Lakshmana's Ascension

Shloka 1 (uttara.106.1)

अवाङ्मुखमथो दीनं दृष्ट्वा सोममिवाप्लुतम् । राघवं लक्ष्मणो वाक्यं हृष्टो मधुरमब्रवीत् ।। ७.१०६.१ ।।

avāṅmukham atho dīnaṃ dṛṣṭvā somam ivāplutam | rāghavaṃ lakṣmaṇo vākyaṃ hṛṣṭo madhuram abravīt || 7.106.1 ||

Then, seeing Raghava with his face bowed down, dejected, dimmed as if the moon eclipsed, Lakshmana, glad at heart, spoke this gentle word.

Shloka 2 (uttara.106.2)

न संतापं महाबाहो मदर्थं कर्तुमर्हसि । पूर्वनिर्माणबद्धा हि कालस्य गतिरीदृशी ।। ७.१०६.२ ।।

na saṃtāpaṃ mahābāho madarthaṃ kartum arhasi | pūrvanirmāṇabaddhā hi kālasya gatir īdṛśī || 7.106.2 ||

"O mighty-armed one, you should not grieve on my account; for such is the course of time -- bound and fixed from the very beginning."

Shloka 3 (uttara.106.3)

जहि मां सौम्य विस्रब्धं प्रतिज्ञां परिपालय । हीनप्रतिज्ञाः काकुत्स्थ प्रयान्ति नरकं नराः ।। ७.१०६.३ ।।

jahi māṃ saumya visrabdhaṃ pratijñāṃ paripālaya | hīnapratijñāḥ kākutstha prayānti narakaṃ narāḥ || 7.106.3 ||

"Gentle one, slay me without hesitation, and keep your vow. Men who fail their vows, Kakutstha, go down to hell."

Shloka 4 (uttara.106.4)

यदि प्रीतिर्महाराज यद्यनुग्राह्यता मयि । जहि मां निर्विशङ्कस्त्वं धर्मं वर्धय राघव ।। ७.१०६.४ ।।

yadi prītir mahārāja yady anugrāhyatā mayi | jahi māṃ nirviśaṅkas tvaṃ dharmaṃ vardhaya rāghava || 7.106.4 ||

"If you love me, great king, if I am worthy of your grace, then, Raghava, slay me without doubt, and let righteousness increase."

Shloka 5 (uttara.106.5)

लक्ष्मणेन तथोक्तस्तु रामः प्रचलितेन्द्रियः । मन्त्रिणः समुपानीय तथैव च पुरोधसम् ।। ७.१०६.५ ।।

lakṣmaṇena tathoktas tu rāmaḥ pracalitendriyaḥ | mantriṇaḥ samupānīya tathaiva ca purodhasam || 7.106.5 ||

Thus addressed by Lakshmana, Rama, his senses shaken, summoned his ministers, and likewise the family priest.

Shloka 6 (uttara.106.6)

अब्रवीच्च तदा वृत्तं तेषां मध्ये स राघवः । दुर्वासोभिगमं चैव प्रतिज्ञां तापसस्य च ।। ७.१०६.६ ।।

abravīc ca tadā vṛttaṃ teṣāṃ madhye sa rāghavaḥ | durvāsobhigamaṃ caiva pratijñāṃ tāpasasya ca || 7.106.6 ||

And Raghava then related to them, in their midst, all that had happened -- the coming of Durvasa, and the vow of that ascetic [Lakshmana].

Shloka 7 (uttara.106.7)

तच्छ्रुत्वा मन्त्रिणः सर्वे सोपाध्यायाः समासत । वसिष्ठस्तु महातेजा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। ७.१०६.७ ।।

tac chrutvā mantriṇaḥ sarve sopādhyāyāḥ samāsata | vasiṣṭhas tu mahātejā vākyam etad uvāca ha || 7.106.7 ||

Hearing this, all the ministers together with the teachers sat down; then the greatly radiant Vasishtha spoke these words.

Shloka 8 (uttara.106.8)

दृष्टमेतन्महाबाहो क्षयं ते रोमहर्षणम् । लक्ष्मणेन वियोगश्च तव राम महायशः ।। ७.१०६.८ ।।

dṛṣṭam etan mahābāho kṣayaṃ te romaharṣaṇam | lakṣmaṇena viyogaś ca tava rāma mahāyaśaḥ || 7.106.8 ||

"This hair-raising calamity of yours, mighty-armed one, was foreseen long ago -- and so was your parting from Lakshmana, far-famed Rama."

Shloka 9 (uttara.106.9)

त्यजैनं बलवान्कालो मा प्रतिज्ञां वृथा कृताः । विनष्टायां प्रतिज्ञायां धर्मो ऽपि च लयं व्रजेत् ।। ७.१०६.९ ।।

tyajainaṃ balavān kālo mā pratijñāṃ vṛthā kṛthāḥ | vinaṣṭāyāṃ pratijñāyāṃ dharmo 'pi ca layaṃ vrajet || 7.106.9 ||

"Let him go; mighty Time so ordains -- do not render your vow vain. For if the vow is broken, righteousness itself would come to ruin."

Shloka 10 (uttara.106.10)

ततो धर्मे विनष्टे तु त्रैलोक्यं सचराचरम् । सदेवर्षिगणं सर्वं विनश्येत्तु न संशयः ।। ७.१०६.१० ।।

tato dharme vinaṣṭe tu trailokyaṃ sacarācaram | sadevarṣigaṇaṃ sarvaṃ vinaśyet tu na saṃśayaḥ || 7.106.10 ||

"And should righteousness perish, then the three worlds together with all that moves and moves not, together with the hosts of gods and sages, would without doubt be destroyed."

Shloka 11 (uttara.106.11)

स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल त्रैलोक्यस्याभिपालनात् । लक्ष्मणेन विना चाद्य जगत्स्वस्थं कुरुष्व ह ।। ७.१०६.११ ।।

sa tvaṃ puruṣaśārdūla trailokyasyābhipālanāt | lakṣmaṇena vinā cādya jagat svasthaṃ kuruṣva ha || 7.106.11 ||

"Therefore, tiger among men, for the protection of the three worlds, set the world at peace this very day -- even if it must be without Lakshmana."

Shloka 12 (uttara.106.12)

तेषां तत्समवेतानां वाक्यं धर्मार्थसंहितम् । श्रुत्वा परिषदो मध्ये रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत् ।। ७.१०६.१२ ।।

teṣāṃ tatsamavetānāṃ vākyaṃ dharmārthasaṃhitam | śrutvā pariṣado madhye rāmo lakṣmaṇam abravīt || 7.106.12 ||

Having heard, amid that assembly, these words full of righteousness and wisdom spoken by all those gathered, Rama, in the midst of the council, said to Lakshmana:

Shloka 13 (uttara.106.13)

विसर्जये त्वां सौमित्रे मा भूद्धर्मविपर्ययः । त्यागो वधो वा विहितः साधूनां तूभयं समम् ।। ७.१०६.१३ ।।

visarjaye tvāṃ saumitre mā bhūd dharmaviparyayaḥ | tyāgo vadho vā vihitaḥ sādhūnāṃ tūbhayaṃ samam || 7.106.13 ||

"Saumitri, I release you -- let there be no violation of righteousness. For the virtuous, banishment and death are both held to be equal."

Shloka 14 (uttara.106.14)

रामेण भाषिते वाक्ये बाष्पव्याकुलितेन्द्रियः । लक्ष्मणस्त्वरितं प्रायात्स्वगृहं न विवेश ह ।। ७.१०६.१४ ।।

rāmeṇa bhāṣite vākye bāṣpavyākulitendriyaḥ | lakṣmaṇas tvaritaṃ prāyāt svagṛhaṃ na viveśa ha || 7.106.14 ||

As Rama spoke these words, Lakshmana's senses grew clouded with tears; he departed at once, and did not even enter his own house.

Shloka 15 (uttara.106.15)

स गत्वा सरयूतीरमुपस्पृश्य कृताञ्जलिः । निगृह्य सर्वस्रोतांसि निःश्वासं न मुमोच ह ।। ७.१०६.१५ ।।

sa gatvā sarayūtīram upaspṛśya kṛtāñjaliḥ | nigṛhya sarvasrotāṃsi niḥśvāsaṃ na mumoca ha || 7.106.15 ||

Having gone to the bank of the Sarayu, touching its water, with joined palms, restraining every sense, he held even his breath, releasing not a single breath.

Shloka 16 (uttara.106.16)

अनिःश्वसन्तं युक्तं तं सशक्राः साप्सरोगणाः । देवाः सर्षिगणाः सर्वे पुष्पैरभ्यकिरंस्तदा ।। ७.१०६.१६ ।।

aniḥśvasantaṃ yuktaṃ taṃ saśakrāḥ sāpsarogaṇāḥ | devāḥ sarṣigaṇāḥ sarve puṣpair abhyakiraṃs tadā || 7.106.16 ||

As he remained thus, breathless, absorbed in meditation, all the gods together with Indra, with the hosts of apsaras, and with the assemblies of sages, showered flowers upon him.

Shloka 17 (uttara.106.17)

अदृश्यं सर्वमनुजैः सशरीरं महाबलम् । प्रगृह्य लक्ष्मणं शक्रस्त्रिदिवं संविवेश ह ।। ७.१०६.१७ ।।

adṛśyaṃ sarvamanujaiḥ saśarīraṃ mahābalam | pragṛhya lakṣmaṇaṃ śakras tridivaṃ saṃviveśa ha || 7.106.17 ||

Then Indra, taking hold of the mighty Lakshmana -- now invisible to all mortal men, yet still in his own body -- brought him into the third heaven.

Shloka 18 (uttara.106.18)

ततो विष्णोश्चतुर्भागमागतं सुरसत्तमाः । दृष्ट्वा प्रमुदिताः सर्वे ऽपूजयन् समहर्षयः ।। ७.१०६.१८ ।।

tato viṣṇoś caturbhāgam āgataṃ surasattamāḥ | dṛṣṭvā pramuditāḥ sarve 'pūjayan samaharṣayaḥ || 7.106.18 ||

Then the best of the gods, seeing that quarter-portion of Vishnu arrived among them, rejoiced greatly and, together with the great seers, worshipped him.