Crossing the Vedasruti, Gomati, and Syandika

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.49.1)

रामोऽपि रात्रिशेषेण तेनैव महदन्तरम्। जगाम पुरुषव्याघ्रः पितुराज्ञामनुस्मरन्॥ 49.1 ॥

rāmo'pi rātriśeṣeṇa tenaiva mahadantaram| jagāma puruṣavyāghraḥ piturājñāmanusmaran

Rama, tiger among men, ever mindful of his father's command, covered a great distance in what remained of that night.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.49.2)

तथैव गच्छतस्तस्य व्यपायाद्रजनी शिवा। उपास्य स शिवां सन्ध्यां विषयान्तं व्यगाहत॥ 49.2 ॥

tathaiva gacchatastasya vyapāyādrajanī śivā| upāsya sa śivāṃ sandhyāṃ viṣayāntaṃ vyagāhata

So journeying on, that night passed for him; and having offered his devotions at the auspicious dawn, he crossed beyond the borders of that land.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.49.3)

ग्रामान्विकृष्टसीमांस्तान्पुष्पितानि वनानि च। पश्यन्नतिययौ शीघ्रं शरैरिव हयोत्तमैः॥ 49.3 ॥

grāmānvikṛṣṭasīmāṃstānpuṣpitāni vanāni ca| paśyannatiyayau śīghraṃ śarairiva hayottamaiḥ

Seeing villages with their tilled outskirts and woods laden with blossom, and hearing the talk of the village folk as he passed, he sped on with his excellent horses, yet as if slowly, taking in the sights.

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.49.4)

शृण्वन्वाचो मनुष्याणां ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम्। राजानं धिग्दशरथं कामस्य वशमागतम्॥ 49.4 ॥

śṛṇvanvāco manuṣyāṇāṃ grāmasaṃvāsavāsinām| rājānaṃ dhigdaśarathaṃ kāmasya vaśamāgatam

Hearing the villagers' words as he went — 'Shame on King Dasharatha, fallen under the sway of desire' —

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.49.5)

हा नृशंसाद्य कैकेयी पापा पापानुबन्धिनी। तीक्ष्णा सम्भिन्नमर्यादा तीक्ष्णे कर्मणि वर्तते॥ 49.5 ॥

hā nṛśaṃsādya kaikeyī pāpā pāpānubandhinī| tīkṣṇā sambhinnamaryādā tīkṣṇe karmaṇi vartate

'Alas, this cruel Kaikeyi, sinful, ever bound to sin, has today broken every bound of propriety and set herself to a merciless deed —'

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.49.6)

या पुत्रमीदृशं राज्ञः प्रवासयति धार्मिकम्। वनवासे महाप्राज्ञं सानुक्रोशमतन्द्रितम्॥ 49.6 ॥

yā putramīdṛśaṃ rājñaḥ pravāsayati dhārmikam| vanavāse mahāprājñaṃ sānukrośamatandritam

'— banishing to the forest so righteous, so wise, so compassionate, so self-controlled a prince.'

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.49.7)

कथं नाम महाभागा सीता जनकनन्दिनी। सदा सुखेष्वभिरता दुःखान्यनुभविष्यति॥ 49.7 ॥

kathaṃ nāma mahābhāgā sītā janakanandinī| sadā sukheṣvabhiratā duḥkhānyanubhaviṣyati

'How will the blessed Sita, Janaka's daughter, who has always delighted in comfort, now bear such hardship in the forest?'

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.49.8)

अहो दशरथो राजा निस्नेहः स्वसुतप्रियम्। प्रजानामनघं रामं परित्यक्तुमिहेच्छति॥ 49.8 ॥

aho daśaratho rājā nisnehaḥ svasutapriyam| prajānāmanaghaṃ rāmaṃ parityaktumihecchati

'Alas, King Dasharatha, without love, now wishes to cast away Rama — so dear to the people, so free of fault!'

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.49.9)

एता वाचो मनुष्याणां ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम्। शृण्वन्नतिययौ वीरः कोसलान्कोसलेश्वरः॥ 49.9 ॥

etā vāco manuṣyāṇāṃ grāmasaṃvāsavāsinām| śṛṇvannatiyayau vīraḥ kosalānkosaleśvaraḥ

Hearing such words from the village-dwellers, the heroic lord of Kosala pressed on and crossed beyond the land of Kosala.

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.49.10)

ततो वेदश्रुतिं नाम शिववारिवहां नदीम्। उत्तीर्याभिमुखः प्रायादगस्त्याध्युषितां दिशम्॥ 49.10 ॥

tato vedaśrutiṃ nāma śivavārivahāṃ nadīm| uttīryābhimukhaḥ prāyādagastyādhyuṣitāṃ diśam

Then, having crossed the holy-watered river called Vedashruti, he turned to face the quarter where sage Agastya dwelt.

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.49.11)

गत्वा तु सुचिरं कालं ततः शीतजलां नदीम्। गोमतीं गोयुतानूपामतरत्सागरङ्गमाम्॥ 49.11 ॥

gatvā tu suciraṃ kālaṃ tataḥ śītajalāṃ nadīm| gomatīṃ goyutānūpāmataratsāgaraṅgamām

Journeying long, he then crossed the Gomati, its waters cool, its banks thronged with cattle, flowing on toward the sea.

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.49.12)

गोमतीं चाप्यतिक्रम्य राघवः शीघ्रगैर्हयैः। मयूरहंसाभिरुतां ततार स्यन्दिकां नदीम्॥ 49.12 ॥

gomatīṃ cāpyatikramya rāghavaḥ śīghragairhayaiḥ| mayūrahaṃsābhirutāṃ tatāra syandikāṃ nadīm

Having crossed the Gomati as well, Raghava, with his swift horses, then crossed the Syandika river, echoing with the cries of peacocks and swans.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.49.13)

स महीं मनुना राज्ञा दत्तामिक्ष्वाकवे पुरा। स्फीतां राष्ट्रावृतां रामो वैदेहीमन्वदर्शयत्॥ 49.13 ॥

sa mahīṃ manunā rājñā dattāmikṣvākave purā| sphītāṃ rāṣṭrāvṛtāṃ rāmo vaidehīmanvadarśayat

That land — rich and bordered by many realms, which King Manu had of old bestowed upon Ikshvaku — Rama now showed to Vaidehi.

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.49.14)

सूत इत्येव चाभाष्य सारथिं तमभीक्ष्णशः। हंसमत्तस्वरः श्रीमानुवाच पुरुषर्षभः॥ 49.14 ॥

sūta ityeva cābhāṣya sārathiṃ tamabhīkṣṇaśaḥ| haṃsamattasvaraḥ śrīmānuvāca puruṣarṣabhaḥ

The glorious Rama, foremost of men, his voice as rich as a swan's cry, spoke again and again to the charioteer, calling him gently by name.

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.49.15)

कदाहं पुनरागम्य सरय्वाः पुष्पिते वने। मृगयां पर्यटिष्यामि मात्रा पित्रा च सङ्गतः॥ 49.15 ॥

kadāhaṃ punarāgamya sarayvāḥ puṣpite vane| mṛgayāṃ paryaṭiṣyāmi mātrā pitrā ca saṅgataḥ

'When shall I come back again, be reunited with my mother and father, and roam once more, hunting, in the blossoming woods along the Sarayu?'

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.49.16)

नात्यर्थमभिकाङ्क्षामि मृगयां सरयूवने। रतिर्ह्येषातुला लोके राजर्षिगणसंमता॥ 49.16 ॥

nātyarthamabhikāṅkṣāmi mṛgayāṃ sarayūvane| ratirhyeṣātulā loke rājarṣigaṇasaṃmatā

'It is not that I greatly crave hunting in the woods of the Sarayu — it is simply that unmatched delight which, in this world, companies of royal sages hold in high regard —'

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.49.17)

राजर्षीणां हि लोकेऽस्मिन् रत्यर्थं मृगया वने। काले कृतां तां मनुजैर्धन्विनामभिकाङ्क्षिताम्॥ 49.17 ॥

rājarṣīṇāṃ hi loke'smin ratyarthaṃ mṛgayā vane| kāle kṛtāṃ tāṃ manujairdhanvināmabhikāṅkṣitām

'— for, in this world, such hunting in the forest, undertaken by royal sages at its proper season, is what archers everywhere desire for their delight.'

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.49.18)

स तमध्वानमैक्ष्वाकः सूतं मधुरया गिरा। तं तमर्थमभिप्रेत्य ययौ वाक्यमुदीरयन्॥ 49.18 ॥

sa tamadhvānamaikṣvākaḥ sūtaṃ madhurayā girā| taṃ tamarthamabhipretya yayau vākyamudīrayan

So, journeying along that road, the Ikshvaku prince spoke on, addressing the charioteer in that sweet voice, his mind set on the matter dear to him.