Through the Jubilant City

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.17.1)

स रामो रथमास्थाय सम्प्रहृष्टसुहृज्जनः । पताकाध्वजसम्पन्नं महार्हागुरुधूपितम् ॥ 17.1 ॥

sa rāmo rathamāsthāya samprahṛṣṭasuhṛjjanaḥ | patākādhvajasampannaṃ mahārhāgurudhūpitam

That Rama, mounting his chariot, his friends rejoicing around him -- a chariot rich with banners and standards, fragrant with the finest aloe-wood incense --

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.17.2)

अपश्यन्नगरं श्रीमान् नानाजनसमन्वितम् । स गृहैरभ्रसंकाशैः पाण्डुरैरुपशोभितम् ॥ 17.2 ॥

apaśyannagaraṃ śrīmān nānājanasamanvitam | sa gṛhairabhrasaṃkāśaiḥ pāṇḍurairupaśobhitam

the glorious one beheld the city, thronged with people of every kind, adorned with white houses that resembled clouds.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.17.3)

राजमार्गं ययौ रामो मध्येनागुरुधूपितम् । चन्दनानां च मुख्यानामगुरूणां च संचयैः ॥ 17.3 ॥

rājamārgaṃ yayau rāmo madhyenāgurudhūpitam | candanānāṃ ca mukhyānāmagurūṇāṃ ca saṃcayaiḥ

Rama went along the royal road, incensed throughout with aloe-wood, and heaped with stores of the finest sandalwood and aloe-wood --

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.17.4)

उत्तमानां च गन्धानां क्षौमकौशाम्बरस्य च । अविद्धाभिश्च मुक्ताभिरुत्तमैः स्फाटिकैरपि ॥ 17.4 ॥

uttamānāṃ ca gandhānāṃ kṣaumakauśāmbarasya ca | aviddhābhiśca muktābhiruttamaiḥ sphāṭikairapi

with the choicest perfumes, with linen and silk garments, with unpierced pearls, and with fine crystal.

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.17.5)

शोभमानमसम्बाधं तं राजपथमुत्तमम् । संवृतं विविधैः पुष्पैर्भक्ष्यैरुच्चावचैरपि ॥ 17.5 ॥

śobhamānamasambādhaṃ taṃ rājapathamuttamam | saṃvṛtaṃ vividhaiḥ puṣpairbhakṣyairuccāvacairapi

That excellent royal road, resplendent and spacious, was strewn with flowers of every kind, and with sweets of every variety.

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.17.6)

ददर्श तं राजपथं दिवि देवपतिर्यथा । दध्यक्षतहविर्लाजैर्धूपैरगुरुचन्दनैः ॥ 17.6 ॥

dadarśa taṃ rājapathaṃ divi devapatiryathā | dadhyakṣatahavirlājairdhūpairagurucandanaiḥ

He saw that royal road, like the path of the lord of the gods in heaven, worshipped with curd, unbroken rice, oblations, parched grain, incense of aloe and sandal --

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.17.7)

नानामाल्योपगन्धैश्च सदाभ्यर्चितचत्वरम् । आशीर्वादान् बहून् शृण्वन् सुहृद्भिः समुदीरितान् ॥ 17.7 ॥

nānāmālyopagandhaiśca sadābhyarcitacatvaram | āśīrvādān bahūn śṛṇvan suhṛdbhiḥ samudīritān

its squares ever worshipped with garlands and perfumes of every kind. He listened to the many blessings uttered by his well-wishers,

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.17.8)

यथार्हं चापि सम्पूज्य सर्वानेव नरान् ययौ । पितामहैराचरितं तथैव प्रपितामहैः ॥ 17.8 ॥

yathārhaṃ cāpi sampūjya sarvāneva narān yayau | pitāmahairācaritaṃ tathaiva prapitāmahaiḥ

and honouring all the people according to their merit, went along the path followed alike by his grandfathers and his great-grandfathers --

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.17.9)

अद्योपादाय तं मार्गमभिषिक्तोऽनुपालय । यथा स्म पोषिताः पित्रा यथा सर्वैः पितामहैः । ततः सुखतरं सर्वे रामे वत्स्याम राजनि ॥ 17.9 ॥

adyopādāya taṃ mārgamabhiṣikto'nupālaya | yathā sma poṣitāḥ pitrā yathā sarvaiḥ pitāmahaiḥ | tataḥ sukhataraṃ sarve rāme vatsyāma rājani

"-- taking up that path today, be consecrated and rule the kingdom; even as we were cherished by your father and by all your grandfathers before him, so, with Rama as king, shall we all dwell yet more happily."

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.17.10)

अलमद्य हि भुक्तेन परमार्थैरलं च नः । यदि पश्याम निर्यान्तं रामं राज्ये प्रतिष्ठितम् ॥ 17.10 ॥

alamadya hi bhuktena paramārthairalaṃ ca naḥ | yadi paśyāma niryāntaṃ rāmaṃ rājye pratiṣṭhitam

"Enough now of food, enough of every other concern for us, if only we may see Rama going forth, established in the kingdom."

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.17.11)

ततो हि नः प्रियतरं नान्यत् किंचिद् भविष्यति । यथाभिषेको रामस्य राज्येनामिततेजसः ॥ 17.11 ॥

tato hi naḥ priyataraṃ nānyat kiṃcid bhaviṣyati | yathābhiṣeko rāmasya rājyenāmitatejasaḥ

"There shall be nothing dearer to us than this -- the consecration of Rama of boundless splendour to the kingdom."

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.17.12)

एताश्चान्याश्च सुहृदामुदासीनः शुभाः कथाः । आत्मसम्पूजनीः शृण्वन् ययौ रामो महापथम् ॥ 17.12 ॥

etāścānyāśca suhṛdāmudāsīnaḥ śubhāḥ kathāḥ | ātmasampūjanīḥ śṛṇvan yayau rāmo mahāpatham

Hearing these and other such auspicious words of his well-wishers, praising him, Rama, remaining indifferent, went on along the great highway.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.17.13)

न हि तस्मान्मनः कश्चिच्चक्षुषी वा नरोत्तमात् । नरः शक्नोत्यपाक्रष्टुमतिक्रान्तेऽपि राघवे ॥ 17.13 ॥

na hi tasmānmanaḥ kaściccakṣuṣī vā narottamāt | naraḥ śaknotyapākraṣṭumatikrānte'pi rāghave

Even when Raghava had passed by, no man was able to withdraw his mind or his eyes from that noblest of men.

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.17.14)

यश्च रामं न पश्येत्तु यं च रामो न पश्यति । निन्दितः सर्वलोकेषु स्वात्माप्येनं विगर्हते ॥ 17.14 ॥

yaśca rāmaṃ na paśyettu yaṃ ca rāmo na paśyati | ninditaḥ sarvalokeṣu svātmāpyenaṃ vigarhate

Whoever did not see Rama, and whomever Rama did not see, was censured by all the world, and even his own soul reproached him.

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.17.15)

सर्वेषु स हि धर्मात्मा वर्णानां कुरुते दयाम् । चतुर्णां हि वयःस्थानां तेन ते तमनुव्रताः ॥ 17.15 ॥

sarveṣu sa hi dharmātmā varṇānāṃ kurute dayām | caturṇāṃ hi vayaḥsthānāṃ tena te tamanuvratāḥ

For that righteous-souled Rama showed compassion to men of every class, and to those of every age among the four estates; hence they were all devoted to him.

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.17.16)

चतुष्पथान् देवपथांश्चैत्यांश्चायतनानि च । प्रदक्षिणं परिहरज्जगाम नृपतेः सुतः ॥ 17.16 ॥

catuṣpathān devapathāṃścaityāṃścāyatanāni ca | pradakṣiṇaṃ pariharajjagāma nṛpateḥ sutaḥ

The king's son went on, keeping to his right and reverently avoiding crossing the crossroads, the paths of the gods, the sacred trees and the shrines.

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.17.17)

स राजकुलमासाद्य मेघसङ्घोपमैः शुभैः । प्रासादशृङ्गैर्विविधैः कैलासशिखरोपमैः ॥ 17.17 ॥

sa rājakulamāsādya meghasaṅghopamaiḥ śubhaiḥ | prāsādaśṛṅgairvividhaiḥ kailāsaśikharopamaiḥ

Approaching the royal palace, with its various auspicious turrets resembling banks of clouds, or like the peaks of Mount Kailasa,

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.17.18)

आवारयद्भिर्गगनं विमानैरिव पाण्डुरैः । वर्धमानगृहैश्चापि रत्नजालपरिष्कृतैः ॥ 17.18 ॥

āvārayadbhirgaganaṃ vimānairiva pāṇḍuraiḥ | vardhamānagṛhaiścāpi ratnajālapariṣkṛtaiḥ

as though covering the very sky, like white celestial cars, and also with its ever-thriving mansions adorned with a network of jewels --

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.17.19)

तत् पृथिव्यां गृहवरं महेन्द्रसदनोपमम् । राजपुत्रः पितुर्वेश्म प्रविवेश श्रिया ज्वलन् ॥ 17.19 ॥

tat pṛthivyāṃ gṛhavaraṃ mahendrasadanopamam | rājaputraḥ piturveśma praviveśa śriyā jvalan

-- the king's son, blazing with splendour, entered his father's house, that finest of dwellings upon the earth, resembling the abode of Mahendra.

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.17.20)

स कक्ष्या धन्विभिर्गुप्तास्तिस्रोऽतिक्रम्य वाजिभिः । पदातिरपरे कक्ष्ये द्वे जगाम नरोत्तमः ॥ 17.20 ॥

sa kakṣyā dhanvibhirguptāstisro'tikramya vājibhiḥ | padātirapare kakṣye dve jagāma narottamaḥ

That noblest of men crossed, mounted, the three enclosures guarded by archers, and then, on foot, passed through the remaining two enclosures.

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.17.21)

स सर्वाः समतिक्रम्य कक्ष्या दशरथात्मजः । संनिवर्त्य जनं सर्वं शुद्धान्तःपुरमत्यगात् ॥ 17.21 ॥

sa sarvāḥ samatikramya kakṣyā daśarathātmajaḥ | saṃnivartya janaṃ sarvaṃ śuddhāntaḥpuramatyagāt

Having passed through all the enclosures, Dasharatha's son sent back the entire retinue and entered the inner apartments.

Shloka 22 (ayodhya.17.22)

तस्मिन् प्रविष्टे पितुरन्तिकं तदा जनः स सर्वो मुदितो नृपात्मजे । प्रतीक्षते तस्य पुनः स्म निर्गमं यथोदयं चन्द्रमसः सरित्पतिः ॥ 17.22 ॥

tasmin praviṣṭe piturantikaṃ tadā janaḥ sa sarvo mudito nṛpātmaje | pratīkṣate tasya punaḥ sma nirgamaṃ yathodayaṃ candramasaḥ saritpatiḥ

When the king's son had thus gone in to his father, all those delighted people waited for his coming out again, as the lord of rivers, the ocean, waits for the rising of the moon.