Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 60 of 119 · 23 verses
Sumantra Comforts Kausalya
Trembling again and again as if possessed, collapsing on the ground as if her strength were gone, Kausalya says to the charioteer: “Take me where Kakutstha is, where Sita and Lakshmana are; I cannot live here even a moment without them. Turn the chariot back quickly and take me to Dandaka; if I cannot follow them, I will go to Yama’s abode.”
With a voice faltering and choked with tears, Sumantra, palms joined, comforts the queen: “Give up grief, delusion and the agitation of sorrow. Raghava will live in the forest, having shaken off pain. Lakshmana, who knows dharma and has conquered his senses, serves Rama’s feet in the forest and wins the next world. Sita, though the forest is lonely, is at home there as in a house, unafraid, trusting, her mind given to Rama. I see in her no dejection, not the slightest; Vaidehi seems to me as if used to exile. As she used to enjoy herself in the city gardens, so Sita enjoys the lonely forests. With her face like the young moon, she delights like a girl in Rama; noble in spirit, in the lonely forest. Her heart is in him, her life depends on him; without Rama, even Ayodhya would be a forest to her. Vaidehi asks about villages and towns, the course of the rivers and the many trees, and knows them by asking Rama or Lakshmana; she is as if on an outing a krosha from Ayodhya.” He recalls something Sita once said impulsively about Kaikeyi, and puts it aside, it does not come to mind now; and dismissing the words that had slipped out through carelessness, he speaks delightful, sweet words to the queen: “Neither the road, nor the force of the wind, nor anxiety, nor the sun takes away Vaidehi’s moon-bright radiance. Her face, like a lotus, bright as the full moon, does not tremble. Her feet, though without lac dye, are still red as lac, bright as lotus buds. Even now, she walks as if at play, as if her anklets were ringing, having put aside her ornaments out of love for him. Seeing an elephant, a lion or a tiger in the forest, she does not take fright, sheltering in Rama’s arms. They are not to be grieved for, nor are you, nor the king; this deed will stand in the world forever. Having cast off grief, glad at heart, firmly on the path of the great sages, delighting in the forest, eating forest fruit, they are keeping their father’s auspicious promise.” Though the charioteer, speaking so well, tries to stop her, the queen, wasted by grief for her son, does not cease crying, “My dear! My son! Raghava!”
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ततो भूतोपसृष्टेव वेपमाना पुनः पुनः । धरण्यां गतसत्त्वेव कौसल्या सूतमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Then, as if possessed by a spirit, trembling again and again, as if her strength were gone, on the ground, Kausalya said to the charioteer:
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Sumantra Comforts Kausalya 1 min read.
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नय मां यत्र काकुत्स्थः सीता यत्र च लक्ष्मणः । तान्विना क्षणमप्यत्र जीवितुं नोत्सहे ह्यहम् ॥ २ ॥
“Take me to where Kakutstha is, where Sita is and where Lakshmana is. Without them I cannot bear to live here even a moment.
निवर्तय रथं शीघ्रं दण्डकान्नय मामपि । अथ तान् नानुगच्छामि गमिष्यामि यमक्षयम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Turn the chariot back quickly and take me too to Dandaka. If I do not follow them, I will go to the abode of Yama.”
बाष्पवेगौपहतया स वाचा सज्जमानया । इदमाश्वासयन्देवीं सूतः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत् ॥ ४ ॥
In a voice struck by the force of tears and faltering, the charioteer, comforting the queen, said this with joined palms:
त्यज शोकं च मोहं च सम्भ्रमं दुःखजं तथा । व्यवधूय च संतापं वने वत्स्यति राघवः ॥ ५ ॥
“Give up grief and delusion and the agitation born of sorrow. Having shaken off pain, Raghava will live in the forest.
लक्ष्मणश्चापि रामस्य पादौ परिचरन्वने । आराधयति धर्मज्ञः परलोकं जितेन्द्रियः ॥ ६ ॥
“And Lakshmana, serving Rama’s feet in the forest, knowing dharma, master of his senses, is winning the next world.
विजनेऽपि वने सीता वासं प्राप्य गृहेष्विव । विस्रम्भं लभतेऽभीता रामे संन्यस्तमानसा ॥ ७ ॥
“Sita too, having found a home even in the lonely forest as in houses, finds confidence, unafraid, her mind given to Rama.
नास्या दैन्यं कृतं किंचित्सुसूक्ष्ममपि लक्ष्यते । उचितेव प्रवासानां वैदेही प्रतिभाति मा ॥ ८ ॥
“I see no dejection in her at all, not even the slightest. Vaidehi seems to me as if accustomed to exile.
नगरोपवनं गत्वा यथा स्म रमते पुरा । तथैव रमते सीता निर्जनेषु वनेष्वपि ॥ ९ ॥
“As she used to enjoy herself going to the city’s gardens, so Sita enjoys herself even in the lonely forests.
बालेव रमते सीताबालचन्द्रनिभानना । रामा रामे ह्यदीनात्मा विजनेऽपि वने सती ॥ १० ॥
“Sita, her face like the young moon, delights like a girl; lovely, in Rama, with spirit undaunted, though in the lonely forest.
तद्गतं हृदयं ह्यस्यास्तदधीनं च जीवितम् । अयोध्यापि भवेत्तस्या रामहीना तथा वनम् ॥ ११ ॥
“For her heart is in him, and her life depends on him; even Ayodhya would be a forest to her without Rama.
परिपृच्छति वैदेही ग्रामांश्च नगराणि च । गतिं दृष्ट्वा नदीनां च पादपान्विविधानपि ॥ १२ ॥
“Vaidehi asks about villages and towns, and seeing the course of the rivers and the many trees,
रामं वा लक्ष्मणं वापि पृष्ट्वा जानाति जानकी । अयोध्याक्रोशमात्रे तु विहारमिव संश्रिता ॥ १३ ॥
“she learns them by asking Rama or Lakshmana, as if she had gone out on an excursion only a krosha from Ayodhya.
इदमेव स्मराम्यस्याः सहसैवोपजल्पितम् । कैकेयीसंश्रितं वाक्यं नेदानीं प्रतिभाति माम् ॥ १४ ॥
“This alone I remember of her: words she spoke impulsively about Kaikeyi; they do not come to my mind now.”
ध्वंसयित्वा तु तद्वाक्यं प्रमादात्पर्युपस्थितम् । ह्लादनं वचनं सूतो देव्या मधुरमब्रवीत् ॥ १५ ॥
Dismissing those words that had come up through carelessness, the charioteer spoke sweet, delightful words to the queen:
अध्वना वातवेगेन सम्भ्रमेणातपेन च । न विगच्छति वैदेह्याश्चन्द्रांशुसदृशी प्रभा ॥ १६ ॥
“Neither the road, nor the force of the wind, nor agitation, nor the sun takes away Vaidehi’s radiance, like the moon’s rays.
सदृशं शतपत्रस्य पूर्णचन्द्रोपमप्रभम् । वदनं तद्वदान्याया वैदेह्या न विकम्पते ॥ १७ ॥
“The face of the generous Vaidehi, like a lotus, bright as the full moon, does not tremble.
अलक्तरसरक्ताभावलक्तरसवर्जितौ । अद्यापि चरणौ तस्याः पद्मकोशसमप्रभौ ॥ १८ ॥
“Her feet, though bare of lac dye, are still red as if with lac, bright as the calyx of a lotus.
नूपुरोद्घुष्टहेलेव खेलं गच्छति भामिनी । इदानीमपि वैदेही तद्रागान्यस्तभूषणा ॥ १९ ॥
“Even now the passionate Vaidehi walks as if at play, as if her anklets were ringing, having put away her ornaments out of love for him.
गजं वा वीक्ष्य सिंहं वा व्याघ्रं वा वनमाश्रिता । नाहारयति संत्रासं बाहू रामस्य संश्रिता ॥ २० ॥
“Seeing an elephant, a lion or a tiger, living in the forest, she does not take fright, sheltering in Rama’s arms.
न शोच्यास्ते न चात्मा ते शोच्यो नापि जनाधिपः । इदं हि चरितं लोके प्रतिष्ठास्यति शाश्वतं ॥ २१ ॥
“They are not to be grieved for, nor are you, nor the lord of the people. This deed will be established in the world forever.
विधूय शोकं परिहृष्टमानसा । महर्षियाते पथि सुव्यवस्थिताः । वने रता वन्यफलाशनाः पितुः । शुभां प्रतिज्ञां परिपालयन्ति ते ॥ २२ ॥
“Having shaken off grief, glad at heart, firm on the path of the great sages, delighting in the forest, eating forest fruit, they are keeping their father’s auspicious promise.”
तथापि सूतेन सुयुक्तवादिना निवार्यमाणा सुतशोककर्शिता । न चैव देवी विरराम कूजितात् प्रियेति पुत्रेति च राघवेति च ॥ २३ ॥
Even so, though restrained by the charioteer speaking so well, the queen, wasted by grief for her son, did not stop crying: “Beloved! My son! Raghava!”