Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 49 of 119 · 18 verses
Through the Villages of Kosala
In what remains of the night Rama, tiger among men, covers a long distance, remembering his father’s command. The auspicious night passes as he travels; at dawn he performs the twilight worship and enters the border country. Driving swiftly with the fine horses, swift as arrows, he passes villages with wide-ploughed fields and flowering woods, and hears the people of the villages saying: “Shame on King Dasharatha, who has fallen under the power of desire! Ah, cruel, sinful Kaikeyi, bent on evil, sharp, breaking all bounds, is busy with a sharp deed: she banishes the king’s righteous, wise, compassionate, tireless son to live in the forest. How will fortunate Sita, daughter of Janaka, always used to comfort, bear hardship? Ah, King Dasharatha is without love, wanting to abandon his beloved son Rama, sinless and dear to his people.”
Hearing these words of the village people, the hero, lord of Kosala, passes through Kosala. He crosses the river Vedashruti, with its auspicious water, and goes on toward the south, where Agastya lives. After a long while he crosses the cool-watered Gomati, flowing to the sea, its banks full of cattle, and then the Syandika, echoing with peacocks and swans. Rama shows Vaidehi the rich land, full of kingdoms, given long ago by King Manu to Ikshvaku. Calling the charioteer again and again, the glorious bull among men, with a voice like an excited swan’s, says: “When shall I come back and hunt again in the flowering woods of the Sarayu, together with my mother and father? I do not crave hunting much in the Sarayu forest, but it is a matchless delight in the world, approved by the hosts of royal sages; for the royal sages of this world, hunting in the forest at the proper time is a pleasure desired by archers.” Talking so sweetly with the charioteer about one thing and another, the Ikshvaku prince travels on.
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रामोऽपि रात्रिशेषेण तेनैव महदन्तरम् । जगाम पुरुषव्याघ्रः पितुराज्ञामनुस्मरन् ॥ १ ॥
Rama too, the tiger among men, in what remained of the night went a great distance, remembering his father’s command.
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तथैव गच्छतस्तस्य व्यपायाद्रजनी शिवा । उपास्य स शिवां संध्यां विषयान्तं व्यगाहत ॥ २ ॥
As he went on in that way, the auspicious night ended; having worshipped the auspicious twilight, he entered the border of the realm.
ग्रामान्विकृष्टसीमान्तान्पुष्पितानि वनानि च । पश्यन्नतिययौ शीघ्रं शरैरिव हयोत्तमैः ॥ ३ ॥
Seeing those villages with their wide-ploughed boundaries and the flowering woods, he passed quickly with his fine horses, like arrows.
शृण्वन्वाचो मनुष्याणां ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम् । राजानं धिग्दशरथं कामस्य वशमास्थितम् ॥ ४ ॥
हा नृशंसाद्य कैकेयी पापा पापानुबन्धिनी । तीक्ष्णा सम्भिन्नमर्यादा तीक्ष्णकर्मणि वर्तते ॥ ५ ॥
He heard the words of the men living in the villages and settlements: “Shame on King Dasharatha, who has come under the power of desire! Ah, cruel Kaikeyi today, sinful, bound to sin, sharp, breaking all bounds, engaged in a sharp deed,
या पुत्रमीदृशं राज्ञः प्रवासयति धार्मिकम् । वनवासे महाप्राज्ञं सानुक्रोशं जितेन्द्रियम् ॥ ६ ॥
“who banishes to forest life such a righteous son of the king, so wise, compassionate and master of his senses.
कथं नाम महाभागा सीता जनकनन्दिनी । सदा सुखेष्वभिरता दुःखान्यनुभविष्यति ॥ ७ ॥
“How will fortunate Sita, Janaka’s daughter, always delighting in comforts, endure hardships?
अहो दशरथो राजा निःस्नेहः स्वसुत प्रियम् । प्रजानामनघं रामं परित्यक्तुमिहेच्छति ॥ ८ ॥
“Ah, King Dasharatha is without love, wishing to abandon here his beloved son Rama, sinless, dear to his people.”
एता वाचो मनुष्याणां ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम् । शृण्वन्नतिययौ वीरः कोसलान्कोसलेश्वरः ॥ ९ ॥
Hearing these words of the men living in the villages and settlements, the hero, the lord of Kosala, passed beyond the Kosalas.
ततो वेदश्रुतिं नाम शिववारिवहां नदीम् । उत्तीर्याभिमुखः प्रायादगस्त्याध्युषितां दिशम् ॥ १० ॥
Then, crossing the river named Vedashruti, which carries auspicious water, he went on toward the direction where Agastya lives.
गत्वा तु सुचिरं कालं ततः शीतजलां नदीम् । गोमतीं गोयुतानूपामतरत् सागरंगमाम् ॥ ११ ॥
Having gone a long time, he then crossed the cool-watered Gomati, going to the sea, its banks crowded with cattle.
गोमतीं चाप्यतिक्रम्य राघवः शीघ्रगैर्हयैः । मयूरहंसाभिरुतां ततार स्यन्दिकां नदीम् ॥ १२ ॥
Having crossed the Gomati too, Raghava with his swift horses crossed the Syandika river, echoing with peacocks and swans.
स महीं मनुना राज्ञा दत्तामिक्ष्वाकवे पुरा । स्फीतां राष्ट्रावृतां रामो वैदेहीमन्वदर्शयत् ॥ १३ ॥
Rama showed Vaidehi that land, given long ago by King Manu to Ikshvaku, prosperous, surrounded by kingdoms.
सूत इत्येव चाभाष्य सारथिं तमभीक्ष्णशः । हंसमत्तस्वरः श्रीमानुवाच पुरुषर्षभः ॥ १४ ॥
Calling out “Charioteer!” again and again to his driver, the glorious bull among men, with a voice like an excited swan’s, said:
कदाहं पुनरागम्य सरय्वाः पुष्पिते वने । मृगयां पर्यटिष्यामि मात्रा पित्रा च संगतः ॥ १५ ॥
“When shall I come back and wander hunting again in the flowering forest of the Sarayu, together with my mother and father?
नात्यर्थमभिकाङ्क्षामि मृगयां सरयूवने । रतिर्ह्येषातुला लोके राजर्षिगणसम्मता ॥ १६ ॥
“I do not crave hunting too much in the Sarayu forest; but this is a matchless delight in the world, approved by the hosts of royal sages.
राजर्षीणां हि लोकेऽस्मिन् रत्यर्थं मृगया वने । काले कृतां तां मनुजैर्धन्विनामभिकाङ्क्षिताम् ॥ १७ ॥
“For the royal sages in this world, hunting in the forest, done at the proper time, is for pleasure, and is desired by men who are archers.”
स तमध्वानमैक्ष्वाकः सूतं मधुरया गिरा । तं तमर्थमभिप्रेत्य ययौ वाक्यमुदीरयन् ॥ १८ ॥
Speaking to the charioteer on that road in a sweet voice, aiming at this and that subject, the Ikshvaku went on, uttering his words.