Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 46 of 119 · 34 verses
The First Night: Slipping Away at Dawn
On the lovely bank of the Tamasa, Raghava looks at Sita and says to Lakshmana: “This is the first night of our forest life, Saumitri; bless you, do not be anxious. See the empty forests, as if weeping all around, as beasts and birds go to their nests. Today the city of Ayodhya, my father’s capital, will surely grieve for us, its men and women, for its people love the king, you, me, Bharata and Shatrughna. I grieve for my father and my glorious mother; I hope they do not go blind from weeping. But righteous Bharata will comfort them with words full of dharma, wealth and love; thinking of his gentleness I do not grieve for them, mighty-armed one. You have done what was needed by following me, tiger among men; Vaidehi’s protection needs a helper. Tonight I will live on water only; I prefer it, though there is forest food of many kinds.” He tells Sumantra to see carefully to the horses. At sunset Sumantra tethers them with plenty of fodder. After the twilight worship, the charioteer and Lakshmana make Rama’s bed of leaves on the bank, and Rama lies down with his wife. While Rama and Sita sleep, tired, Lakshmana tells the charioteer of Rama’s many virtues; Saumitri and the charioteer stay awake all night, and the sun rises as he is still telling of Rama.
Rama spends that night not far from the Tamasa, whose banks are crowded with herds of cattle, together with the people. Rising, he looks at the citizens and says to Lakshmana: “Look, Saumitri: they care nothing for their homes, only for us; they have settled at the foot of trees. As these citizens are resolved to bring us back, they would give up their lives rather than their resolve. While they sleep, let us quickly mount the chariot and go by a safe road, so that these devoted people of Ayodhya do not have to sleep again under trees. Princes should free citizens from the sorrow they bring on themselves, not join them to their own.” Lakshmana agrees: “So do I, wise one; let us mount quickly.” Rama tells Sumantra to yoke the chariot. They cross the swift, eddying Tamasa and reach a great, safe, thornless road. To mislead the citizens, Rama tells Sumantra: “Drive north for a while, quickly, then turn back, so the people cannot tell where I have gone.” The charioteer does so, returns, and Rama, Sita and Lakshmana mount and drive toward the forest of austerities, turning the chariot north first as an auspicious sign.
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ततस्तु तमसातीरं रम्यमाश्रित्य राघवः । सीतामुद्वीक्ष्य सौमित्रिमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Then, reaching the lovely bank of the Tamasa, Raghava looked at Sita and said to Saumitri:
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The First Night: Slipping Away at Dawn 1 min read.
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इयमद्य निशा पूर्वा सौमित्रे प्रहिता वनम् । वनवासस्य भद्रं ते न चोत्कण्ठितुमर्हसि ॥ २ ॥
“This is the first night, Saumitri, since we set out for the forest, of our life in the forest. Bless you; you should not be anxious.
पश्य शून्यान्यरण्यानि रुदन्तीव समन्ततः । यथानिलयमायद्भिर्निलीनानि मृगद्विजैः ॥ ३ ॥
“See the empty forests, as if weeping on every side, the beasts and birds having settled in their own resting places.
अद्यायोध्या तु नगरी राजधानी पितुर्मम । सस्त्रीपुंसा गतानस्मान् शोचिष्यति न संशयः ॥ ४ ॥
“Today the city of Ayodhya, my father’s capital, with its women and men, will surely grieve for us who have gone.
अनुरक्ता हि मनुजा राजानं बहुभिर्गुणैः । त्वां च मां च नरव्याघ्र शत्रुघ्नभरतौ तथा ॥ ५ ॥
“For the people are devoted to the king for his many virtues, and to you and me, tiger among men, and to Shatrughna and Bharata.
पितरं चानुशोचामि मातरं च यशस्विनीम् । अपि नान्धौ भवेतां नौ रुदन्तौ तावभीक्ष्णशः ॥ ६ ॥
“I grieve for my father and my glorious mother. I hope they do not go blind, weeping so constantly.
भरतः खलु धर्मात्मा पितरं मातरं च मे । धर्मार्थकामसहितैर्वाक्यैराश्वासयिष्यति ॥ ७ ॥
“But righteous Bharata will surely comfort my father and mother with words full of dharma, wealth and love.
भरतस्यानृशंसत्वं संचिन्त्याहं पुनः पुनः । नानुशोचामि पितरं मातरं च महाभुज ॥ ८ ॥
“Thinking again and again of Bharata’s gentleness, I do not grieve for my father and mother, mighty-armed one.
त्वया कार्यं नरव्याघ्र मामनुव्रजता कृतम् । अन्वेष्टव्या हि वैदेह्या रक्षणार्थं सहायता ॥ ९ ॥
“You have done what had to be done by following me, tiger among men; for Vaidehi’s protection, help had to be found.
अद्भिरेव हि सौमित्रे वत्स्याम्यद्य निशामिमाम् । एतद्धि रोचते मह्यं वन्येऽपि विविधे सति ॥ १० ॥
“Tonight, Saumitri, I will live on water alone. That is what I prefer, though there is forest food of many kinds.”
एवमुक्त्वा तु सौमित्रिं सुमन्त्रमपि राघवः । अप्रमत्तस्त्वमश्वेषु भव सौम्येत्युवाच ह ॥ ११ ॥
Having said this to Saumitri, Raghava also said to Sumantra: “Be careful with the horses, gentle one.”
सोऽश्वान् सुमन्त्रः संयम्य सूर्येऽस्तं समुपागते । प्रभूतयवसान् कृत्वा बभूव प्रत्यनन्तरः ॥ १२ ॥
When the sun had set, Sumantra tethered the horses, gave them plenty of fodder, and stayed close by.
उपास्य तु शिवां संध्यां दृष्ट्वा रात्रिमुपागताम् । रामस्य शयनं चक्रे सूतः सौमित्रिणा सह ॥ १३ ॥
Having worshipped the auspicious twilight and seeing that night had come, the charioteer with Saumitri made Rama’s bed.
तां शय्यां तमसातीरे वीक्ष्य वृक्षदलैर्वृताम् । रामः सौमित्रिणा सार्धं सभार्यः संविवेश ह ॥ १४ ॥
Seeing that bed on the bank of the Tamasa, covered with leaves, Rama with Saumitri, and with his wife, lay down.
सभार्यं सम्प्रसुप्तं तु श्रान्तं सम्प्रेक्ष्य लक्ष्मणः । कथयामास सूताय रामस्य विविधान् गुणान् ॥ १५ ॥
Seeing Rama asleep with his wife, tired, Lakshmana told the charioteer of Rama’s many virtues.
जाग्रतोरेव तां रात्रिं सौमित्रेरुदितो रविः । सूतस्य तमसातीरे रामस्य ब्रुवतो गुणान् ॥ १६ ॥
While Saumitri and the charioteer stayed awake that night, the sun rose on the bank of the Tamasa as he told of Rama’s virtues.
गोकुलाकुलतीरायास्तमसाया विदूरतः । अवसत् तत्र तां रात्रिं रामः प्रकृतिभिः सह ॥ १७ ॥
Not far from the Tamasa, whose banks were crowded with herds of cattle, Rama spent that night there with the people.
उत्थाय च महातेजाः प्रकृतीस्ता निशाम्य च । अब्रवीद् भ्रातरं रामो लक्ष्मणं पुण्यलक्षणम् ॥ १८ ॥
Rising, the radiant Rama, looking at those people, said to his brother Lakshmana, of auspicious marks:
अस्मद्व्यपेक्षान् सौमित्रे निर्व्यपेक्षान् गृहेष्वपि । वृक्षमूलेषु संसक्तान् पश्य लक्ष्मण साम्प्रतम् ॥ १९ ॥
“See, Saumitri, these people who care only for us and nothing for their homes, clinging now to the roots of trees, Lakshmana.
यथैते नियमं पौराः कुर्वन्त्यस्मन्निवर्तने । अपि प्राणान् न्यसिष्यन्ति न तु त्यक्ष्यन्ति निश्चयम् ॥ २० ॥
“The way these citizens are vowing to bring us back, they would give up their lives but not their resolve.
यावदेव तु संसुप्तास्तावदेव वयं लघु । रथमारुह्य गच्छामः पन्थानमकुतोभयम् ॥ २१ ॥
“So while they are asleep, let us quickly mount the chariot and go by a road where there is nothing to fear.
अतो भूयोऽपि नेदानीमिक्ष्वाकुपुरवासिनः । स्वपेयुरनुरक्ता मा वृक्षमूलेषु संश्रिताः ॥ २२ ॥
“So that these devoted people of the city of the Ikshvakus may not sleep again at the roots of trees.
पौरा ह्यात्मकृताद् दुःखाद् विप्रमोच्या नृपात्मजैः । न तु खल्वात्मना योज्या दुःखेन पुरवासिनः ॥ २३ ॥
“For citizens should be freed by princes from the sorrow they make for themselves; the people of the city should not be joined by them to their own sorrow.”
अब्रवील्लक्ष्मणो रामं साक्षाद् धर्ममिव स्थितम् । रोचते मे तथा प्राज्ञ क्षिप्रमारुह्यतामिति ॥ २४ ॥
Lakshmana said to Rama, who stood like dharma itself: “I like that too, wise one; let us mount quickly.”
अथ रामोऽब्रवीत् सूतं शीघ्रं संयुज्यतां रथः । गमिष्यामि ततोऽरण्यं गच्छ शीघ्रमितः प्रभो ॥ २५ ॥
Then Rama said to the charioteer: “Let the chariot be yoked quickly. I will go on to the forest; go quickly from here, lord.”
सूतस्ततः संत्वरितः स्यन्दनं तैर्हयोत्तमैः । योजयित्वा तु रामस्य प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्यवेदयत् ॥ २६ ॥
The charioteer, in great haste, yoked the chariot with those fine horses and, with joined palms, reported it to Rama:
अयं युक्तो महाबाहो रथस्ते रथिनां वर । त्वरयाऽऽरोह भद्रं ते ससीतः सहलक्ष्मणः ॥ २७ ॥
“Here is your chariot yoked, mighty-armed one, best of chariot-warriors. Mount quickly, bless you, with Sita and Lakshmana.”
तं स्यन्दनमधिष्ठाय राघवः सपरिच्छदः । शीघ्रगामाकुलावर्तां तमसामतरन्नदीम् ॥ २८ ॥
Mounting that chariot with his belongings, Raghava crossed the swift river Tamasa, full of eddies.
स संतीर्य महाबाहुः श्रीमान् शिवमकण्टकम् । प्रापद्यत महामार्गमभयं भयदर्शिनाम् ॥ २९ ॥
Having crossed it, the mighty-armed, glorious one reached a great road, auspicious and thornless, safe even for the fearful.
मोहनार्थं तु पौराणां सूतं रामोऽब्रवीद् वचः । उदङ्मुखः प्रयाहि त्वं रथमारुह्य सारथे ॥ ३० ॥
To mislead the citizens, Rama said to the charioteer: “Mount the chariot and drive north, charioteer.
मुहूर्तं त्वरितं गत्वा निवर्तय रथं पुनः । यथा न विद्युः पौरा मां तथा कुरु समाहितः ॥ ३१ ॥
“Go quickly for a moment and then turn the chariot back. Do it carefully, so that the citizens do not know where I am.”
रामस्य तु वचः श्रुत्वा तथा चक्रे च सारथिः । प्रत्यागम्य च रामस्य स्यन्दनं प्रत्यवेदयत् ॥ ३२ ॥
Hearing Rama’s words, the charioteer did so, and, coming back, reported the chariot to Rama.
तौ सम्प्रयुक्तं तु रथं समास्थितौ तदा ससीतौ रघुवंशवर्धनौ । प्रचोदयामास ततस्तुरंगमान् स सारथिर्येन पथा तपोवनम् ॥ ३३ ॥
Then the two increasers of the Raghu line, with Sita, mounted the yoked chariot, and the charioteer urged on the horses by the road to the forest of austerities.
ततः समास्थाय रथं महारथः ससारथिर्दाशरथिर्वनं ययौ । उदङ्मुखं तं तु रथं चकार प्रयाणमाङ्गल्यनिमित्तदर्शनात् ॥ ३४ ॥
Then the great chariot-warrior, son of Dasharatha, mounting the chariot with the charioteer, went to the forest; he had turned the chariot to the north, having seen an auspicious sign for the journey.