Rama Resolves to Follow Lakshmana

Shloka 1 (uttara.107.1)

विसृज्य लक्ष्मणं रामो दुःखशोकसमन्वितः । पुरोधसं मन्त्रिणश्च नैगमांश्चेदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.१०७.१ ।।

visṛjya lakṣmaṇaṃ rāmo duḥkhaśokasamanvitaḥ | purodhasaṃ mantriṇaś ca naigamāṃś cedam abravīt || 7.107.1 ||

Having released Lakshmana, Rama, overcome with grief and sorrow, spoke thus to the family priest, the ministers, and the assembled citizens.

Shloka 2 (uttara.107.2)

अद्य राज्ये ऽभिषेक्ष्यामि भरतं धर्मवत्सलम् । अयोध्यायाः पतिं वीरं ततो यास्याम्यहं वनम् ।। ७.१०७.२ ।।

adya rājye 'bhiṣekṣyāmi bharataṃ dharmavatsalam | ayodhyāyāḥ patiṃ vīraṃ tato yāsyāmy ahaṃ vanam || 7.107.2 ||

"This very day I shall install righteousness-loving Bharata upon the throne, the heroic lord of Ayodhya; and then I shall go to the forest."

Shloka 3 (uttara.107.3)

प्रवेशयत सम्भारान्माभूत्कालस्य पर्ययः । अद्यैवाहं गमिष्यामि लक्ष्मणेन गतां गतिम् ।। ७.१०७.३ ।।

praveśayata sambhārān mā bhūt kālasya paryayaḥ | adyaivāhaṃ gamiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇena gatāṃ gatim || 7.107.3 ||

"Bring in the [ceremonial] provisions -- let there be no delay in time. This very day I shall go to the same end that Lakshmana has gone to."

Shloka 4 (uttara.107.4)

तच्छ्रुत्वा राघवेणोक्तं सर्वाः प्रकृतयो भृशम् । मूर्धभिः प्रणता भूमौ गतसत्त्वा इवाभवन् ।। ७.१०७.४ ।।

tac chrutvā rāghaveṇoktaṃ sarvāḥ prakṛtayo bhṛśam | mūrdhabhiḥ praṇatā bhūmau gatasattvā ivābhavan || 7.107.4 ||

Hearing this speech of Raghava's, all the citizens, deeply stricken, fell prostrate on the ground, their heads bowed, as if bereft of their senses.

Shloka 5 (uttara.107.5)

भरतश्च विसञ्ज्ञो ऽभूच्छ्रुत्वा रामस्य भाषितम् । राज्यं विगर्हयामास राघवं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.१०७.५ ।।

bharataś ca visañjño 'bhūc chrutvā rāmasya bhāṣitam | rājyaṃ vigarhayām āsa rāghavaṃ cedam abravīt || 7.107.5 ||

And Bharata, hearing Rama's words, lost his senses; he spurned the very idea of kingship and said this to Raghava:

Shloka 6 (uttara.107.6)

सत्येनाहं शपे राजन्स्वर्गलोके न चैव हि । न कामये यथा राज्यं त्वां विना रघुनन्दन ।। ७.१०७.६ ।।

satyenāhaṃ śape rājan svargaloke na caiva hi | na kāmaye yathā rājyaṃ tvāṃ vinā raghunandana || 7.107.6 ||

"I swear by truth, O king -- not even in the world of heaven, O joy of the Raghus, do I desire kingship without you."

Shloka 7 (uttara.107.7)

इमौ कुशलवौ राजन्नभिषिञ्च नराधिप । कोसलेषु कुशं वीरमुत्तरेषु तथा लवम् ।। ७.१०७.७ ।।

imau kuśalavau rājann abhiṣiñca narādhipa | kosaleṣu kuśaṃ vīram uttareṣu tathā lavam || 7.107.7 ||

"Instead, O king, O lord of men, consecrate these two, Kusha and Lava -- the heroic Kusha over Kosala, and Lava likewise over Uttara-Kosala."

Shloka 8 (uttara.107.8)

शत्रुघ्नस्य तु गच्छन्तु दूतास्त्वरितविक्रमाः । इदं गमनमस्माकं स्वर्गायाख्यातु मा चिरम् ।। ७.१०७.८ ।।

śatrughnasya tu gacchantu dūtās tvaritavikramāḥ | idaṃ gamanam asmākaṃ svargāyākhyātu mā ciram || 7.107.8 ||

"And let swift-footed messengers go to Shatrughna; without delay let them announce to him this departure of ours for heaven."

Shloka 9 (uttara.107.9)

तच्छ्रुत्वा भरतेनोक्तं दृष्ट्वा चापि ह्यधोमुखान् । पौरान्दुःखेन सन्तप्तान्वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। ७.१०७.९ ।।

tac chrutvā bharatenoktaṃ dṛṣṭvā cāpi hy adhomukhān | paurān duḥkhena santaptān vasiṣṭho vākyam abravīt || 7.107.9 ||

Hearing what Bharata had said, and seeing the citizens too, their faces bowed down, tormented with grief, Vasishtha spoke these words:

Shloka 10 (uttara.107.10)

वत्स राम इमाः पश्य धरणीं प्रकृतीर्गताः । ज्ञात्वैषामीप्सितं कार्यं मा चैषां विप्रियं कृथाः ।। ७.१०७.१० ।।

vatsa rāma imāḥ paśya dharaṇīṃ prakṛtīr gatāḥ | jñātvaiṣām īpsitaṃ kāryaṃ mā caiṣāṃ vipriyaṃ kṛthāḥ || 7.107.10 ||

"Dear child Rama, see these citizens, fallen upon the ground. Learn what they truly wish, and do nothing displeasing to them."

Shloka 11 (uttara.107.11)

वसिष्ठस्य तु वाक्येन उत्थाप्य प्रकृतीजनम् । किं करोमीति काकुत्स्थः सर्वा वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ७.१०७.११ ।।

vasiṣṭhasya tu vākyena utthāpya prakṛtījanam | kiṃ karomīti kākutsthaḥ sarvā vacanam abravīt || 7.107.11 ||

At Vasishtha's word, having raised up the citizens, Kakutstha said to them all, "What shall I do?"

Shloka 12 (uttara.107.12)

ततः सर्वाः प्रकृतयो रामं वचनमब्रुवन् । गच्छन्तमनुगच्छामो यत्र राम गमिष्यसि ।। ७.१०७.१२ ।।

tataḥ sarvāḥ prakṛtayo rāmaṃ vacanam abruvan | gacchantam anugacchāmo yatra rāma gamiṣyasi || 7.107.12 ||

Then all the citizens said this word to Rama: "We shall follow you wherever you go, Rama, as you depart."

Shloka 13 (uttara.107.13)

पौरेषु यदि ते प्रीतिर्यदि स्नेहो ह्यनुत्तमः । सपुत्रदाराः काकुत्स्थ समागच्छाम सत्पथम् ।। ७.१०७.१३ ।।

paureṣu yadi te prītir yadi sneho hy anuttamaḥ | saputradārāḥ kākutstha samāgacchāma satpatham || 7.107.13 ||

"If you have love for your citizens, if your affection is unsurpassed, then, Kakutstha, let us come, together with our children and wives, upon that same righteous road."

Shloka 14 (uttara.107.14)

तपोवनं वा दुर्गं वा नदीमम्भोनिधिं तथा । वयं ते यदि न त्याज्याः सर्वान्नो नय ईश्वर ।। ७.१०७.१४ ।।

tapovanaṃ vā durgaṃ vā nadīm ambhonidhiṃ tathā | vayaṃ te yadi na tyājyāḥ sarvān no naya īśvara || 7.107.14 ||

"Be it a hermitage forest, a fortress, a river, or the very ocean -- if we are not to be forsaken by you, then, lord, lead us all along with you."

Shloka 15 (uttara.107.15)

एषा नः परमा प्रीतिरेष नः परमो वरः । हृद्गता नः सदा प्रीतिस्तवानुगमने नृप ।। ७.१०७.१५ ।।

eṣā naḥ paramā prītir eṣa naḥ paramo varaḥ | hṛdgatā naḥ sadā prītis tavānugamane nṛpa || 7.107.15 ||

"This is our supreme delight, this our highest boon; our hearts' abiding joy, O king, lies only in following you."

Shloka 16 (uttara.107.16)

पौराणां दृढभक्तिं च बाढमित्येव सो ऽब्रवीत् । स्वकृतान्तं चान्ववेक्ष्य तस्मिन्नहनि राघवः ।। ७.१०७.१६ ।।

paurāṇāṃ dṛḍhabhaktiṃ ca bāḍham ity eva so 'bravīt | svakṛtāntaṃ cānvavekṣya tasminn ahani rāghavaḥ || 7.107.16 ||

Seeing the citizens' unshakeable devotion, Raghava said, "So be it," and that very day, having reflected on his resolved course, [made his decision].

Shloka 17 (uttara.107.17)

कोसलेषु कुशं वीरमुत्तरेषु तथा लवम् । अभिषिच्य महात्मानावुभौ रामः कुशीलवौ ।। ७.१०७.१७ ।।

kosaleṣu kuśaṃ vīram uttareṣu tathā lavam | abhiṣicya mahātmānāv ubhau rāmaḥ kuśīlavau || 7.107.17 ||

Rama then consecrated both the great-souled Kusha and Lava -- the heroic Kusha over Kosala, and Lava likewise over Uttara-Kosala.

Shloka 18 (uttara.107.18)

अभिषिक्तौ सुतावङ्के प्रतिष्ठाप्य पुरे ततः । परिष्वज्य महाबाहुर्मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय चासकृत् ।। ७.१०७.१८ ।।

abhiṣiktau sutāv aṅke pratiṣṭhāpya pure tataḥ | pariṣvajya mahābāhur mūrdhny upāghrāya cāsakṛt || 7.107.18 ||

Then, having set his two now-consecrated sons upon his lap and established them in their city, the mighty-armed one embraced them and repeatedly kissed their heads.

Shloka 19 (uttara.107.19)

रथानां तु सहस्राणि नागानामयुतानि च । दशायुतानि चाश्वानामेकैकस्य धनं ददौ ।। ७.१०७.१९ ।।

rathānāṃ tu sahasrāṇi nāgānām ayutāni ca | daśāyutāni cāśvānām ekaikasya dhanaṃ dadau || 7.107.19 ||

To each of them he gave, as wealth, thousands of chariots, myriads of elephants, and ten myriads of horses.

Shloka 20 (uttara.107.20)

बहुरत्नौ बहुधनौ हृष्टपुष्टजनावृतौ । स्वे पुरे प्रेषयामास भ्रातरौ तु कुशीलवौ ।। ७.१०७.२० ।।

bahuratnau bahudhanau hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanāvṛtau | sve pure preṣayām āsa bhrātarau tu kuśīlavau || 7.107.20 ||

Thus, laden with abundant jewels and wealth, surrounded by joyful and thriving retinues, he sent the two brothers, Kusha and Lava, to their own cities.

Shloka 21 (uttara.107.21)

अभिषिच्य सुतौ वीरौ प्रतिष्ठाप्य पुरे तदा । दूतान्सम्प्रेषयामास शत्रुघ्नाय महात्मने ।। ७.१०७.२१ ।।

abhiṣicya sutau vīrau pratiṣṭhāpya pure tadā | dūtān sampreṣayām āsa śatrughnāya mahātmane || 7.107.21 ||

Having thus consecrated his two heroic sons and established them in their cities, he then sent messengers to the great-souled Shatrughna.