Aranya Kanda · Sarga 13 of 76 · 25 verses
Agastya Sends Rama to Panchavati
“Rama, I am pleased with you, bless you; I am well satisfied, Lakshmana, that you have come with Sita to salute me. The weariness of the road, great fatigue, must be troubling you, and Maithili, daughter of Janaka, must clearly be longing for rest. She is delicate and has never been dishonoured by hardship, yet, driven by love for her husband, she has come to a forest full of dangers. Do what will make Sita happy here, Rama; she has done a hard thing in following you to the forest. This is the nature of women since creation, delight of the Raghus: they love a man while he prospers and abandon him in adversity. Women follow the fickleness of lightning, the sharpness of weapons, the swiftness of Garuda and the wind. But your wife is free of these faults, praiseworthy and fit to be named as an example, like Arundhati among the goddesses. This place is adorned, Rama, where you will live with Saumitri and this Vaidehi, tamer of foes.”
Spoken to so by the sage, Raghava, palms joined, says courteously to the seer, bright as a blazing fire: “I am blessed and favoured, since the best of sages, our teacher, is pleased with the virtues of me, my brother and my wife. But show me a place with water and plenty of forest, where I can make a hermitage and live happily, devoted.” Hearing Rama, the best of sages, righteous, thinks a moment and speaks auspicious words: “Two yojanas from here, dear one, is a splendid place called Panchavati, with plenty of roots, fruit and water and many deer. Go there, make a hermitage with Saumitri, and enjoy yourself, keeping your father’s word as it was spoken. All your story is known to me, sinless one, by the power of austerity and through my affection for Dasharatha. By austerity I have also understood the wish in your heart, though you promised to live here with me in the penance-forest. So I tell you: go to Panchavati. It is a lovely part of the forest; Maithili will enjoy it there. That place is praiseworthy and not far, Raghava, near the Godavari; Maithili will enjoy it there. It has plenty of roots and fruit and many kinds of birds, is secluded, holy and lovely. You are of good conduct and able to protect; living there, Rama, you will protect the ascetics. That is the great forest of madhuka trees you can see, hero; go north of it toward a banyan tree, then climb the high ground not far from a mountain; that is the place called Panchavati, its woods always in flower.” Told this by Agastya, Rama with Saumitri honours the truthful seer and takes leave. Given leave and having saluted his feet, they go with Sita to the hermitage of Panchavati. The two princes, bows in hand, quivers fastened, never fearful in battle, go carefully to Panchavati by the path the great seer showed.
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राम प्रीतोऽस्मि भद्रं ते परितुष्टोऽस्मि लक्ष्मण । अभिवादयितुं यन्मां प्राप्तौ स्थः सह सीतया ॥ १ ॥
“Rama, I am pleased, bless you; I am well satisfied, Lakshmana, that you have come to salute me together with Sita.
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Agastya Sends Rama to Panchavati 1 min read.
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अध्वश्रमेण वां खेदो बाधते प्रचुरश्रमः । व्यक्तमुत्कण्ठते वापि मैथिली जनकात्मजा ॥ २ ॥
“The weariness of the road troubles you two, a great fatigue; and Maithili, daughter of Janaka, is clearly longing for rest.
एषा च सुकुमारी च खेदैश्च न विमानिता । प्राज्यदोषं वनं प्राप्ता भर्तृस्नेहप्रचोदिता ॥ ३ ॥
“She is delicate, and has not been dishonoured by hardships; she has come to a forest of many dangers, driven by love for her husband.
यथैषा रमते राम इह सीता तथा कुरु । दुष्करं कृतवत्येषा वने त्वामभिगच्छती ॥ ४ ॥
“Do as will make this Sita happy here, Rama. She has done a hard thing in following you to the forest.
एषा हि प्रकृतिः स्त्रीणामासृष्टे रघुनन्दन । समस्थमनुरज्यन्ते विषमस्थं त्यजन्ति च ॥ ५ ॥
“For this is the nature of women since creation, delight of the Raghus: they are devoted to one who stands in prosperity and abandon one who stands in adversity.
शतह्रदानां लोलत्वं शस्त्राणां तीक्ष्णतां तथा । गरुडानिलयोः शैघ्र्यमनुगच्छन्ति योषितः ॥ ६ ॥
“Women follow the fickleness of lightning, the sharpness of weapons, and the swiftness of Garuda and the wind.
इयं तु भवतो भार्या दोषैरेतैर्विवर्जिता । श्लाघ्या च व्यपदेश्या च यथा देवीष्वरुन्धती ॥ ७ ॥
“But this wife of yours is free of these faults, praiseworthy and fit to be held up as an example, like Arundhati among the goddesses.
अलंकृतोऽयं देशश्च यत्र सौमित्रिणा सह । वैदेह्या चानया राम वत्स्यसि त्वमरिंदम ॥ ८ ॥
“And this place is adorned where you, Rama, will live with Saumitri and with this Vaidehi, tamer of foes.”
एवमुक्तस्तु मुनिना राघवः संयताञ्जलिः । उवाच प्रश्रितं वाक्यमृषिं दीप्तमिवानलम् ॥ ९ ॥
Spoken to so by the sage, Raghava, with palms joined, said courteous words to the seer, who was like a blazing fire:
धन्योऽस्म्यनुगृहीतोऽस्मि यस्य मे मुनिपुंगवः । गुणैः सभ्रातृभार्यस्य गुरुर्नः परितुष्यति ॥ १० ॥
“I am blessed, I am favoured, since the best of sages, our teacher, is well pleased with the virtues of me with my brother and wife.
किं तु व्यादिश मे देशं सोदकं बहुकाननम् । यत्राश्रमपदं कृत्वा वसेयं निरतः सुखम् ॥ ११ ॥
“But point out to me a place with water and much forest, where I may make a hermitage and live happily, devoted.”
ततोऽब्रवीन्मुनिश्रेष्ठः श्रुत्वा रामस्य भाषितम् । ध्यात्वा मुहूर्तं धर्मात्मा ततोवाच वचः शुभम् ॥ १२ ॥
Then the best of sages, hearing what Rama said, having meditated a moment, the righteous one then spoke auspicious words:
इतो द्वियोजने तात बहुमूलफलोदकः । देशो बहुमृगः श्रीमान् पञ्चवट्यभिविश्रुतः ॥ १३ ॥
“Two yojanas from here, dear one, is a splendid region with many roots, fruits and waters, with many deer, known as Panchavati.
तत्र गत्वाऽऽश्रमपदं कृत्वा सौमित्रिणा सह । रमस्व त्वं पितुर्वाक्यं यथोक्तमनुपालयन् ॥ १४ ॥
“Going there and making a hermitage with Saumitri, enjoy yourself, keeping your father’s word as it was spoken.
विदितो ह्येष वृत्तान्तो मम सर्वस्तवानघ । तपसश्च प्रभावेण स्नेहाद् दशरथस्य च ॥ १५ ॥
“For this whole story of yours is known to me, sinless one, through the power of austerity and through affection for Dasharatha.
हृदयस्थं च ते च्छन्दो विज्ञातं तपसा मया । इह वासं प्रतिज्ञाय मया सह तपोवने ॥ १६ ॥
“And the wish dwelling in your heart has been understood by me through austerity, though you promised to live here with me in the penance-forest.
अतश्च त्वामहं ब्रूमि गच्छ पञ्चवटीमिति । स हि रम्यो वनोद्देशो मैथिली तत्र रंस्यते ॥ १७ ॥
“Therefore I tell you: ‘Go to Panchavati.’ For that is a lovely forest region; Maithili will enjoy herself there.
स देशः श्लाघनीयश्च नातिदूरे च राघव । गोदावर्याः समीपे च मैथिली तत्र रंस्यते ॥ १८ ॥
“That place is praiseworthy and not far, Raghava, near the Godavari; Maithili will enjoy herself there.
प्राज्यमूलफलैश्चैव नानाद्विजगणैर्युतः । विविक्तश्च महाबाहो पुण्यो रम्यस्तथैव च ॥ १९ ॥
“It is filled with abundant roots and fruits and many kinds of birds, secluded, mighty-armed one, holy and lovely too.
भवानपि सदाचारः शक्तश्च परिरक्षणे । अपि चात्र वसन् राम तापसान् पालयिष्यसि ॥ २० ॥
“And you are of good conduct and able to protect; living here, Rama, you will protect the ascetics.
एतदालक्ष्यते वीर मधूकानां महावनम् । उत्तरेणास्य गन्तव्यं न्यग्रोधमपि गच्छता ॥ २१ ॥
“This is seen, hero, the great forest of madhuka trees; you must go north of it, going toward a banyan.
ततः स्थलमुपारुह्य पर्वतस्याविदूरतः । ख्यातः पञ्चवटीत्येव नित्यपुष्पितकाननः ॥ २२ ॥
“Then, climbing the high ground not far from a mountain, there is the place known as Panchavati, its woods always in flower.”
अगस्त्येनैवमुक्तस्तु रामः सौमित्रिणा सह । सत्कृत्यामन्त्रयामास तमृषिं सत्यवादिनम् ॥ २३ ॥
Spoken to so by Agastya, Rama with Saumitri, having honoured him, took leave of that truthful seer.
तौ तु तेनाभ्यनुज्ञातौ कृतपादाभिवन्दनौ । तमाश्रमं पञ्चवटीं जग्मतुः सह सीतया ॥ २४ ॥
And the two, given leave by him, having saluted his feet, went with Sita to that hermitage, Panchavati.
गृहीतचापौ तु नराधिपात्मजौ विषक्ततूणी समरेष्वकातरौ । यथोपदिष्टेन पथा महर्षिणा प्रजग्मतुः पञ्चवटीं समाहितौ ॥ २५ ॥
The two sons of the lord of men, bows taken up, quivers fastened, never faint-hearted in battle, went attentively to Panchavati by the path the great seer had pointed out.
End of sarga 13 Next: sarga 14 · Jatayu