Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 94 of 119 · 27 verses
Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta
Having lived a long time on that mountain, loving its hills and woods, wishing to please Vaidehi and delighting his own mind, Dasharatha’s godlike son shows his wife the wonderful Chitrakuta, as Indra might show Shachi: “Neither the loss of the kingdom nor separation from my friends troubles my mind, dear one, when I see this lovely mountain. Look at this mountain, full of many kinds of birds, adorned with peaks rich in minerals that seem to pierce the sky. Some parts shine like silver, some like blood, some yellow and madder-red, some like the finest gems, some like flowers, topaz and ketaka, some like stars: the regions of this lord of mountains shine with minerals. Crowded with herds of deer, leopards, hyenas and bears that do no harm, and with many birds, it shines. Covered with mango, jambu, asana, lodhra, priyala, jackfruit, dhava, ankola, bhavya, tinisha, bilva, tinduka, bamboo, kashmarya, arishta, varuna, madhuka, tilaka, jujube, amalaka, nipa, cane, dhanvana and bijaka, flowering, fruitful, shady and lovely, this mountain grows in beauty. See on the lovely plateaus these high-spirited kinnaras sporting in pairs, thrilling to see. See the swords and fine garments of the vidyadhara women hanging on the branches, and their charming pleasure places. With its waterfalls, springs and trickles here and there, the mountain shines like an elephant flowing with must. What man would not be delighted when the breeze from the caves comes, carrying the scents of many flowers to please the nose? If I live here many autumns with you, blameless one, and with Lakshmana, grief will not burn me. I delight in this lovely mountain with its many flowers and fruit, its many birds and wonderful peaks, passionate one. From this forest life I have gained two fruits: freedom from debt to my father in dharma, and Bharata’s pleasure. Vaidehi, do you enjoy Chitrakuta with me, seeing its many sights, restrained in mind, speech and body? The royal seers, my great-grandfathers, called this very thing, forest life, nectar, for welfare after death.
“The great rocks of the mountain shine by hundreds all around, many-coloured, blue, yellow, white and red. At night the herbs of this lord of mountains shine like flames of fire, thousands of them glowing with their own light. Some parts of this mountain look like houses, some like gardens, some like single great rocks. Chitrakuta rises as if it had split the earth; its auspicious summit is seen from everywhere. See the beds of lovers, spread with kushtha, punnaga, sthagara and birch leaves, with lotus petals; see the lotus garlands crushed and thrown aside by lovers, and many fruits. With its many roots, fruits and waters, this mountain Chitrakuta seems to surpass Kubera’s lotus pool and the northern Kurus. Spending this time with you, Sita, and with Lakshmana, I shall find joy that increases the family’s dharma, standing on the path of the good with my own strict rules.”
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दीर्घकालोषितस्तस्मिन् गिरौ गिरिवनप्रियः । वैदेह्याः प्रियमाकांक्षन् स्वं च चित्तं विलोभयन् ॥ १ ॥
अथ दाशरथिश्चित्रं चित्रकूटमदर्शयत् । भार्य्याममरसङ्काशः शचीमिव पुरन्दरः ॥ २ ॥
Having lived long on that mountain, loving the mountain and its woods, wishing to please Vaidehi and delighting his own mind, the son of Dasharatha, like an immortal, then showed his wife the wonderful Chitrakuta, as Purandara shows Shachi:
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Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta 1 min read.
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न राज्याद्भ्रंशनं भद्रे न सुहृद्भिर्विनाभवः । मनो मे बाधते दृष्ट्वा रमणीयमिमं गिरिम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Neither the loss of the kingdom, dear lady, nor separation from my friends troubles my mind, seeing this lovely mountain.
पश्येममचलं भद्रे नानाद्विजगणायुतम् । शिखरैः खमिवोद्विद्धैर्द्धातुमद्भिर्विभूषितम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Look at this mountain, dear lady, full of many kinds of birds, adorned with peaks rich in minerals that seem to pierce the sky.
केचिद्रजतसङ्काशाः केचित् क्षतजसन्निभाः । पीतमाञ्जिष्ठवर्णाश्च केचिन्मणिवरप्रभाः ॥ ५ ॥
“Some are like silver, some like blood, some yellow and madder-coloured, some with the radiance of the finest gems,
पुष्पार्ककेतकाभाश्च केचिज्ज्योतीरसप्रभाः । विराजन्ते ऽचलेन्द्रस्य देशा धातुविभूषिताः ॥ ६ ॥
“some like flowers, topaz and ketaka, some with the radiance of stars: the regions of this lord of mountains shine, adorned with minerals.
नानामृगगणद्वीपितरक्ष्वृक्षगणैर्वृतः । अदुष्टैर्भात्ययं शैलो बहुपक्षिसमायुतः ॥ ७ ॥
“Surrounded by herds of many kinds of deer, leopards, hyenas and bears that do no harm, this mountain shines, full of many birds.
आम्रजम्ब्वसनैर्लोध्रैः प्रियालैः पनसैर्धवैः । अङ्कोलैर्भव्यतिनिशैर्बिल्वतिन्दुकवेणुभिः ॥ ८ ॥
काश्मर्यरिष्टवरुणैर्मधूकैस्तिलकैस्तथा । बदर्य्यामलकैर्नीपैर्वेत्रधन्वनबीजकैः ॥ ९ ॥
पुष्पवद्भिः फलोपेतैश्छायावद्भिर्मनोरमैः । एवमादिभिराकीर्णः श्रियं पुष्यत्ययं गिरिः ॥ १० ॥
“Crowded with mangoes, jambus, asanas, lodhras, priyalas, jackfruits, dhavas, ankolas, bhavyas, tinishas, bilvas, tindukas and bamboos, kashmaryas, arishtas, varunas, madhukas and tilakas, jujubes, amalakas, nipas, canes, dhanvanas and bijakas, flowering, bearing fruit, shady, lovely: with these and others this mountain grows in beauty.
शैलप्रस्थेषु रम्येषु पश्येमान् रोमहर्षणान् । किन्नरान् द्वन्द्वशो भद्रे रममाणान् मनस्विनः ॥ ११ ॥
“On the lovely plateaus of the mountain, see these high-spirited kinnaras, thrilling to see, sporting in pairs, dear lady.
शाखावसक्तान् खङ्गांश्च प्रवराण्यम्बराणि च । पश्च विद्याधरस्त्रीणां क्रीडोद्देशान् मनोरमान् ॥ १२ ॥
“And see the swords and fine garments hanging on branches, and the charming pleasure places of the vidyadhara women.
जलप्रपातैरुद्भेदैर्निष्यन्दैश्च क्वचित् क्वचित् । स्रवद्भिर्भात्ययं शैलः स्रवन्मद इव द्विपः ॥ १३ ॥
“With waterfalls, springs and trickles here and there, this mountain shines, flowing, like an elephant flowing with must.
गुहासमीरणो गन्धान् नानापुष्पभवान् वहन् । घ्राणतर्प्पणमभ्येत्य कं नरं न प्रहर्षयेत् ॥ १४ ॥
“The breeze from the caves, carrying scents born of many flowers, reaching the nose and pleasing it: whom would it not delight?
यदीह शरदो ऽनेकास्त्वया सार्द्धमनिन्दिते । लक्ष्मणेन च वत्स्यामि न मां शोकः प्रधक्ष्यति ॥ १५ ॥
“If I live here many autumns with you, blameless one, and with Lakshmana, grief will not burn me.
बहुपुष्पफले रम्ये नानाद्विजगणायुते । विचित्रशिखरे ह्यस्मिन् रतवानस्मि भामिनि ॥ १६ ॥
“On this lovely mountain, with many flowers and fruits, full of many kinds of birds, with wonderful peaks, I find delight, passionate one.
अनेन वनवासेन मया प्राप्तं फलद्वयम् । पितुश्चानृणता धर्मे भरतस्य प्रियं तथा ॥ १७ ॥
“Through this forest life I have gained two fruits: freedom from debt to my father in dharma, and also Bharata’s pleasure.
वैदेहि रमसे कच्चिच्चित्रकूटे मया सह । पश्यन्ती विविधान् भावान् मनोवाक्कायसंयतान् ॥ १८ ॥
“Vaidehi, do you delight in Chitrakuta with me, seeing its many kinds of sights, restrained in mind, speech and body?
इदमेवामृतं प्राहू राज्ञि राजर्षयः परे । वनवासं भवार्थाय प्रेत्य मे प्रपितामहाः ॥ १९ ॥
“This very thing, queen, the royal seers before me, my great-grandfathers, called nectar: forest life, for welfare after death.
शिलाः शैलस्य शोभन्ते विशालाः शतशो ऽभितः । बहुला बहुलैर्वर्णैर्नीलपीतसितारुणैः ॥ २० ॥
“The broad rocks of the mountain shine by hundreds all around, many, of many colours, blue, yellow, white and red.
निशि भान्त्यचलेन्द्रस्य हुताशनशिखा इव । ओषध्यः स्वप्रभालक्ष्या भ्राजमानाः सहस्रशः ॥ २१ ॥
“At night the herbs of this lord of mountains shine like flames of fire, thousands of them, shining, visible by their own light.
केचित् क्षयनिभा देशाः केचिदुद्यानसन्निभाः । केचिदेकशिला भान्ति पर्वतस्यास्य भामिनि ॥ २२ ॥
“Some regions of this mountain look like houses, some like gardens, some shine like a single rock, passionate one.
भित्त्वेव वसुधां भाति चित्रकूटः समुत्थितः । चित्रकूटस्य कूटो ऽसौ दृश्यते सर्वतः शुभः ॥ २३ ॥
“Chitrakuta shines, risen as if splitting the earth. That auspicious peak of Chitrakuta is seen from everywhere.
कुष्ठपुन्नागस्ऺथगरभूर्जपत्रोत्तरच्छदान् । कामिनां स्वास्तरान् पश्य कुशेशयदलायुतान् ॥ २४ ॥
“See the good beds of lovers, spread with kushtha, punnaga, sthagara and birch leaves, with lotus petals.
मृदिताश्चापविद्धाश्च दृश्यन्ते कमलस्रजः । कामिभिर्वनिते पश्य फलानि विविधानि च ॥ २५ ॥
“See, lovely woman, the lotus garlands crushed and thrown aside by lovers, and many kinds of fruits.
वस्वौकसारां नलिनीमत्येतीवोत्तरान् कुरून् । पर्वतश्चित्रकूटो ऽसौ बहुमूलफलोदकः ॥ २६ ॥
“That mountain Chitrakuta, with its many roots, fruits and waters, seems to surpass Vasvaukasara’s lotus pool and the Northern Kurus.
इमं तु कालं वनिते विजह्रिवांस्त्वया च सीते सह लक्ष्मणेन च । रतिं प्रपत्स्ये कुलधर्मवर्द्धनीं सतां पथि स्वैर्नियमैः परैः स्थितः ॥ २७ ॥
“Spending this time with you, Sita, lovely one, and with Lakshmana, I shall attain a joy that increases the dharma of the family, standing on the path of the good with my own supreme rules.”