Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 49 of 128 · 33 verses
Rama’s Lament for Lakshmana
The two sons of Dasharatha lie bound by the terrible arrows, breathing like serpents, bathed in blood, surrounded by grieving monkeys. Then Rama, by his steadiness and inner strength, regains consciousness, still bound. Seeing his brother bleeding, pierced, his face wretched, he laments. What use is Sita to me, or life, when I see my brother lying defeated? A woman like Sita could be found by searching the world of mortals; a brother like Lakshmana, a counsellor in battle, never. If he is dead, I will give up my life before the monkeys. What will I say to Kausalya, to Kaikeyi, to Sumitra longing for her son, trembling like an osprey? How will I tell Shatrughna and Bharata that he went to the forest with me and I came back without him? I cannot bear Sumitra’s reproach; I will give up my body here.
Shame on me, ignoble, by whose fault Lakshmana lies on a bed of arrows like a dead man. You always comforted me when I was downcast; now you cannot speak to me. You who killed so many rakshasas lie killed on that same ground. Pierced in your vitals, you cannot speak, but the redness of your eyes tells your pain. As he followed me into the forest, so I will follow him to Yama’s abode. Even in anger, Lakshmana never spoke a harsh or unpleasant word to me. He could loose five hundred arrows in one rush, greater than Kartavirya in archery; he could destroy Indra’s own weapons with his weapons; he deserves the costliest bed and lies on the earth. My false promise that I would make Vibhishana king of the rakshasas will burn me.
Sugriva, go back now; when Ravana sees me without Lakshmana, he will overpower you. Cross the ocean with Angada, Nila and Nala and your army. You have done a great deed; I am pleased with Jambavan, the lord of the golangulas, Angada, Mainda, Dvivida, Kesari, Sampati, Gavaya, Gavaksha, Sharabha, Gaja and all who were ready to die for me. Fate cannot be overcome by men. All that a friend can do, you have done, fearing dharma; you have done a friend’s work, bulls among monkeys; you may go where you wish. Hearing his lament, the monkeys weep. Then Vibhishana, having posted all the troops, comes running, mace in hand, toward Raghava; seeing him, dark as collyrium, the monkeys flee, thinking he is Indrajit.
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घोरेण शरबन्धेन बद्धौ दशरथात्मजौ । निःश्वसन्तौ यथा नागौ शयानौ रुधिरोक्षितौ ॥ १ ॥
Bound by the terrible bond of arrows, the two sons of Dasharatha lay sighing like serpents, drenched in blood.
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Rama’s Lament for Lakshmana 1 min read.
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सर्वे ते वानरश्रेष्ठाः ससुग्रीवमहाबलाः । परिवार्य महात्मानौ तस्थुः शोकपरिप्लुताः ॥ २ ॥
All those best of monkeys, with mighty Sugriva, stood round the two great souls, flooded with grief.
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे रामः प्रत्यबुध्यत वीर्यवान् । स्थिरत्वात् सत्त्वयोगाच्च शरैः संदानितोऽपि सन् ॥ ३ ॥
Meanwhile valiant Rama woke, through his firmness and the strength of his spirit, though fettered by the arrows.
ततो दृष्ट्वा सरुधिरं निषण्णं गाढमर्पितम् । भ्रातरं दीनवदनं पर्यदेवयदातुरः ॥ ४ ॥
Then, seeing his brother bleeding, lying deeply pierced, his face wretched, he lamented in his pain:
किं नु मे सीतया कार्यं लब्धया जीवितेन वा । शयानं योऽद्य पश्यामि भ्रातरं युधि निर्जितम् ॥ ५ ॥
“What use is Sita to me, or my life, if she is recovered, when today I see my brother lying defeated in battle?
शक्या सीतासमा नारी मर्त्यलोके विचिन्वता । न लक्ष्मणसमो भ्राता सचिवः साम्परायिकः ॥ ६ ॥
“A woman equal to Sita could be found by one searching the world of mortals; not a brother equal to Lakshmana, a counsellor, a companion in battle.
परित्यक्ष्याम्यहं प्राणान् वानराणां तु पश्यताम् । यदि पञ्चत्वमापन्नः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः ॥ ७ ॥
“I will give up my life while the monkeys look on, if he who increases Sumitra’s joy has gone to his death.
किं नु वक्ष्यामि कौसल्यां मातरं किं नु कैकयीम् । कथमम्बां सुमित्रां च पुत्रदर्शनलालसाम् ॥ ८ ॥
“What will I say to my mother Kausalya, or to Kaikeyi? And how to my mother Sumitra, longing to see her son,
विवत्सां वेपमानां च वेपन्तीं कुररीमिव । कथमाश्वासयिष्यामि यदि यास्यामि तं विना ॥ ९ ॥
“like a cow without her calf, trembling, trembling like an osprey: how will I comfort her if I go back without him?
कथं वक्ष्यामि शत्रुघ्नं भरतं च यशस्विनम् । मया सह वनं यातो विना तेनाहमागतः ॥ १० ॥
“How will I tell Shatrughna and glorious Bharata that he went to the forest with me and I have come back without him?
उपालम्भं न शक्ष्यामि सोढुमम्बासुमित्रया । इहैव देहं त्यक्ष्यामि नहि जीवितुमुत्सहे ॥ ११ ॥
“I could not bear my mother Sumitra’s reproach. I will give up my body right here; I have no heart to live.
धिङ्मां दुष्कृतकर्माणमनार्यं यत्कृते ह्यसौ । लक्ष्मणः पतितः शेते शरतल्पे गतासुवत् ॥ १२ ॥
“Shame on me, doer of wrong deeds, ignoble, for whose sake this Lakshmana lies fallen on a bed of arrows like one dead.
त्वं नित्यं सुविषण्णं मामाश्वासयसि लक्ष्मण । गतासुर्नाद्य शक्तोऽसि मामार्तमभिभाषितुम् ॥ १३ ॥
“You always comforted me when I was very downcast, Lakshmana; today, lifeless, you cannot speak to me in my pain.
येनाद्य बहवो युद्धे निहता राक्षसाः क्षितौ । तस्यामेवाद्य शूरस्त्वं शेषे विनिहतः शनैः ॥ १४ ॥
“You, the hero, by whom many rakshasas were killed today in battle on the earth, lie killed on that same ground.
शयानः शरतल्पेऽस्मिन् सशोणितपरिस्रुतः । शरभूतस्ततो भासि भास्करोऽस्तमिव व्रजन् ॥ १५ ॥
“Lying on this bed of arrows, streaming with blood, covered with arrows, you shine like the sun going to its setting.
बाणाभिहतमर्मत्वान्न शक्नोषीह भाषितुम् । रुजा चाब्रुवतो यस्य दृष्टिरागेण सूच्यते ॥ १६ ॥
“Your vitals struck by arrows, you cannot speak here; but your pain, though you do not speak, is shown by the redness of your eyes.
यथैव मां वनं यान्तमनुयातो महाद्युतिः । अहमप्यनुयास्यामि तथैवैनं यमक्षयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“As the radiant one followed me when I went to the forest, so I too will follow him to Yama’s abode.
इष्टबन्धुजनो नित्यं मां च नित्यमनुव्रतः । इमामद्य गतोऽवस्थां ममानार्यस्य दुर्नयैः ॥ १८ ॥
“Always loving his kin, always devoted to me, he has come to this state today through the bad policy of ignoble me.
सुरुष्टेनापि वीरेण लक्ष्मणेन न संस्मरे । परुषं विप्रियं चापि श्रावितं तु कदाचन ॥ १९ ॥
“I do not remember heroic Lakshmana, even when very angry, ever making me hear a harsh or unpleasant word.
विससर्जैकवेगेन पञ्चबाणशतानि यः । इष्वस्त्रेष्वधिकस्तस्मात् कार्तवीर्याच्च लक्ष्मणः ॥ २० ॥
“He who loosed five hundred arrows in a single rush, Lakshmana, greater in archery even than Kartavirya:
अस्त्रैरस्त्राणि यो हन्याच्छक्रस्यापि महात्मनः । सोऽयमुर्व्यां हतः शेते महार्हशयनोचितः ॥ २१ ॥
“he who could destroy with his weapons the weapons even of great-souled Shakra lies killed on the earth, he who deserves the costliest bed.
तत्तु मिथ्या प्रलप्तं मां प्रधक्ष्यति न संशयः । यन्मया न कृतो राजा राक्षसानां विभीषणः ॥ २२ ॥
“And that false thing I said will surely burn me, that I did not make Vibhishana king of the rakshasas.
अस्मिन् मुहूर्ते सुग्रीव प्रतियातुमितोऽर्हसि । मत्वा हीनं मया राजन् रावणोऽभिभविष्यति ॥ २३ ॥
“At this very moment, Sugriva, you should go back from here; thinking me without him, king, Ravana will overpower you.
अङ्गदं तु पुरस्कृत्य ससैन्यं सपरिच्छदम् । सागरं तर सुग्रीव नीलेन च नलेन च ॥ २४ ॥
“Putting Angada in front, with your army and equipment, cross the ocean, Sugriva, with Nila and Nala.
कृतं हि सुमहत्कर्म यदन्यैर्दुष्करं रणे । ऋक्षराजेन तुष्यामि गोलाङ्गूलाधिपेन च ॥ २५ ॥
“For a very great deed has been done, hard for others in battle; I am pleased with the king of the bears and the lord of the golangulas.
अङ्गदेन कृतं कर्म मैन्देन द्विविदेन च । युद्धं केसरिणा संख्ये घोरं सम्पातिना कृतम् ॥ २६ ॥
“The deeds done by Angada, by Mainda and Dvivida; the terrible fight fought in battle by Kesari, by Sampati,
गवयेन गवाक्षेण शरभेण गजेन च । अन्यैश्च हरिभिर्युद्धं मदर्थे त्यक्तजीवितैः ॥ २७ ॥
“by Gavaya, Gavaksha, Sharabha and Gaja, and by other monkeys who gave up their lives for my sake.
न चातिक्रमितुं शक्यं दैवं सुग्रीव मानुषैः । यत्तु शक्यं वयस्येन सुहृदा वा परं मम ॥ २८ ॥
“Fate cannot be overcome by men, Sugriva. But all that could be done by a companion or friend for me,
कृतं सुग्रीव तत् सर्वं भवता धर्मभीरुणा । मित्रकार्यं कृतमिदं भवद्भिर्वानरर्षभाः ॥ २९ ॥
“all that has been done by you, Sugriva, who fear to transgress dharma. This friend’s work has been done by you, bulls among monkeys.
अनुज्ञाता मया सर्वे यथेष्टं गन्तुमर्हथ । शुश्रुवुस्तस्य ये सर्वे वानराः परिदेवितम् ॥ ३० ॥
“With my leave, you may all go as you wish.” All the monkeys who heard his lament
वर्तयांचक्रिरेऽश्रूणि नेत्रैः कृष्णेतरेक्षणाः ॥ ३१ ॥
shed tears from their eyes, the tawny-eyed ones.
ततः सर्वाण्यनीकानि स्थापयित्वा विभीषणः । आजगाम गदापाणिस्त्वरितं यत्र राघवः ॥ ३२ ॥
Then Vibhishana, having stationed all the armies, came quickly, mace in hand, to where Raghava was.
तं दृष्ट्वा त्वरितं यान्तं नीलाञ्जनचयोपमम् । वानरा दुद्रुवुः सर्वे मन्यमानास्तु रावणिम् ॥ ३३ ॥
Seeing him hurrying toward them, like a heap of dark collyrium, all the monkeys ran, thinking him Ravana’s son.