Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 51 of 119 · 27 verses
Lakshmana’s Night Watch
Seeing Lakshmana sincerely keeping watch for his brother’s sake, Guha, burning with sorrow, says: “My dear, this comfortable bed has been prepared for you; rest on it, prince, as you please. All of us are used to hardship; you are used to comfort. We will keep awake tonight to guard Kakutstha. No one on earth is dearer to me than Rama; I swear it by truth. By his grace I hope for great fame in this world, much dharma and wealth. With my kinsmen, bow in hand, I will guard my dear friend Rama on every side as he sleeps with Sita. Nothing in this forest, where I always roam, is unknown to me; we could withstand even a great fourfold army.”
Lakshmana answers: “Protected by you, sinless one, none of us is afraid here; you see only dharma. But how could I sleep, or care for life or comfort, while the son of Dasharatha lies on the ground with Sita? See him, whom all the gods and asuras could not withstand in battle, lying happily on grass with Sita; he, the one son of Dasharatha won by mantras, austerity and many labours, with marks like his father’s. With him exiled, the king will not live long; surely the earth will soon be widowed. The women must have stopped wailing from exhaustion; I think the royal palace has fallen silent. I do not hope that Kausalya, the king and my mother will all live through this night. My mother might live, looking to Shatrughna; but it grieves me that Kausalya, mother of a hero, will perish. The city, full of devoted people, which brings joy and lovely sights, will perish, joined to the king’s calamity. How can the life-breath stay in the great king’s body without seeing his eldest, beloved, great-souled son? When the king is gone, Kausalya will die, and then my mother too. My father will perish, his wish unfulfilled, not having placed Rama on the throne. Those whose purpose is fulfilled will perform all the funeral rites for the dead king when the time comes. Happy they will wander through my father’s capital, with its lovely squares and wide roads, its mansions and palaces, its courtesans, chariots, horses and elephants, music, gardens, gatherings and festivals, full of every good thing and happy people. Will Dasharatha live, so that we may come back from the forest and see that great soul of good vows again? Will we, with him who is true to his promise, enter Ayodhya safely when this forest life is over?” As the great-souled prince stands lamenting, stricken with grief, the night passes. Hearing the truth spoken out of love for his elder, for the people’s good, Guha weeps, struck by calamity, like an elephant in fever and pain.
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तं जाग्रतमदम्भेन भ्रातुरर्थाय लक्ष्मणम् । गुहः संतापसंतप्तो राघवं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Seeing Lakshmana sincerely keeping watch for his brother’s sake, Guha, burning with distress, said to Raghava’s brother:
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इयं तात सुखा शय्या त्वदर्थमुपकल्पिता । प्रत्याश्वसिहि साध्वस्यां राजपुत्र यथासुखम् ॥ २ ॥
“My dear, this comfortable bed has been prepared for you. Take your ease on it properly, prince, as you please.
उचितोऽयं जनः सर्वः क्लेशानां त्वंसुखोचितः । गुप्त्यर्थं जागरिष्यामः काकुत्स्थस्य वयं निशां ॥ ३ ॥
“All these people are used to hardships; you are used to comfort. We will stay awake tonight to guard Kakutstha.
न हि रामात् प्रियतरो ममास्ति भुवि कश्चन । ब्रवीम्येतदहं सत्यं सत्येनैव च ते शपे ॥ ४ ॥
“For there is no one on earth dearer to me than Rama. I say this truly, and I swear it to you by truth.
अस्य प्रसादादाशंसे लोकेऽस्मिन्सुमहद्यशः । धर्मावाप्तिं च विपुलामर्थावाप्तिं च केवलाम् ॥ ५ ॥
“By his grace I hope for very great fame in this world, abundant attainment of dharma, and wealth as well.
सोऽहं प्रियसखं रामं शयानं सह सीतया । रक्षिष्यामि धनुष्पाणिः सर्वतो ज्ञातिभिः सह ॥ ६ ॥
“So I, bow in hand, with my kinsmen, will guard my dear friend Rama on every side as he sleeps with Sita.
न हि मेऽविदितं किंचिद्वनेऽस्मिंश्चरतः सदा । चतुरङ्गं ह्यपि बलं सुमहत्प्रसहेमहि ॥ ७ ॥
“Nothing is unknown to me in this forest, where I always roam. We could withstand even a very great fourfold army.”
लक्ष्मणस्तं तदोवाच रक्ष्यमाणास्त्वयानघ । नात्र भीता वयं सर्वे धर्ममेवानुपश्यता ॥ ८ ॥
Lakshmana then said to him: “Protected by you, sinless one, none of us is afraid here, since you look only to dharma.
कथं दाशरथौ भूमौ शयाने सह सीतया । शक्या निद्रा मया लब्धुं जीवितं वा सुखानि वा ॥ ९ ॥
“But how can I get sleep, or life, or comforts, while the son of Dasharatha lies on the ground with Sita?
यो न देवासुरैः सर्वैः शक्यः प्रसहितुं युधि । तं पश्य सुखसंविष्टं तृणेषु सह सीतया ॥ १० ॥
“He whom all the gods and asuras together could not withstand in battle: see him lying happily on the grass with Sita.
यो मन्त्रतपसा लब्धो विविधैश्च परिश्रमैः । एको दशरथस्यैष पुत्रः सदृशलक्षणः ॥ ११ ॥
“This one son of Dasharatha, gained by mantras, austerity and many labours, with marks like his father’s:
अस्मिन्प्रव्रजिते राजा न चिरं वर्तयिष्यति । विधवा मेदिनी नूनं क्षिप्रमेव भविष्यति ॥ १२ ॥
“with him exiled, the king will not live long. Surely the earth will very soon be widowed.
विनद्य सुमहानादं श्रमेणोपरताः स्त्रियः । निर्घोषोपरतं तात मन्ये राजनिवेशनम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Having cried out loudly, the women must have fallen silent from exhaustion. I think the king’s palace has gone quiet, my friend.
कौसल्या चैव राजा च तथैव जननी मम । नाशंसे यदि जीवन्ति सर्वे ते शर्वरीमिमाम् ॥ १४ ॥
“Kausalya, the king, and my mother: I do not hope that all of them will live through this night.
जीवेदपि हि मे माता शत्रुघ्नस्यान्ववेक्षया । तद्दुःखं यत्तु कौसल्या वीरसूर्विनशिष्यति ॥ १५ ॥
“My mother might live, looking to Shatrughna; but that is the sorrow, that Kausalya, mother of a hero, will perish.
अनुरक्तजनाकीर्णा सुखालोकप्रियावहा । राजव्यसनसंसृष्टा सा पुरी विनशिष्यति ॥ १६ ॥
“Full of devoted people, bringing happiness, sights and pleasure, joined to the king’s calamity, that city will perish.
कथं पुत्रं महात्मानं ज्येष्ठं प्रियमपस्यतः । शरीरं धारयिष्यन्ति प्राणा राज्ञो महात्मनः ॥ १७ ॥
“How will the life-breaths of the great-souled king sustain his body, not seeing his great-souled, eldest, beloved son?
विनष्टे नृपतौ पश्चात्कौसल्या विनशिष्यति । अनन्तरं च माताऽपि मम नाशमुपैष्यति ॥ १८ ॥
“When the king has perished, Kausalya will perish afterwards, and right after her my mother too will meet her end.
अतिक्रान्तमतिक्रान्तमनवाप्य मनोरथम् । राज्ये राममनिक्षिप्य पिता मे विनशिष्यति ॥ १९ ॥
“His wish unattained, without placing Rama in the kingdom, my father will perish, saying ‘It is over, it is over.’
सिद्धार्थाः पितरं वृत्तं तस्मिन्काले ह्युपस्थिते । प्रेतकार्येषु सर्वेषु संस्करिष्यन्ति भूमिपम् ॥ २० ॥
“Those whose purpose is accomplished, when that time comes, will perform all the funeral rites for the lord of the earth who has died.
रम्यचत्वरसंस्थानां सुविभक्तमहापथाम् । हर्म्यप्रासादसम्पन्नां गणिकावरशोभिताम् ॥ २१ ॥
रथाश्वगजसम्बाधां तूर्यनादविनादिताम् । सर्वकल्याणसम्पूर्णां हृष्टपुष्टजनाकुलाम् ॥ २२ ॥
आरामोद्यानसम्पन्नां समाजोत्सवशालिनीम् । सुखिता विचरिष्यन्ति राजधानीं पितुर्मम ॥ २३ ॥
“Happy, they will wander through my father’s capital, with its lovely squares and well-laid great roads, rich with mansions and palaces, adorned with fine courtesans, crowded with chariots, horses and elephants, resounding with music, full of every good thing, crowded with happy, well-fed people, rich in gardens and parks, lovely with gatherings and festivals.
अपि जीवेद्दशरथो वनवासात्पुनर्वयम् । प्रत्यागम्य महात्मानमपि पश्येम सुव्रतम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Will Dasharatha live, so that, coming back again from our forest life, we may see that great soul of good vows?
अपि सत्यप्रतिज्ञेन सार्धं कुशलिना वयम् । निवृत्ते वनवासेऽस्मिन्नयोध्यां प्रविशेमहि ॥ २५ ॥
“Will we, with that one true to his promise, safe and well, enter Ayodhya when this forest life is over?”
परिदेवयमानस्य दुःखार्तस्य महात्मनः । तिष्ठतो राजपुत्रस्य शर्वरी सात्यवर्तत ॥ २६ ॥
As the great-souled prince stood lamenting, afflicted with sorrow, that night passed.
तथा हि सत्यं ब्रुवति प्रजाहिते नरेन्द्रपुत्रे गुरुसौहृदाद्गुहः । मुमोच बाष्पं व्यसनाभिपीडितो ज्वरातुरो नाग इव व्यथातुरः ॥ २७ ॥
As the son of the lord of men spoke the truth so, out of love for his elder, for the good of the people, Guha shed tears, struck by calamity, like an elephant afflicted with fever and pain.