ १४ ॥
“With such splendour and valour as Rama has, and such good nature, when his forest life is over he will soon gain his own kingdom.
सूर्यस्यापि भवेत् सूर्यो ह्यग्नेरग्निः प्रभोः प्रभुः । श्रियाः श्रीश्च भवेदग्र्या कीर्त्याः कीर्तिः क्षमाक्षमा ॥ १५ ॥
“He would be the sun even of the sun, the fire of fire, the lord of the lord, the foremost glory of glory, the fame of fame, the patience of patience,
दैवतं देवतानां च भूतानां भूतसत्तमः । तस्य के ह्यगुणा देवि वने वाप्यथवा पुरे ॥ १६ ॥
“the deity of the deities and the best being of beings. What faults has he, queen, in the forest or in the city?
पृथिव्या सह वैदेह्या श्रिया च पुरुषर्षभः । क्षिप्रं तिसृभिरेताभिः सह रामोऽभिषेक्ष्यते ॥ १७ ॥
“With the earth, with Vaidehi, and with Fortune, these three, the bull among men, Rama, will soon be consecrated.
दुःखजं विसृजत्यश्रु निष्क्रामन्तमुदीक्ष्य यम् । अयोध्यायां जनः सर्वः शोकवेगसमाहतः ॥ १८ ॥
“He whom all the people in Ayodhya, struck by the force of grief, shed tears born of sorrow to see go out,
कुशचीरधरं वीरं गच्छन्तमपराजितम् । सीतेवानुगता लक्ष्मीस्तस्य किं नाम दुर्लभम् ॥ १९ ॥
“the unconquered hero going in kusha-bark, whom Lakshmi follows like Sita: what is hard for him to gain?
धनुर्ग्रहवरो यस्य बाणखड्गास्त्रभृत् स्वयम् । लक्ष्मणो व्रजति ह्यग्रे तस्य किं नाम दुर्लभम् ॥ २० ॥
“He before whom Lakshmana himself, best of bowmen, bearing arrows, sword and weapons, goes: what is hard for him to gain?
निवृत्तवनवासं तं द्रष्टासि पुनरागतम् । जहि शोकं च मोहं च देवि सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते ॥ २१ ॥
“You will see him come back, his forest life ended. Give up grief and delusion, queen; I tell you the truth.
शिरसा चरणावेतौ वन्दमानमनिन्दिते । पुनर्द्रक्ष्यसि कल्याणि पुत्रं चन्द्रमिवोदितम् ॥ २२ ॥
“You will see your son again, faultless one, auspicious one, saluting these feet with his head, like the risen moon.
पुनः प्रविष्टं दृष्ट्वा तमभिषिक्तं महाश्रियम् । समुत्स्रक्ष्यसि नेत्राभ्यां शीघ्रमानन्दजं जलम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Seeing him enter again, consecrated, greatly glorious, you will soon shed tears of joy from your eyes.
मा शोको देवि दुःखं वा न रामे दृष्यतेऽशिवम् । क्षिप्रं द्रक्ष्यसि पुत्रं त्वं ससीतं सहलक्ष्मणम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Let there be no grief or sorrow, queen; nothing inauspicious is seen in Rama. You will soon see your son with Sita and Lakshmana.
त्वयाऽशेषो जनश्चायं समाश्वास्यो यतोऽनघे । कमिदानीमिदं देवि करोषि हृदि विक्लवम् ॥ २५ ॥
“All these people should be comforted by you, sinless one; why, queen, do you now let your heart grow weak?
नार्हा त्वं शोचितुं देवि यस्यास्ते राघवः सुतः । नहि रामात् परो लोके विद्यते सत्पथे स्थितः ॥ २६ ॥
“You, whose son is Raghava, should not grieve, queen; for there is no one in the world higher than Rama, standing on the good path.
अभिवादयमानं तं दृष्ट्वा ससुहृदं सुतम् । मुदाश्रु मोक्ष्यसे क्षिप्रं मेघरेखेव वार्षिकी ॥ २७ ॥
“Seeing your son with his friends, saluting you, you will soon shed tears of joy, like a line of monsoon cloud.
पुत्रस्ते वरदः क्षिप्रमयोध्यां पुनरागतः । कराभ्यां मृदुपीनाभ्यां चरणौ पीडयिष्यति ॥ २८ ॥
“Your son, giver of boons, soon come back to Ayodhya, will press your feet with his soft, strong hands.
अभिवाद्य नमस्यन्तं शूरं ससुहृदं सुतम् । मुदास्रैः प्रोक्षसे पुत्रं मेघराजिरिवाचलम् ॥ २९ ॥
“When your heroic son with his friends salutes and bows to you, you will sprinkle him with tears of joy, as a line of clouds sprinkles a mountain.”
आश्वासयन्ती विविधैश्च वाक्यै- र्वाक्योपचारे कुशलानवद्या । रामस्य तां मातरमेवमुक्त्वा देवी सुमित्रा विरराम रामा ॥ ३० ॥
Comforting her with many kinds of words, skilled in courteous speech, faultless, lovely Queen Sumitra, having said this to Rama’s mother, fell silent.
निशम्य तल्लक्ष्मणमातृवाक्यं रामस्य मातुर्नरदेवपत्न्याः । सद्यः शरीरे विननाश शोकः शरद्गतो मेघ इवाल्पतोयः ॥ ३१ ॥
Hearing these words of Lakshmana’s mother, the grief of Rama’s mother, the king’s wife, vanished at once from her body, like an autumn cloud with little water.