The Sages Take Their Leave

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.116.1)

प्रतिप्रयाते भरते वसन् रामः तपो वने। लक्षयाम् आस स उद्वेगम् अथ औत्सुक्यम् तपस्विनाम्॥ 116.1 ॥

pratiprayāte bharate vasan rāmaḥ tapo vane| lakṣayām āsa sa udvegam atha autsukyam tapasvinām

When Bharata had gone back, Rama, dwelling in the ascetic-grove, noticed among the sages there a certain anxiety mixed with restlessness.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.116.2)

ये तत्र चित्र कूटस्य पुरस्तात् तापस आश्रमे। रामम् आश्रित्य निरताः तान् अलक्षयद् उत्सुकान्॥ 116.2 ॥

ye tatra citra kūṭasya purastāt tāpasa āśrame| rāmam āśritya niratāḥ tān alakṣayad utsukān

Those ascetics who, in that hermitage before Chitrakuta, had lived contentedly under Rama's protection, he now saw troubled.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.116.3)

नयनैर् भृकुटीभिः च रामम् निर्दिश्य शन्किताः। अन्योन्यम् उपजल्पन्तः शनैः चक्रुर् मिथः कथाः॥ 116.3 ॥

nayanair bhṛkuṭībhiḥ ca rāmam nirdiśya śaṅkitāḥ| anyonyam upajalpantaḥ śanaiḥ cakrur mithaḥ kathāḥ

With fearful glances and raised eyebrows they pointed toward Rama, and murmured quietly among themselves, exchanging whispered words.

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.116.4)

तेषाम् औत्सुक्यम् आलक्ष्य रामः तु आत्मनि शन्कितः। कृत अन्जलिर् उवाच इदम् ऋषिम् कुल पतिम् ततः॥ 116.4 ॥

teṣām autsukyam ālakṣya rāmaḥ tu ātmani śaṅkitaḥ| kṛta añjalir uvāca idam ṛṣim kula patim tataḥ

Seeing their restlessness, Rama grew apprehensive about himself, and with joined palms he spoke these words to the sage who was the head of that community.

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.116.5)

न कच्चिद् भगवन् किंचित् पूर्व वृत्तम् इदम् मयि। दृश्यते विकृतम् येन विक्रियन्ते तपस्विनः॥ 116.5 ॥

na kaccid bhagavan kiṃcit pūrva vṛttam idam mayi| dṛśyate vikṛtam yena vikriyante tapasvinaḥ

"Holy one, is there perhaps some falling-away in me from the conduct of my forefathers, some blemish visible, on account of which these ascetics are so disturbed?

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.116.6)

प्रमादाच् चरितम् कच्चित् किंचिन् न अवरजस्य मे। लक्ष्मणस्य ऋषिभिर् दृष्टम् न अनुरूपम् इव आत्मनः॥ 116.6 ॥

pramādāc caritam kaccit kiṃcin na avarajasya me| lakṣmaṇasya ṛṣibhir dṛṣṭam na anurūpam iva ātmanaḥ

Have these sages, perhaps, seen my younger brother Lakshmana behave through some inadvertence in a manner unbecoming of his true nature?

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.116.7)

कच्चित् शुश्रूषमाणा वः शुश्रूषण परा मयि। प्रमदा अभ्युचिताम् वृत्तिम् सीता युक्तम् न वर्तते॥ 116.7 ॥

kaccit śuśrūṣamāṇā vaḥ śuśrūṣaṇa parā mayi| pramadā abhyucitām vṛttim sītā yuktam na vartate

Or is Sita, devoted as she is to serving you and to serving me, perhaps not conducting herself as befits a woman?

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.116.8)

अथ ऋषिर् जरया वृद्धः तपसा च जराम् गतः। वेपमान इव उवाच रामम् भूत दया परम्॥ 116.8 ॥

atha ṛṣir jarayā vṛddhaḥ tapasā ca jarām gataḥ| vepamāna iva uvāca rāmam bhūta dayā param

Then that sage, aged by years and by long austerity alike, spoke, as if trembling, to Rama, who was ever compassionate to every creature.

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.116.9)

कुतः कल्याण सत्त्वायाः कल्याण अभिरतेः तथा। चलनम् तात वैदेह्याः तपस्विषु विशेषतः॥ 116.9 ॥

kutaḥ kalyāṇa sattvāyāḥ kalyāṇa abhirateḥ tathā| calanam tāta vaidehyāḥ tapasviṣu viśeṣataḥ

"Dear child, Vaidehi's very nature is auspicious, and she delights only in what is good — where, then, could there be any wavering from her, least of all toward us ascetics?

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.116.10)

त्वन् निमित्तम् इदम् तावत् तापसान् प्रति वर्तते। रक्षोभ्यः तेन संविग्नाः कथयन्ति मिथः कथाः॥ 116.10 ॥

tvan nimittam idam tāvat tāpasān prati vartate| rakṣobhyaḥ tena saṃvignāḥ kathayanti mithaḥ kathāḥ

What has befallen the ascetics comes about only on your account, from the demons; troubled by this, they were discussing it among themselves.

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.116.11)

रावण अवरजः कश्चित् खरो नाम इह राक्षसः। उत्पाट्य तापसान् सर्वान् जन स्थान निकेतनान्॥ 116.11 ॥

rāvaṇa avarajaḥ kaścit kharo nāma iha rākṣasaḥ| utpāṭya tāpasān sarvān jana sthāna niketanān

Here there is a demon called Khara, a younger brother of Ravana, who has uprooted all the ascetics settled in Janasthana.

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.116.12)

धृष्टः च जित काशी च नृशंसः पुरुष अदकः। अवलिप्तः च पापः च त्वाम् च तात न मृष्यते॥ 116.12 ॥

dhṛṣṭaḥ ca jita kāśī ca nṛśaṃsaḥ puruṣa adakaḥ| avaliptaḥ ca pāpaḥ ca tvām ca tāta na mṛṣyate

He is insolent, victorious in battle, savage, a devourer of men, arrogant and sinful — and, dear child, he cannot bear even your presence there.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.116.13)

त्वम् यदा प्रभृति ह्य् अस्मिन्न् आश्रमे तात वर्तसे। तदा प्रभृति रक्षांसि विप्रकुर्वन्ति तापसान्॥ 116.13 ॥

tvam yadā prabhṛti hy asminn āśrame tāta vartase| tadā prabhṛti rakṣāṃsi viprakurvanti tāpasān

Dear child, ever since you came to dwell in this hermitage, the demons have taken to tormenting the ascetics.

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.116.14)

दर्शयन्ति हि बीभत्सैः क्रूरैर् भीषणकैर् अपि। नाना रूपैर् विरूपैः च रूपैर् असुख दर्शनैः॥ 116.14 ॥

darśayanti hi bībhatsaiḥ krūrair bhīṣaṇakair api| nānā rūpair virūpaiḥ ca rūpair asukha darśanaiḥ

They appear before them in forms of every kind — repulsive, savage, terrifying, misshapen, forms unbearable even to look upon.

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.116.15)

अप्रशस्तैर् अशुचिभिः सम्प्रयोज्य च तापसान्। प्रतिघ्नन्त्य् अपरान् क्षिप्रम् अनार्याः पुरतः स्थिताः॥ 116.15 ॥

apraśastair aśucibhiḥ samprayojya ca tāpasān| pratighnanty aparān kṣipram anāryāḥ purataḥ sthitāḥ

Flinging filthy and impure things upon the ascetics, these base creatures stand before still others and swiftly strike them down.

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.116.16)

तेषु तेषु आश्रमस्थानेषु अबुद्धम् अवलीय च। रमन्ते तापसान् तत्र नाशयन्तो अल्प चेतसः॥ 116.16 ॥

teṣu teṣu āśramasthāneṣu abuddham avalīya ca| ramante tāpasān tatra nāśayanto alpa cetasaḥ

Hiding unseen in one hermitage after another, these mean-spirited creatures take their pleasure there only in destroying the ascetics.

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.116.17)

अपक्षिपन्ति स्रुग् भाण्डान् अग्नीन् सिन्चन्ति वारिणा। कलशान् च प्रमृद्नन्ति हवने समुपस्थिते॥ 116.17 ॥

apakṣipanti sruk bhāṇḍān agnīn siñcanti vāriṇā| kalaśān ca pramṛdnanti havane samupasthite

When a sacrifice is undertaken, they scatter the sacrificial ladles, sprinkle water on the fires, and smash the water-jars.

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.116.18)

तैर् दुरात्मभिर् आविष्टान् आश्रमान् प्रजिहासवः। गमनाय अन्य देशस्य चोदयन्त्य् ऋषयो अद्य माम्॥ 116.18 ॥

tair durātmabhir āviṣṭān āśramān prajihāsavaḥ| gamanāya anya deśasya codayanty ṛṣayo adya mām

Wishing to abandon these hermitages, overrun as they are by such evil beings, the sages are today urging me to move to another region.

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.116.19)

तत् पुरा राम शारीराम् उपहिंसाम् तपस्विषु। दर्शयन्ति हि दुष्टाः ते त्यक्ष्याम इमम् आश्रमम्॥ 116.19 ॥

tat purā rāma śārīrām upahiṃsām tapasviṣu| darśayanti hi duṣṭāḥ te tyakṣyāma imam āśramam

So, Rama, before those wicked ones go so far as to do the ascetics bodily harm, we shall abandon this hermitage.

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.116.20)

बहु मूल फलम् चित्रम् अविदूराद् इतो वनम्। पुराण आश्रमम् एव अहम् श्रयिष्ये सगणः पुनः॥ 116.20 ॥

bahu mūla phalam citram avidūrād ito vanam| purāṇa āśramam eva aham śrayiṣye sagaṇaḥ punaḥ

Not far from here lies a lovely forest rich in roots and fruit; there, in that old hermitage, I shall settle once more together with my company.

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.116.21)

खरः त्वय्य् अपि च अयुक्तम् पुरा तात प्रवर्तते। सह अस्माभिर् इतो गच्छ यदि बुद्धिः प्रवर्तते॥ 116.21 ॥

kharaḥ tvayy api ca ayuktam purā tāta pravartate| saha asmābhir ito gaccha yadi buddhiḥ pravartate

Khara, dear child, will before long behave unjustly toward you as well; so if your mind is so inclined, come away from here together with us.

Shloka 22 (ayodhya.116.22)

सकलत्रस्य संदेहो नित्यम् यत् तस्य राघव। समर्थस्य अपि हि सतो वासो दुःखम् इह अद्य ते॥ 116.22 ॥

sakalatrasya saṃdeho nityam yat tasya rāghava| samarthasya api hi sato vāso duḥkham iha adya te

Raghava, living here with your wife, there is ever cause for apprehension; capable though you are, your dwelling here has now become fraught with hardship.

Shloka 23 (ayodhya.116.23)

इत्य् उक्तवन्तम् रामः तम् राज पुत्रः तपस्विनम्। न शशाक उत्तरैर् वाक्यैर् अवरोद्धुम् समुत्सुकम्॥ 116.23 ॥

ity uktavantam rāmaḥ tam rāja putraḥ tapasvinam| na śaśāka uttarair vākyair avaroddhum samutsukam

Prince Rama could not, with any answering words, restrain that sage who had spoken thus and who was so eager to depart.

Shloka 24 (ayodhya.116.24)

अभिनन्द्य समापृच्छ्य समाधाय च राघवम्। स जगाम आश्रमम् त्यक्त्वा कुलैः कुल पतिः सह॥ 116.24 ॥

abhinandya samāpṛcchya samādhāya ca rāghavam| sa jagāma āśramam tyaktvā kulaiḥ kula patiḥ saha

Having greeted Raghava, taken his leave, and reassured him, that head of the community departed, abandoning the hermitage, together with his kinsfolk.

Shloka 25 (ayodhya.116.25)

रामः संसाध्य तु ऋषि गणम् अनुगमना देशात् तस्मात् कुल पतिम् अभिवाद्य ऋषिम्। सम्यक् प्रीतैः तैर् अनुमत उपदिष्ट अर्थः पुण्यम् वासाय स्व निलयम् उपसम्पेदे॥ 116.25 ॥

rāmaḥ saṃsādhya tu ṛṣi gaṇam anugamanā deśāt tasmāt kula patim abhivādya ṛṣim| samyak prītaiḥ tair anumata upadiṣṭa arthaḥ puṇyam vāsāya sva nilayam upasampede

Having escorted that company of sages some distance from that place, taking leave of it, offering salutation to the sage who was its head, and, thus permitted and counselled by those well-pleased sages, Rama returned to his own sacred dwelling to abide there.

Shloka 26 (ayodhya.116.26)

आश्रमम् तु ऋषि विरहितम् प्रभुः। क्षणम् अपि न जहौ स राघवः। राघवम् हि सततम् अनुगताः तापसाः च ऋषि चरित धृत गुणाः॥ 116.26 ॥

āśramam tu ṛṣi virahitam prabhuḥ| kṣaṇam api na jahau sa rāghavaḥ| rāghavam hi satatam anugatāḥ tāpasāḥ ca ṛṣi carita dhṛta guṇāḥ

Yet the lord Raghava did not, even for a moment, leave that hermitage now emptied of its sages; for some ascetics, who had taken on the very virtues of sagely conduct, stayed constantly in Raghava's company.