The Slander of the Citizens

Shloka 1 (uttara.43.1)

तत्रोपविष्टं राजानमुपासन्ते विचक्षणाः । कथानां बहुरूपाणां हास्यकाराः समन्ततः ।। 43.1 ।।

tatropaviṣṭaṃ rājānamupāsante vicakṣaṇāḥ | kathānāṃ bahurūpāṇāṃ hāsyakārāḥ samantataḥ || 43.1 ||

There, wise men skilled in tales of many kinds, jesters, attended upon the king as he sat.

Shloka 2 (uttara.43.2)

विजयो मधुमत्तश्च काश्यपो मङ्गलः कुटः । सुराजः कालियो भद्रो दन्तवक्रः सुमागधः ।। 43.2 ।।

vijayo madhumattaśca kāśyapo maṅgalaḥ kuṭaḥ | surājaḥ kāliyo bhadro dantavakraḥ sumāgadhaḥ || 43.2 ||

Vijaya, Madhumatta, Kashyapa, Mangala, Kuta, Suraja, Kaliya, Bhadra, Dantavakra, and Sumagadha -

Shloka 3 (uttara.43.3)

एते कथा बहुविधाः परिहाससमन्विताः । कथयन्ति स्म संहृष्टा राघवस्य महात्मनः ।। 43.3 ।।

ete kathā bahuvidhāḥ parihāsasamanvitāḥ | kathayanti sma saṃhṛṣṭā rāghavasya mahātmanaḥ || 43.3 ||

These, delighted, would tell the great-souled Raghava many kinds of tales full of wit and humour.

Shloka 4 (uttara.43.4)

ततः कथायां कस्याञ्चिद्राघवः समभाषत । काः कथा नगरे भद्र वर्तन्ते विषयेषु च ।। 43.4 ।।

tataḥ kathāyāṃ kasyāñcidrāghavaḥ samabhāṣata | kāḥ kathā nagare bhadra vartante viṣayeṣu ca || 43.4 ||

Then, in the course of some tale, Raghava said, "O Bhadra, what talk goes on in the city and in the countryside?

Shloka 5 (uttara.43.5)

मामाश्रितानि कान्याहुः पौरजानपदा जनाः । किं च सीतां समाश्रित्य भरतं किं च लक्ष्मणम् ।। 43.5 ।।

māmāśritāni kānyāhuḥ paurajānapadā janāḥ | kiṃ ca sītāṃ samāśritya bharataṃ kiṃ ca lakṣmaṇam || 43.5 ||

What do the people of the city and countryside say concerning me? And what concerning Sita, and what concerning Bharata, and what concerning Lakshmana?

Shloka 6 (uttara.43.6)

किं नु शत्रुघ्नमुद्दिश्य कैकयीं किं नु मातरम् । वक्तव्यतां च राजानो वरे राज्ये व्रजन्ति च ।। 43.6 ।।

kiṃ nu śatrughnamuddiśya kaikayīṃ kiṃ nu mātaram | vaktavyatāṃ ca rājāno vare rājye vrajanti ca || 43.6 ||

And what regarding Shatrughna, and what regarding mother Kaikeyi? For kings, even in the best of reigns, become subjects of talk."

Shloka 7 (uttara.43.7)

एवमुक्ते तु रामेण भद्रः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत् । स्थिताः कथा शुभाः राजन्वर्तन्ते पुरवासिनाम् ।। 43.7 ।।

evamukte tu rāmeṇa bhadraḥ prāñjalirabravīt | sthitāḥ kathā śubhāḥ rājanvartante puravāsinām || 43.7 ||

When Rama had spoken thus, Bhadra, with joined palms, said, "O king, only auspicious talk regarding the citizens prevails.

Shloka 8 (uttara.43.8)

अमुं तु विजयं सौम्य दशग्रीववधार्जितम् । भूयिष्ठं स्वपुरे पौरैः कथ्यन्ते पुरुषर्षभ ।। 43.8 ।।

amuṃ tu vijayaṃ saumya daśagrīvavadhārjitam | bhūyiṣṭhaṃ svapure pauraiḥ kathyante puruṣarṣabha || 43.8 ||

O gentle one, O bull among men, this victory won by the slaying of the ten-necked one is what is mostly spoken of by the citizens in your own city."

Shloka 9 (uttara.43.9)

एवमुक्तस्तु भद्रेण राघवो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । कथयस्व यथातत्त्वं सर्वं निरवशेषतः ।। 43.9 ।।

evamuktastu bhadreṇa rāghavo vākyamabravīt | kathayasva yathātattvaṃ sarvaṃ niravaśeṣataḥ || 43.9 ||

Thus addressed by Bhadra, Raghava said, "Tell me everything, exactly as it is, without leaving anything out.

Shloka 10 (uttara.43.10)

शुभाशुभानि वाक्यानि यान्याहुः पुरवासिनः । श्रुत्वेदानीं शुभं कुर्यां नकुर्यामशुभानि च ।। 43.10 ।।

śubhāśubhāni vākyāni yānyāhuḥ puravāsinaḥ | śrutvedānīṃ śubhaṃ kuryāṃ nakuryāmaśubhāni ca || 43.10 ||

Whatever good or ill words the citizens speak, having heard them now, I would do what is good and not do what is ill.

Shloka 11 (uttara.43.11)

कथयस्व च विस्रब्धो निर्भयं विगतज्वरः । कथयन्ति यथा पौराः पापा जनपदेषु च ।। 43.11 ।।

kathayasva ca visrabdho nirbhayaṃ vigatajvaraḥ | kathayanti yathā paurāḥ pāpā janapadeṣu ca || 43.11 ||

Speak freely, without fear, without hesitation - whatever ill things the citizens and the people of the countryside are saying."

Shloka 12 (uttara.43.12)

राघवेणैवमुक्तस्तु भद्रः सुरुचिरं वचः । प्रत्युवाच महाबाहुं प्राञ्जलिः सुसमाहितः ।। 43.12 ।।

rāghaveṇaivamuktastu bhadraḥ suruciraṃ vacaḥ | pratyuvāca mahābāhuṃ prāñjaliḥ susamāhitaḥ || 43.12 ||

Thus addressed by Raghava, Bhadra, with joined palms, deeply composed, replied to the mighty-armed one with fitting words.

Shloka 13 (uttara.43.13)

शृणु राजन्यथा पौराः कथयन्ति शुभाशुभम् । चत्वरापणरथ्यासु वनेषूपवनेषु च ।। 43.13 ।।

śṛṇu rājanyathā paurāḥ kathayanti śubhāśubham | catvarāpaṇarathyāsu vaneṣūpavaneṣu ca || 43.13 ||

"Listen, O king, to what the citizens say, good and ill, in the squares, in the marketplaces, on the streets, in the woods and groves.

Shloka 14 (uttara.43.14)

दुष्करं कृतवान्रामः समुद्रे सेतुबन्धनम् । अश्रुतं पूर्वकैः कैश्चिद्देवैरपि सदानवैः ।। 43.14 ।।

duṣkaraṃ kṛtavānrāmaḥ samudre setubandhanam | aśrutaṃ pūrvakaiḥ kaiściddevairapi sadānavaiḥ || 43.14 ||

'Rama performed a difficult deed, the building of a bridge across the ocean - a thing unheard-of even among the ancients, even among gods and danavas.'

Shloka 15 (uttara.43.15)

रावणश्च दुराधर्षो हतः सबलवाहनः । वानराश्च वशं नीता ऋक्षाश्च सह राक्षसैः ।। 43.15 ।।

rāvaṇaśca durādharṣo hataḥ sabalavāhanaḥ | vānarāśca vaśaṃ nītā ṛkṣāśca saha rākṣasaiḥ || 43.15 ||

'And the invincible Ravana was slain, with his army and mounts, and the monkeys, and the bears together with the demons, were brought under sway.'

Shloka 16 (uttara.43.16)

हत्वा च रावणं सङ्ख्ये सीतामाहृत्य राघवः । अमर्षं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा स्ववेश्म पुनरानयत् ।। 43.16 ।।

hatvā ca rāvaṇaṃ saṅkhye sītāmāhṛtya rāghavaḥ | amarṣaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā svaveśma punarānayat || 43.16 ||

'And having slain Ravana in battle, and having brought back Sita, Raghava, putting his indignation behind him, brought her once more to his own house.'

Shloka 17 (uttara.43.17)

कीदृशं हृदये तस्य सीतासम्भोगजं सुखम् । अङ्कमारोप्य तु पुरा रावणेन बलाद्धृताम् ।। 43.17 ।।

kīdṛśaṃ hṛdaye tasya sītāsambhogajaṃ sukham | aṅkamāropya tu purā rāvaṇena balāddhṛtām || 43.17 ||

'What sort of joy of union with Sita can there be in his heart - she who was once seated upon Ravana's lap, having been forcibly seized by him,'

Shloka 18 (uttara.43.18)

लङ्कामपि पुरा नीतामशोकवनिकां गताम् । रक्षसां वशमापन्नां कथं रामो न कुत्सते ।। 43.18 ।।

laṅkāmapi purā nītāmaśokavanikāṃ gatām | rakṣasāṃ vaśamāpannāṃ kathaṃ rāmo na kutsate || 43.18 ||

'who was carried off to Lanka before, who dwelt in the Ashoka grove, who had fallen into the power of the demons - how does Rama not despise her?'

Shloka 19 (uttara.43.19)

अस्माकमपि दारेषु सहनीयं भविष्यति । यथा हि कुरुते राजा प्रजा तमनुवर्तते ।। 43.19 ।।

asmākamapi dāreṣu sahanīyaṃ bhaviṣyati | yathā hi kurute rājā prajā tamanuvartate || 43.19 ||

'This will now have to be tolerated by us too, in the matter of our own wives; for as the king behaves, so the people follow him.'

Shloka 20 (uttara.43.20)

एवं बहुविधा वाचो वदन्ति पुरवासिनः । नगरेषु च सर्वेषु राजञ्जनपदेषु च ।। 43.20 ।।

evaṃ bahuvidhā vāco vadanti puravāsinaḥ | nagareṣu ca sarveṣu rājañjanapadeṣu ca || 43.20 ||

Thus, O king, the citizens speak many kinds of such words, in all the towns and in the countryside."

Shloka 21 (uttara.43.21)

तस्यैवं भाषितं श्रुत्वा राघवः परमार्तवत् । उवाच सुहृदः सर्वान्कथमेतद्ब्रवीथ माम् ।। 43.21 ।।

tasyaivaṃ bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā rāghavaḥ paramārtavat | uvāca suhṛdaḥ sarvānkathametadbravītha mām || 43.21 ||

Hearing him speak thus, Raghava, as though in the utmost anguish, said to all his friends, "Why do you tell me this?"

Shloka 22 (uttara.43.22)

सर्वे तु शिरसा भूमावभिवाद्य प्रणम्य च । प्रत्यूचू राघवं दीनमेवमेतन्न संशयः ।। 43.22 ।।

sarve tu śirasā bhūmāvabhivādya praṇamya ca | pratyūcū rāghavaṃ dīnamevametanna saṃśayaḥ || 43.22 ||

All of them, bowing their heads to the ground in salutation, sorrowfully replied to Raghava, "It is so, without doubt."

Shloka 23 (uttara.43.23)

श्रुत्वा तु वाक्यं काकुत्स्थः सर्वेषां समुदीरितम् । विसर्जयामास तदा वयस्याञ्छत्रुसूदनः ।। 43.23 ।।

śrutvā tu vākyaṃ kākutsthaḥ sarveṣāṃ samudīritam | visarjayāmāsa tadā vayasyāñchatrusūdanaḥ || 43.23 ||

Having heard the words spoken by all of them, Kakutstha, the destroyer of foes, then dismissed his companions.