Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 74 of 119 · 36 verses
The Tears of Surabhi
Having reproached his mother, Bharata, filled with great anger, speaks again: “Fall from the kingdom, Kaikeyi, cruel woman of wicked conduct. Abandoned by dharma, do not weep for me as if I were dead. What harm did the king, or utterly righteous Rama, do you, that death and exile came to them equally because of you? By destroying this family you have taken on the sin of killing an unborn child. Go to hell, Kaikeyi, and do not share your husband’s world. By this terrible deed, abandoning the one dear to all, you have brought fear even to me. Because of you my father is dead and Rama has gone to the forest, and you have brought me ill fame in the world of the living. Enemy in the form of a mother, cruel, greedy for the kingdom, wicked, husband-killer: I will not speak to you. Kausalya, Sumitra and my other mothers are filled with great sorrow because of you, defiler of the family. You are not the daughter of the wise Ashvapati, the king of dharma; you are a rakshasi born in his house to destroy your father’s family. Because of you righteous Rama, always devoted to truth, has been sent to the forest, and my father has gone to heaven in grief. The sin you are chief in falls on me, made fatherless, abandoned by my brothers, disliked by the whole world. Having separated righteous Kausalya from her son, woman of evil resolve, what world will you reach, going to hell? Do you not understand, cruel one, that Rama, Kausalya’s own son, the eldest, like a father, is the steady refuge of his kin? A son is born of every limb and of the heart; so he is dearest to his mother; kin are not so dear.
“Once, they say, Surabhi, the cow who knows dharma, honoured by the gods, saw two of her sons on the earth, pulling a plough, half-conscious. Seeing her sons exhausted at midday on the ground, she wept with grief for her sons, her eyes full of tears. Fine, fragrant drops fell on the body of great Indra, king of the gods, who was passing below her. Seeing the fragrant tears on his body, Indra thought them Surabhi’s; looking up, Shakra saw her standing in the sky, wretched, weeping, deeply grieved. Seeing the glorious one burning with grief, Indra, wielder of the thunderbolt, king of the gods, joined his palms in alarm and said: ‘Is there some great danger to us from somewhere? What is the cause of your grief? Tell me, you who wish the good of all.’ The wise and eloquent Surabhi answered: ‘May evil be averted; there is no danger to you from anywhere, lord of immortals. But I grieve for my two sons, sunk in a hard place. Seeing these two oxen, thin and wretched, scorched by the sun’s rays, beaten by the ploughman, lord of the gods, born from my body, suffering and weighed down by their load, I am in anguish. There is nothing as dear as a son.’ Seeing her weeping, she whose thousands of sons fill the whole world, Shakra understood that nothing is higher than a son. If even the wish-granting cow, of matchless conduct, glorious, always virtuous, who has thousands of sons and wants to sustain the world, grieves so, how will Kausalya live without Rama? You have made this good woman, who has one son, childless. So you will always find sorrow, after death and here.
“I will do full honour to my brother and my father and increase their fame; there is no doubt. I will have Kausalya’s splendid son brought back, and I myself will go into the forest frequented by sages. Watched by the citizens with tears in their throats, I cannot bear the sin you have committed, wicked woman of wicked resolve. Enter fire, or go to Dandaka yourself, or tie a rope round your neck; there is no other way for you. When Rama of true valour has regained the earth, then I will have done my duty, the stain washed away.” Saying this, he falls to the ground in rage, hissing like a snake, like an elephant in the forest driven by lance and goad. His eyes red, his garments loosened, his ornaments flung off, the prince, scorcher of foes, lies on the ground like Indra’s banner after the festival is over.
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तां तथा गर्हयित्वा तु मातरं भरतस्तदा । रोषेण महताविष्टः पुनरेवाब्रवीद्वचः ॥ १ ॥
Having reproached his mother so, Bharata, filled with great anger, spoke again:
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राज्याद्भ्रंशस्व कैकेयि नृशंसे दुष्टचारिणि । परित्यक्ता च धर्मेण मा मृतं रुदती भव ॥ २ ॥
“Fall from the kingdom, Kaikeyi, cruel one of wicked conduct; and, abandoned by dharma, do not weep over me as over the dead.
किं नु तेऽदूषयद्राजा रामो वा भृशधार्मिकः । ययोर्मृत्युर्विवासश्च त्वत्कृते तुल्यमागतौ ॥ ३ ॥
“What wrong did the king, or utterly righteous Rama, do you, that death and exile came to both alike because of you?
भ्रूणहत्यामसि प्राप्ता कुलस्यास्य विनाशनात् । कैकेयि नरकं गच्छ मा च भर्तुः सलोकताम् ॥ ४ ॥
“You have incurred the sin of killing an unborn child through the destruction of this family. Kaikeyi, go to hell, and do not share your husband’s world.
यत्त्वया हीदृशं पापं कृतं घोरेण कर्मणा । सर्वलोकप्रियं हित्वा ममाप्यापादितं भयम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Since you have committed such a sin by a dreadful act, abandoning the one dear to the whole world, you have brought danger on me too.
त्वत्कृते मे पिता वृत्तो रामश्चारण्यमाश्रितः । अयशो जीवलोके च त्वयाहं प्रतिपादितः ॥ ६ ॥
“Because of you my father is dead, and Rama has taken to the forest, and you have brought me ill repute in the world of the living.
मातृरूपे ममामित्रे नृशंसे राज्यकामुके । न तेऽहमभिभाष्योऽस्मि दुर्वृत्ते पतिघातिनि ॥ ७ ॥
“Enemy of mine in the form of a mother, cruel one, lusting for the kingdom, wicked, husband-killer: I am not one to be spoken to by you.
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च याश्चान्या मम मातरः । दुःखेन महताविष्टास्त्वां प्राप्य कुलदूषिणीं ॥ ८ ॥
“Kausalya and Sumitra and my other mothers are filled with great sorrow, having got you, defiler of the family.
न त्वमश्वपतेः कन्या धर्मराजस्य धीमतः । राक्षसी तत्र जातासि कुलप्रध्वंसिनी पितुः ॥ ९ ॥
“You are not the daughter of the lord of horses, the wise king of dharma; you are a rakshasi born there to destroy your father’s family.
यत् त्वया धार्मिको रामो नित्यं सत्यपरायणः । वनं प्रस्थापितो दुःखात्पिता च त्रिदिवं गतः ॥ १० ॥
“Since righteous Rama, always devoted to truth, has been sent to the forest by you, and my father has gone to heaven in sorrow,
यत् प्रधानासि तत् पापं मयि पित्रा विनाकृते । भ्रातृभ्यां च परित्यक्ते सर्वलोकस्य चाप्रिये ॥ ११ ॥
“the sin in which you are chief falls on me, deprived of my father, abandoned by my brothers, and disliked by the whole world.
कौसल्यां धर्मसंयुक्तां वियुक्तां पापनिश्चये । कृत्वा कं प्राप्स्यसे त्वद्य लोकं निरयगामिनी ॥ १२ ॥
“Having made righteous Kausalya bereft, woman of evil resolve, what world will you gain today, going to hell?
किं नावबुध्यसे क्रूरे नियतं बन्धुसंश्रयम् । ज्येष्ठं पितृसमं रामं कौसल्यायात्मसम्भवम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Do you not understand, cruel one, that Rama, the eldest, like a father, Kausalya’s own son, is the sure refuge of his kin?
अङ्गप्रत्यङ्गजः पुत्रो हृदयाच्चापि जायते । तस्मात् प्रियतरो मातुः प्रियत्वान्न तु बान्धवः ॥ १४ ॥
“A son is born of each limb and part, and of the heart too; so he is dearer to the mother. Kin are not so dear.
अन्यदा किल धर्मज्ञा सुरभिः सुरसम्मता । वहमानौ ददर्शोर्व्यां पुत्रौ विगतचेतसौ ॥ १५ ॥
“Once, they say, Surabhi, who knows dharma, honoured by the gods, saw on the earth two of her sons, bearing a load, half-senseless.
तावर्धदिवसे श्रान्तौ दृष्ट्वा पुत्रौ महीतले । रुरोद पुत्रशोकेन बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणा ॥ १६ ॥
“Seeing her two sons tired at midday on the ground, she wept with grief for her sons, her eyes filled with tears.
अधस्ताद्व्रजतस्तस्याः सुरराज्ञो महात्मनः । बिन्दवः पतिता गात्रे सूक्ष्माः सुरभिगन्धिनः ॥ १७ ॥
“On the body of great-souled Indra, king of the gods, who was going below her, fine, fragrant drops fell.
इन्द्रोऽप्यश्रुनिपातं तं स्वगात्रे पुण्यगन्धिनम् । सुरभिं मन्यते दृष्ट्वा भूयसीं तां सुरेश्वरः ॥ १८ ॥
“Indra too, the lord of the gods, seeing that falling of tears on his own body, of holy scent, thought it was Surabhi’s.
निरीक्षमाणः शक्रस्तां ददर्श सुरभिं स्थिताम् । आकाशे विष्ठितां दीनां रुदतीं भृशदुःखिताम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Looking up, Shakra saw Surabhi standing, settled in the sky, wretched, weeping, deeply grieved.
तां दृष्ट्वा शोकसंतप्तां वज्रपाणिर्यशस्विनीम् । इन्द्रः प्राञ्जलिरुद्विग्नः सुरराजोऽब्रवीद्वचः ॥ २० ॥
“Seeing the glorious one burning with grief, Indra, wielder of the thunderbolt, king of the gods, alarmed, joined his palms and said:
भयं कच्चिन्न चास्मासु कुतश्चिद्विद्यते महत् । कुतो निमित्तः शोकस्ते ब्रूहि सर्वहितैषिणि ॥ २१ ॥
“’Is there no great danger to us from anywhere? From what cause is your grief? Tell me, you who wish the good of all.’
एवमुक्ता तु सुरभिः सुरराजेन धीमता । पत्युवाच ततो धीरा वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदा ॥ २२ ॥
“Spoken to so by the wise king of the gods, steady Surabhi, skilled in speech, then answered:
शान्तं पापं न वः किंचित्कुतश्चिदमराधिप । अहं तु मग्नौ शोचामि स्वपुत्रौ विषमे स्थितौ ॥ २३ ॥
“’May evil be averted; there is no danger to you from anywhere, lord of the immortals. But I grieve for my own two sons, sunk in a hard place.
एतौ दृष्ट्वा कृषौ दीनौ सूर्यरश्मिप्रतापिनौ । अर्ध्यमानौ बलीवर्दौ कर्षकेण सुराधिप ॥ २४ ॥
“’Seeing these two oxen, thin and wretched, scorched by the rays of the sun, being beaten by the ploughman, lord of the gods,
मम कायात् प्रसूतौ हि दुःखितौ भारपीडितौ । यौ दृष्ट्वा परितप्येऽहं नास्ति पुत्रसमः प्रियः ॥ २५ ॥
“’born from my body, suffering, oppressed by their load: seeing them I am in anguish. There is nothing as dear as a son.’
यस्याः पुत्रसहस्रैस्तु कृत्स्नं व्याप्तमिदं जगत् । तां दृष्ट्वा रुदतीं शक्रो न सुतान्मन्यते परम् ॥ २६ ॥
“Seeing her weeping, by whose thousands of sons this whole world is pervaded, Shakra considered nothing higher than sons.
सदाऽप्रतिमवृत्ताया लोकधारणकाम्यया । श्रीमत्या गुणनित्यायाः स्वभावपरिचेष्टया ॥ २७ ॥
यस्याः पुत्रसहस्राणि सापि शोचति कामधुक् । किं पुनर्या विना रामं कौसल्या वर्तयिष्यति ॥ २८ ॥
“If even she, of always matchless conduct, wishing to sustain the world, glorious, always virtuous, active by her own nature, the wish-granting cow who has thousands of sons, grieves, how much more will Kausalya live on without Rama?
एकपुत्रा च साध्वी च विवत्सेयं त्वया कृता । तस्मात् त्वं सततं दुःखं प्रेत्य चेह च लप्स्यसे ॥ २९ ॥
“This good woman, who has one son, has been made childless by you. Therefore you will always find sorrow, after death and here.
अहं ह्यपचितिं भ्रातुः पितुश्च सकलामिमाम् । वर्धनं यशसश्चापि करिष्यामि न संशयः ॥ ३० ॥
“For I will do full honour to my brother and my father, and increase their fame too; there is no doubt.
आनाययित्वा तनयं कौसल्याया महाद्युतिम् । स्वयमेव प्रवेक्ष्यामि वनं मुनिनिषेवितम् ॥ ३१ ॥
“Having had Kausalya’s splendid son brought back, I myself will enter the forest frequented by sages.
न ह्यहं पापसंकल्पे पापे पापं त्वया कृतम् । शक्तो धारयितुं पौरैरश्रुकण्ठैर्निरीक्षितः ॥ ३२ ॥
“For I cannot bear the sin committed by you, wicked one of wicked intent, watched by the citizens with tears in their throats.
सा त्वमग्निं प्रविश वा स्वयं वा दण्डकान्विश । रज्जुं बधान वा कण्ठे न हि तेऽन्यत्परायणं ॥ ३३ ॥
“Either enter fire, or go to the Dandakas yourself, or tie a rope round your neck. There is no other refuge for you.
अहमप्यवनिं प्राप्ते रामे सत्यपराक्रमे । कृतकृत्यो भविष्यामि विप्रवासितकल्मषः ॥ ३४ ॥
“And I, when Rama of true valour has reached the earth, will have done my duty, my stain washed away.”
इति नाग इवारण्ये तोमराङ्कुशचोदितः । पपात भुवि संक्रुद्धो निःश्वसन्निव पन्नगः ॥ ३५ ॥
Saying this, like an elephant in the forest driven by lance and goad, he fell to the ground in rage, hissing like a snake.
संरक्तनेत्रः शिथिलाम्बरस्तथा विधूतसर्वाभरणः परंतपः । बभूव भूमौ पतितो नृपात्मजः शचीपतेः केतुरिवोत्सवक्षये ॥ ३६ ॥
His eyes reddened, his garments loose, all his ornaments shaken off, the prince, scorcher of foes, lay fallen on the ground, like the banner of Shachi’s husband when the festival is over.