The Queens at the Hermitage

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.104.1)

वसिष्ठः पुरतः कृत्वा दारान् दशरथस्य च । अभिचक्राम तं देशं रामदर्शनतर्षितः ॥ 104.1 ॥

vasiṣṭhaḥ purataḥ kṛtvā dārān daśarathasya ca | abhicakrāma taṃ deśaṃ rāmadarśanatarṣitaḥ

Eager to see Rama again, Vasishtha approached that place, preceded by the wives of Dasaratha.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.104.2)

राजपत्न्यश्च गच्छन्त्यो मन्दं मन्दाकिनीम् प्रति । ददृशुस्तत्र तत्तीर्थं रामलक्ष्मणसेवितम् ॥ 104.2 ॥

rājapatnyaśca gacchantyo mandaṃ mandākinīm prati | dadṛśustatra tattīrthaṃ rāmalakṣmaṇasevitam

As the king's wives moved slowly toward the Mandakini, they saw there that ford frequented by Rama and Lakshmana.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.104.3)

कौसल्या बाष्पपूर्णेन मुखेन परिशुष्यता । सुमित्रामब्रवीद्दीना याश्चान्या राजयोषितः ॥ 104.3 ॥

kausalyā bāṣpapūrṇena mukhena pariśuṣyatā | sumitrāmabravīddīnā yāścānyā rājayoṣitaḥ

With her face wan and filled with tears, the sorrowful Kausalya spoke to Sumitra and the other royal women:

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.104.4)

इदम् तेषामनाथानाम् क्लिष्टमक्लिष्टकर्मणाम् । वने प्राक्कलनम्तीर्थम् ये ते निर्विषयीकृताः ॥ 104.4 ॥

idam teṣāmanāthānām kliṣṭamakliṣṭakarmaṇām | vane prākkalanamtīrtham ye te nirviṣayīkṛtāḥ

"This is the ford in the forest, in the eastern quarter, frequented by those unfortunate ones of unblemished deeds, who have been deprived of their kingdom."

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.104.5)

इतस्सुमित्रे पुत्रस्ते सदा जलमतन्द्रितः । स्वयं हरति सौमित्रिर्मम पुत्रस्य कारणात् ॥ 104.5 ॥

itassumitre putraste sadā jalamatandritaḥ | svayaṃ harati saumitrirmama putrasya kāraṇāt

"O Sumitra, from here your son Lakshmana, tireless, ever draws water himself for the sake of my son."

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.104.6)

जघन्यमपि ते पुत्रः कृतवान्न तु गर्हितः । भ्रातुर्यदर्थसहितं सर्वं तद्विहितम् गुणैः ॥ 104.6 ॥

jaghanyamapi te putraḥ kṛtavānna tu garhitaḥ | bhrāturyadarthasahitaṃ sarvaṃ tadvihitam guṇaiḥ

"Though your son performs this humble task, he is not to be blamed, for whatever service, however lowly, is rendered out of love for a brother is invested with virtue."

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.104.7)

अद्यायमपि ते पुत्रः क्लेशानामतथोचितः । नीचानर्थसमाचारं सज्जं कर्म प्रमुञ्चतु ॥ 104.7 ॥

adyāyamapi te putraḥ kleśānāmatathocitaḥ | nīcānarthasamācāraṃ sajjaṃ karma pramuñcatu

"May your son too, unaccustomed as he is to such hardship, now be freed from this base and toilsome task."

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.104.8)

दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु सा ददर्श महीतले । पितुरिङ्गुदिपिण्याकम् व्यस्तमायतलोचना ॥ 104.8 ॥

dakṣiṇāgreṣu darbheṣu sā dadarśa mahītale | pituriṅgudipiṇyākam vyastamāyatalocanā

The large-eyed Kausalya then saw upon the ground, on a bed of kusha grass with its tips pointing south, the ball of Ingudi pulp offered to her husband.

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.104.9)

तं भूमौ पितुरार्तेन न्यस्तं रामेण वीक्ष्यसा । उवाच देवीइ कौसल्या सर्वा दशरथस्त्रियः ॥ 104.9 ॥

taṃ bhūmau piturārtena nyastaṃ rāmeṇa vīkṣyasā | uvāca devīi kausalyā sarvā daśarathastriyaḥ

Seeing that ball of food, placed on the ground by the grief-stricken Rama for his father, Queen Kausalya spoke to all the wives of Dasaratha:

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.104.10)

इदमिक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य राघवस्य महाअत्मनः । राघवेण पितुर्दत्तम् पश्यतै तद्यथाविधि ॥ 104.10 ॥

idamikṣvākunāthasya rāghavasya mahāatmanaḥ | rāghaveṇa piturdattam paśyatai tadyathāvidhi

"See this, offered by Raghava, according to due rite, to his father — the high-souled lord of the Ikshvaku race."

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.104.11)

तस्य देवसमानस्य पार्थिवस्य महात्मनः । नैतदौपयिकम् मन्ये भुक्तभोगस्य भोजनम् ॥ 104.11 ॥

tasya devasamānasya pārthivasya mahātmanaḥ | naitadaupayikam manye bhuktabhogasya bhojanam

"I do not think this a fitting offering for that great king, godlike, who all his life partook of every enjoyment."

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.104.12)

चतुरन्ताम् महीम् भुक्त्वा महेन्द्रसदृशो विभुः । कथमिङ्गुदिपिण्याकम् स भुङ्त्के वसुधादिपः ॥ 104.12 ॥

caturantām mahīm bhuktvā mahendrasadṛśo vibhuḥ | kathamiṅgudipiṇyākam sa bhuṅtke vasudhādipaḥ

"Having enjoyed the earth to her four ends, that mighty lord, equal to Mahendra — how can he now eat a cake of Ingudi pulp?"

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.104.13)

अतो दुःखतरम् लोके न किंञ्चित्प्रतिभाति मा । यत्र रामः पितुर्दद्यादिङ्गुदिक्षोदमृद्धिमान् ॥ 104.13 ॥

ato duḥkhataram loke na kiṃñcitpratibhāti mā | yatra rāmaḥ piturdadyādiṅgudikṣodamṛddhimān

"Nothing in this world seems more painful to me than this — that Rama, a man of such fortune, should offer a cake of Ingudi pulp to his father."

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.104.14)

रामेणेङ्गुदिपिण्याकं पित्तुर्दत्तं समीक्ष्य मे । कथं दुःखेन हृदयम् न स्पोटति सहस्रधा ॥ 104.14 ॥

rāmeṇeṅgudipiṇyākaṃ pitturdattaṃ samīkṣya me | kathaṃ duḥkhena hṛdayam na spoṭati sahasradhā

"Seeing this cake of Ingudi pulp offered by Rama to his father, how does my heart not shatter into a thousand pieces with grief?"

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.104.15)

श्रुतिस्तु खल्वियं सत्य लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मा । यदन्नः पुरुषो भवति तदन्नास्तस्य देवताः ॥ 104.15 ॥

śrutistu khalviyaṃ satya laukikī pratibhāti mā | yadannaḥ puruṣo bhavati tadannāstasya devatāḥ

"This saying current among men now seems true to me indeed — that whatever food a man eats, his gods too partake of the same."

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.104.16)

एवमार्तां सपत्न्यस्ता जग्मुराश्वास्य तां तदा । ददृशुश्चश्रमे रामं स्वर्गच्युतमिवामरम् ॥ 104.16 ॥

evamārtāṃ sapatnyastā jagmurāśvāsya tāṃ tadā | dadṛśuścaśrame rāmaṃ svargacyutamivāmaram

Having thus consoled Kausalya in her affliction, her companions then went further and saw Rama at the hermitage, like an immortal fallen from heaven.

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.104.17)

सर्वभोगैः परित्यक्तं रामं सम्प्रेक्ष्य मातरः । आर्त मुमुचुरश्रुणि सस्वरं शोककर्शताः ॥ 104.17 ॥

sarvabhogaiḥ parityaktaṃ rāmaṃ samprekṣya mātaraḥ | ārta mumucuraśruṇi sasvaraṃ śokakarśatāḥ

Beholding Rama, deprived of every comfort, his mothers, wasted with grief, cried out in anguish and let their tears flow.

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.104.18)

तासां रामः समुत्थाय जग्रह चरणान् शुभान् । मातृइणां मनुजव्याघ्रः सर्वासां सत्यसंगरः ॥ 104.18 ॥

tāsāṃ rāmaḥ samutthāya jagraha caraṇān śubhān | mātṛiṇāṃ manujavyāghraḥ sarvāsāṃ satyasaṃgaraḥ

Rama, the tiger among men, true to his word, rose up and took hold of the auspicious feet of all his mothers.

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.104.19)

ताह् पाणिभिः सुखस्सर्शैद्वङ्गुलितलैश्शुभैः । प्रममार्जू रजः पृष्ठाद्रामस्यायतलोचनाः ॥ 104.19 ॥

tāh pāṇibhiḥ sukhassarśaidvaṅgulitalaiśśubhaiḥ | pramamārjū rajaḥ pṛṣṭhādrāmasyāyatalocanāḥ

Those large-eyed queens, with their soft, pleasantly-touching fingers and palms, wiped the dust from Rama's back.

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.104.20)

सौमित्रिरपि ताः सर्वा मातृईः सम्प्रेक्ष्य दुःखितः । आभ्यावादयदासक्तं शनैरामादनन्तरम् ॥ 104.20 ॥

saumitrirapi tāḥ sarvā mātṛīḥ samprekṣya duḥkhitaḥ | ābhyāvādayadāsaktaṃ śanairāmādanantaram

Lakshmana too, seeing all those mothers, sorrowful, slowly and devotedly paid obeisance to each in turn, right after Rama.

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.104.21)

यथा रामे तथा तस्मिन् सर्वा ववृतिरे स्त्रियः । वृत्तिम् दशरथाज्जाते लक्ष्मणे शुभलक्षणे ॥ 104.21 ॥

yathā rāme tathā tasmin sarvā vavṛtire striyaḥ | vṛttim daśarathājjāte lakṣmaṇe śubhalakṣaṇe

All the women showed the same affection toward Lakshmana, born of Dasaratha and of auspicious marks, as they did toward Rama.

Shloka 22 (ayodhya.104.22)

सीतापि चरणांस्तसामुपसम्गृह्य दुः खिता । श्वश्रूणामश्रुपूर्णाक्षि सा बभूवाग्रतः स्थिता ॥ 104.22 ॥

sītāpi caraṇāṃstasāmupasamgṛhya duḥ khitā | śvaśrūṇāmaśrupūrṇākṣi sā babhūvāgrataḥ sthitā

Sita too, grief-stricken, her eyes filled with tears, took hold of the feet of her mothers-in-law and stood before them.

Shloka 23 (ayodhya.104.23)

तां परिष्वज्य दुःखार्तां माता दुहितरम् यथा । वनवासकृशां दीनां कौसल्या वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ 104.23 ॥

tāṃ pariṣvajya duḥkhārtāṃ mātā duhitaram yathā | vanavāsakṛśāṃ dīnāṃ kausalyā vākyamabravīt

Embracing that sorrowful Sita, wasted from her life in the forest and pitiable, as a mother embraces her daughter, Kausalya spoke these words:

Shloka 24 (ayodhya.104.24)

विदेहराजस्य सुता स्नुषा दशरथस्य च । रामपत्नी कथं दुःखं सम्प्राप्ता निर्जने वने ॥ 104.24 ॥

videharājasya sutā snuṣā daśarathasya ca | rāmapatnī kathaṃ duḥkhaṃ samprāptā nirjane vane

"How has the daughter of the king of Videha, daughter-in-law of Dasaratha and wife of Rama, come to suffer such misery in this desolate forest?"

Shloka 25 (ayodhya.104.25)

पद्ममातपसन्तप्तं परिक्लिष्टमिवोत्पलम् । काञ्चनं रजसा ध्वस्तम् क्स्लिष्टं चन्द्रमिवाम्बुदैः ॥ 104.25 ॥

padmamātapasantaptaṃ parikliṣṭamivotpalam | kāñcanaṃ rajasā dhvastam ksliṣṭaṃ candramivāmbudaiḥ

"Seeing your face, like a lotus scorched by the sun, like a faded water-lily, like gold dimmed by dust, like the moon veiled by clouds —"

Shloka 26 (ayodhya.104.26)

मुखम् ते प्रेक्ष्य माम् शोको दहत्यग्निरिवाश्रयम् । भृशम् मनसि वैदेहि व्यसनारणिसम्भवः ॥ 104.26 ॥

mukham te prekṣya mām śoko dahatyagnirivāśrayam | bhṛśam manasi vaidehi vyasanāraṇisambhavaḥ

"— O Vaidehi, grief born of the kindling-wood of misfortune burns fiercely in my mind, as fire consumes its fuel."

Shloka 27 (ayodhya.104.27)

ब्रुवन्त्यमेवमार्तायां जनन्यां भरताग्रजः । पादावासाद्य जग्राह वसिष्टस्य च राघवः ॥ 104.27 ॥

bruvantyamevamārtāyāṃ jananyāṃ bharatāgrajaḥ | pādāvāsādya jagrāha vasiṣṭasya ca rāghavaḥ

While the grieving mother was speaking thus, Raghava, Bharata's elder brother, went and took hold of the feet of Vasishtha.

Shloka 28 (ayodhya.104.28)

पुरोहितस्यग्नि समस्य वै तदा । बृहस्पतेरिन्द्रमिवामराधिपः । प्रगृह्य पादौ सुसमृद्धतेजसः । सहैव तेनोपनिवेश राघवः ॥ 104.28 ॥

purohitasyagni samasya vai tadā | bṛhaspaterindramivāmarādhipaḥ | pragṛhya pādau susamṛddhatejasaḥ | sahaiva tenopaniveśa rāghavaḥ

Then Rama, holding the feet of that priest of very great splendour, equal to Agni, sat down beside him, as Indra, lord of the immortals, would beside Brihaspati.

Shloka 29 (ayodhya.104.29)

ततो जघन्यं सहितैः समन्त्रिभिः । पुरप्रधानैश्च सहैव सैनिकैः । जनेन धर्मज्ञतमेन धर्मवा । नुपोपविष्टो भरतस्तदाग्रजम् ॥ 104.29 ॥

tato jaghanyaṃ sahitaiḥ samantribhiḥ | purapradhānaiśca sahaiva sainikaiḥ | janena dharmajñatamena dharmavā | nupopaviṣṭo bharatastadāgrajam

Then Bharata, the most righteous of men, together with his ministers, the chief citizens, and the soldiers, seated himself at a lower place, close to his elder brother.

Shloka 30 (ayodhya.104.30)

उपोपविष्टस्तु तदा स वीर्यवां । स्तपस्विवेषेण समीक्ष्य राघवम् । श्रिया ज्वलन्तं भरतः कृताञ्जलि । र्यथा महेन्द्रः प्रयतः प्रजापतिम् ॥ 104.30 ॥

upopaviṣṭastu tadā sa vīryavāṃ | stapasviveṣeṇa samīkṣya rāghavam | śriyā jvalantaṃ bharataḥ kṛtāñjali | ryathā mahendraḥ prayataḥ prajāpatim

Then the mighty Bharata, beholding Rama, radiant in splendour though clad in ascetic garb, sat down near him with joined palms, as the devoted Mahendra sits before Prajapati.

Shloka 31 (ayodhya.104.31)

किमेष वाक्यम् भरतो.द्य राघवं । प्रणम्य स्त्कृत्य च साधु वक्ष्यति । इतीव तस्यार्यजनस्य तत्त्वतो । बभूव कौतूहलमुत्तमम् तदा ॥ 104.31 ॥

kimeṣa vākyam bharato.dya rāghavaṃ | praṇamya stkṛtya ca sādhu vakṣyati | itīva tasyāryajanasya tattvato | babhūva kautūhalamuttamam tadā

"What words will Bharata now speak to Raghava, having bowed and honoured him?" — such indeed was the intense curiosity that arose then in the minds of those noble people gathered there.

Shloka 32 (ayodhya.104.32)

स राघवः सत्यधृतिश्च लक्ष्मणो । महानुभावो भरतश्च धार्मिकः । वृताः सुहृद्भिश्च विरेजुरध्वरे । यथा सद्स्यः सहितास्त्रयोऽग्नयः ॥ 104.32 ॥

sa rāghavaḥ satyadhṛtiśca lakṣmaṇo | mahānubhāvo bharataśca dhārmikaḥ | vṛtāḥ suhṛdbhiśca virejuradhvare | yathā sadsyaḥ sahitāstrayo'gnayaḥ

That Rama, steadfast in truth, with Lakshmana of great spirit, and the righteous Bharata, surrounded by their companions, shone in that assembly like the three sacred fires attended by their officiating priests.