Kausalya's Lament

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.43.1)

ततः समीक्ष्य शयने सन्नं शोकेन पार्थिवम्। कौसल्या पुत्रशोकार्ता तमुवाच महीपतिम्॥ 43.1 ॥

tataḥ samīkṣya śayane sannaṃ śokena pārthivam| kausalyā putraśokārtā tamuvāca mahīpatim

Then Kausalya, herself afflicted with grief for her son, seeing the king lying prostrate upon his bed with sorrow, spoke thus to that lord of the earth.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.43.2)

राघवे नरशार्दूले विषं मुक्त्वाहिजिह्मगा। विचरिष्यति कैकेयी निर्मुक्तेव हि पन्नगी॥ 43.2 ॥

rāghave naraśārdūle viṣaṃ muktvāhijihmagā| vicariṣyati kaikeyī nirmukteva hi pannagī

"Having discharged her venom upon Raghava, that tiger among men, crooked Kaikeyi will now go about freely, like a serpent that has cast off its slough."

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.43.3)

विवास्य रामं सुभगा लब्धकामा समाहिता। त्रासयिष्यति मां भूयो दुष्टाहिरिव वेश्मनि॥ 43.3 ॥

vivāsya rāmaṃ subhagā labdhakāmā samāhitā| trāsayiṣyati māṃ bhūyo duṣṭāhiriva veśmani

"Having exiled Rama, that fortunate woman, her purpose gained and her mind now at rest, will again terrify me in this house, like a wicked serpent."

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.43.4)

अथास्मिन् नगरे रामश्चरन् भैक्षं गृहे वसेत्। कामकारो वरं दातुमपि दासं ममात्मजम्॥ 43.4 ॥

athāsmin nagare rāmaścaran bhaikṣaṃ gṛhe vaset| kāmakāro varaṃ dātumapi dāsaṃ mamātmajam

"It would have been better even to give my son as her slave, subject to her every whim, than this — let him rather have lived on in this city, dwelling in some house, begging his food."

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.43.5)

पातयित्वा तु कैकेय्या रामं स्थानाद् यथेष्टतः। प्रविद्धो रक्षसां भागः पर्वणीवाहिताग्निना॥ 43.5 ॥

pātayitvā tu kaikeyyā rāmaṃ sthānād yatheṣṭataḥ| praviddho rakṣasāṃ bhāgaḥ parvaṇīvāhitāgninā

"By casting Rama down at will from his rightful place, Kaikeyi has acted like one who tends the sacred fire yet flings away the demons' rightful portion at the sacred rite."

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.43.6)

नागराजगतिर्वीरो महाबाहुर्धनुर्धरः। वनमाविशते नूनं सभार्यः सहलक्ष्मणः॥ 43.6 ॥

nāgarājagatirvīro mahābāhurdhanurdharaḥ| vanamāviśate nūnaṃ sabhāryaḥ sahalakṣmaṇaḥ

"That hero of majestic, elephant-king's gait, the mighty-armed wielder of the bow, must now surely be entering the forest, together with his wife and with Lakshmana."

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.43.7)

वने त्वदृष्टदुःखानां कैकेय्यनुमते त्वया। त्यक्तानां वनवासाय कान्यावस्था भविष्यति॥ 43.7 ॥

vane tvadṛṣṭaduḥkhānāṃ kaikeyyanumate tvayā| tyaktānāṃ vanavāsāya kānyāvasthā bhaviṣyati

"What plight now awaits them in the forest — those who have never known such suffering, whom you, at Kaikeyi's bidding, have cast out to dwell in the wilderness?"

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.43.8)

ते रत्नहीनास्तरुणाः फलकाले विवासिताः। कथं वत्स्यन्ति कृपणाः फलमूलैः कृताशनाः॥ 43.8 ॥

te ratnahīnāstaruṇāḥ phalakāle vivāsitāḥ| kathaṃ vatsyanti kṛpaṇāḥ phalamūlaiḥ kṛtāśanāḥ

"Bereft of all comforts, still young, exiled at the very time of life meant for enjoyment — how will they, poor souls, live on nothing but roots and fruits?"

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.43.9)

अपीदानीं स कालः स्यान्मम शोकक्षयः शिवः। सहभार्यं सह भ्रात्रा पश्येयमिह राघवम्॥ 43.9 ॥

apīdānīṃ sa kālaḥ syānmama śokakṣayaḥ śivaḥ| sahabhāryaṃ saha bhrātrā paśyeyamiha rāghavam

"Will that blessed hour ever come to me, bringing an end to my sorrow, when I shall see Raghava here again, together with his wife and his brother?"

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.43.10)

श्रुत्वैवोपस्थितौ वीरौ कदायोध्या भविष्यति। यशस्विनी हृष्टजना सूच्छ्रितध्वजमालिनी॥ 43.10 ॥

śrutvaivopasthitau vīrau kadāyodhyā bhaviṣyati| yaśasvinī hṛṣṭajanā sūcchritadhvajamālinī

"When, on merely hearing that the two heroes have arrived, will Ayodhya become glorious again, its people rejoicing, garlanded with rows of soaring banners?"

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.43.11)

कदा प्रेक्ष्य नरव्याघ्रावरण्यात् पुनरागतौ। भविष्यति पुरी हृष्टा समुद्र इव पर्वणि॥ 43.11 ॥

kadā prekṣya naravyāghrāvaraṇyāt punarāgatau| bhaviṣyati purī hṛṣṭā samudra iva parvaṇi

"When, beholding those two tigers among men returned from the forest, will the city rejoice, like the ocean swelling on the day of the full moon?"

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.43.12)

कदायोध्यां महाबाहुः पुरीं वीरः प्रवेक्ष्यति। पुरस्कृत्य रथे सीतां वृषभो गोवधूमिव॥ 43.12 ॥

kadāyodhyāṃ mahābāhuḥ purīṃ vīraḥ pravekṣyati| puraskṛtya rathe sītāṃ vṛṣabho govadhūmiva

"When will that mighty-armed hero enter the city of Ayodhya, setting Sita before him in the chariot, as a bull leads a young cow?"

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.43.13)

कदा प्राणिसहस्राणि राजमार्गे ममात्मजौ। लाजैरवकरिष्यन्ति प्रविशन्तावरिंदमौ॥ 43.13 ॥

kadā prāṇisahasrāṇi rājamārge mamātmajau| lājairavakariṣyanti praviśantāvariṃdamau

"When will thousands of people, upon the royal highway, shower my two sons, those subduers of enemies, with parched grain as they enter the city?"

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.43.14)

प्रविशन्तौ कदायोध्यां द्रक्ष्यामि शुभकुण्डलौ। उदग्रायुधनिस्त्रिंशौ सशृङ्गाविव पर्वतौ॥ 43.14 ॥

praviśantau kadāyodhyāṃ drakṣyāmi śubhakuṇḍalau| udagrāyudhanistriṃśau saśṛṅgāviva parvatau

"When shall I see the two of them, their ears adorned with fine earrings, weapons and swords raised high, entering Ayodhya like two mountains crowned with peaks?"

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.43.15)

कदा सुमनसः कन्या द्विजातीनां फलानि च। प्रदिशन्त्यः पुरीं हृष्टाः करिष्यन्ति प्रदक्षिणम्॥ 43.15 ॥

kadā sumanasaḥ kanyā dvijātīnāṃ phalāni ca| pradiśantyaḥ purīṃ hṛṣṭāḥ kariṣyanti pradakṣiṇam

"When will joyful maidens go about the city offering flowers, and brahmins offering fruits, circling it in celebration?"

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.43.16)

कदा परिणतो बुद्ध्या वयसा चामरप्रभाः। अभ्युपैष्यति धर्मात्मा सुवर्ष इव लालयन्॥ 43.16 ॥

kadā pariṇato buddhyā vayasā cāmaraprabhāḥ| abhyupaiṣyati dharmātmā suvarṣa iva lālayan

"When will that righteous one, matured now in wisdom as in years, radiant as an immortal, come to me, cherishing all like a timely and abundant rain?"

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.43.17)

निःसंशयं मया मन्ये पुरा वीर कदर्यया। पातुकामेषु वत्सेषु मातॄणां शातिताः स्तनाः॥ 43.17 ॥

niḥsaṃśayaṃ mayā manye purā vīra kadaryayā| pātukāmeṣu vatseṣu mātṝṇāṃ śātitāḥ stanāḥ

"I believe without doubt, O hero, that in some past life, out of meanness, I must have caused the teats of mother cows to be cut off, even as their calves longed to suckle."

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.43.18)

साहं गौरिव सिंहेन विवत्सा वत्सला कृता। कैकेय्या पुरुषव्याघ्र बालवत्सेव गौर्बलात्॥ 43.18 ॥

sāhaṃ gauriva siṃhena vivatsā vatsalā kṛtā| kaikeyyā puruṣavyāghra bālavatseva gaurbalāt

"For I, O tiger among men, loving my calf as I do, have been made calf-less by Kaikeyi, just as a cow with a young calf is forcibly parted from it by a lion."

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.43.19)

नहि तावद्गुणैर्जुष्टं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदम्। एकपुत्रा विना पुत्रमहं जीवितुमुत्सहे॥ 43.19 ॥

nahi tāvadguṇairjuṣṭaṃ sarvaśāstraviśāradam| ekaputrā vinā putramahaṃ jīvitumutsahe

"I, who have but this one son, have no wish to live on without him, so richly endowed with virtues and learned in every scripture."

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.43.20)

न हि मे जीविते किंचित् सामर्थ्यमिह कल्प्यते। अपश्यन्त्याः प्रियं पुत्रं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम्॥ 43.20 ॥

na hi me jīvite kiṃcit sāmarthyamiha kalpyate| apaśyantyāḥ priyaṃ putraṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahābalam

"Indeed, no strength at all remains in me to go on living here, unable as I am to see my beloved son, and mighty Lakshmana too."

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.43.21)

अयं हि मां दीपयतेऽद्य वह्निस्तनूजशोकप्रभवो महाहितः। महीमिमां रश्मिभिरुत्तमप्रभो यथा निदाघे भगवान् दिवाकरः॥ 43.21 ॥

ayaṃ hi māṃ dīpayate'dya vahnistanūjaśokaprabhavo mahāhitaḥ| mahīmimāṃ raśmibhiruttamaprabho yathā nidāghe bhagavān divākaraḥ

"This fierce fire, born of grief for my son, burns me today, just as, in the season of summer, the glorious, radiant sun scorches this whole earth with its rays."