Rama's Counsel and Shatrughna's Departure

Shloka 1 (uttara.64.1)

एवमुक्त्वा च काकुत्स्थं प्रशस्य च पुनः पुनः । पुनरेवापरं वाक्यमुवाच रघुनन्दनः ।। 64.1 ।।

evamuktvā ca kākutsthaṃ praśasya ca punaḥ punaḥ | punarevāparaṃ vākyamuvāca raghunandanaḥ || 64.1 ||

Having thus spoken to Kakutstha and praised him again and again, Raghunandana spoke yet another word.

Shloka 2 (uttara.64.2)

इमान्यश्वसहस्राणि चत्वारि पुरुषर्षभ । रथानां द्वे सहस्रे च गजानां शतमुत्तमम् ।। 64.2 ।।

imānyaśvasahasrāṇi catvāri puruṣarṣabha | rathānāṃ dve sahasre ca gajānāṃ śatamuttamam || 64.2 ||

"Take, bull among men, these four thousand horses, two thousand chariots, and a hundred splendid elephants.

Shloka 3 (uttara.64.3)

अन्तरा पणवीथ्यश्च नानापण्योपशोभिताः । अनुगच्छन्तु काकुत्स्थं तथैव नटनर्तकाः ।। 64.3 ।।

antarā paṇavīthyaśca nānāpaṇyopaśobhitāḥ | anugacchantu kākutsthaṃ tathaiva naṭanartakāḥ || 64.3 ||

Let rows of marketplaces adorned with various goods, and troupes of actors and dancers as well, accompany Kakutstha on the way.

Shloka 4 (uttara.64.4)

हिरण्यस्य सुवर्णस्य नियुतं पुरुषर्षभ । आदाय गच्छ शत्रुघ्न पर्याप्तधनवाहनः ।। 64.4 ।।

hiraṇyasya suvarṇasya niyutaṃ puruṣarṣabha | ādāya gaccha śatrughna paryāptadhanavāhanaḥ || 64.4 ||

Take, bull among men, Shatrughna, a million measures of silver and gold, and go forth well supplied with wealth and conveyances.

Shloka 5 (uttara.64.5)

बलं च सुभृतं वीर हृष्टपुष्टमनुद्धतम् । सम्भाषासम्प्रदानेन रञ्जयस्व नगेत्तम ।। 64.5 ।।

balaṃ ca subhṛtaṃ vīra hṛṣṭapuṣṭamanuddhatam | sambhāṣāsampradānena rañjayasva nagettama || 64.5 ||

Take with you, hero, an army well-provided, cheerful, robust yet never insolent; O foremost of cities' lords, keep them content with kind words and gifts.

Shloka 6 (uttara.64.6)

न ह्यर्थास्तत्र तिष्ठन्ति न दारा न च बान्धवाः । सुप्रीतो भृत्यवर्गश्च यत्र तिष्ठसि राघव ।। 64.6 ।।

na hyarthāstatra tiṣṭhanti na dārā na ca bāndhavāḥ | suprīto bhṛtyavargaśca yatra tiṣṭhasi rāghava || 64.6 ||

For neither wealth, nor wife, nor kinsmen truly abide elsewhere, Raghava — they, and contented servants too, are wherever you dwell.

Shloka 7 (uttara.64.7)

ततो हृष्टजनाकीर्णां प्रस्थाप्य महतीं चमूम् । एक एव धनुष्पाणिर्गच्छ त्वं मधुनो वनम् ।। 64.7 ।।

tato hṛṣṭajanākīrṇāṃ prasthāpya mahatīṃ camūm | eka eva dhanuṣpāṇirgaccha tvaṃ madhuno vanam || 64.7 ||

Then, having sent that great army, thronging with joyful people, on ahead, go alone, bow in hand, to Madhu's forest.

Shloka 8 (uttara.64.8)

यथा त्वां न प्रजानाति गच्छन्तं युद्धकाङ्क्षिणम् । लवणस्तु मधोः पुत्रस्तथा गच्छेरशङ्कितम् ।। 64.8 ।।

yathā tvāṃ na prajānāti gacchantaṃ yuddhakāṅkṣiṇam | lavaṇastu madhoḥ putrastathā gaccheraśaṅkitam || 64.8 ||

Go in such a way, seeking battle unrecognized, that Madhu's son Lavana does not know of your coming — go thus, unsuspected.

Shloka 9 (uttara.64.9)

न तस्य मृत्युरन्यो ऽस्ति कश्चिद्धि पुरुषर्षभ । दर्शनं यो ऽभिगच्छेत स वध्यो लवणेन हि ।। 64.9 ।।

na tasya mṛtyuranyo 'sti kaściddhi puruṣarṣabha | darśanaṃ yo 'bhigaccheta sa vadhyo lavaṇena hi || 64.9 ||

For no other death is possible for him, bull among men — whoever comes within his sight is, by that very fact, slain by Lavana.

Shloka 10 (uttara.64.10)

स हि ग्रीष्मो ऽपयाते तु वर्षारात्र उपागते । हन्यास्त्वं लवणं सौम्य सहि कालो ऽस्य दुर्मतेः ।। 64.10 ।।

sa hi grīṣmo 'payāte tu varṣārātra upāgate | hanyāstvaṃ lavaṇaṃ saumya sahi kālo 'sya durmateḥ || 64.10 ||

So, gentle one, once summer has passed and the rainy season sets in, then slay Lavana — that will be the fitting time for that ill-minded one.

Shloka 11 (uttara.64.11)

महर्षींस्तु पुरत्कृत्य प्रयान्तु तव सौनिकाः । यथा ग्रीष्मावशेषेण तरेयुर्जाह्नवीजलम् ।। 64.11 ।।

maharṣīṃstu puratkṛtya prayāntu tava saunikāḥ | yathā grīṣmāvaśeṣeṇa tareyurjāhnavījalam || 64.11 ||

Let your soldiers march with the great sages placed before them, so that they may cross the waters of the Jahnavi while summer's last days still remain.

Shloka 12 (uttara.64.12)

तत्र स्थाप्य बलं सर्वं नदीतीरे समाहितः । अग्रतो धनुषा सार्धं गच्छ त्वं लघुविक्रमः ।। 64.12 ।।

tatra sthāpya balaṃ sarvaṃ nadītīre samāhitaḥ | agrato dhanuṣā sārdhaṃ gaccha tvaṃ laghuvikramaḥ || 64.12 ||

Having stationed the whole army carefully there on the riverbank, go on ahead alone with your bow, swift in your valor."

Shloka 13 (uttara.64.13)

एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण शत्रुघ्नस्तान्महाबलान् । सेनामुख्यान्समानीय ततो वाक्यमुवाच ह ।। 64.13 ।।

evamuktastu rāmeṇa śatrughnastānmahābalān | senāmukhyānsamānīya tato vākyamuvāca ha || 64.13 ||

Thus instructed by Rama, Shatrughna summoned those mighty army-commanders and spoke these words to them.

Shloka 14 (uttara.64.14)

एते वो गणिता वासा यत्र तत्र निवत्स्यथ । स्थातव्यं चाविरोधेन यथा बाधा न कस्यचित् ।। 64.14 ।।

ete vo gaṇitā vāsā yatra tatra nivatsyatha | sthātavyaṃ cāvirodhena yathā bādhā na kasyacit || 64.14 ||

"These are your appointed halting places — stay there wherever assigned, and camp without giving offense, so that no one is troubled."

Shloka 15 (uttara.64.15)

तथा तांस्तु समाज्ञाप्य प्रस्थाप्य च महद्बलम् । कौसल्यां च सुमित्रां च कैकेयीं चाभ्यवादयत् ।। 64.15 ।।

tathā tāṃstu samājñāpya prasthāpya ca mahadbalam | kausalyāṃ ca sumitrāṃ ca kaikeyīṃ cābhyavādayat || 64.15 ||

Having thus instructed them and sent the great army ahead, Shatrughna paid his respects to Kausalya, Sumitra, and Kaikeyi.

Shloka 16 (uttara.64.16)

रामं प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य शिरसा ऽभिप्रणम्य च । रामेण चाभ्यनुज्ञातः शत्रुघ्नः शत्रुतापनः ।। 64.16 ।।

rāmaṃ pradakṣiṇīkṛtya śirasā 'bhipraṇamya ca | rāmeṇa cābhyanujñātaḥ śatrughnaḥ śatrutāpanaḥ || 64.16 ||

Shatrughna, tormentor of foes, circled Rama in reverence and bowed his head to him, and received Rama's leave to depart.

Shloka 17 (uttara.64.17)

लक्ष्मणं भरतं चैव प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलिः । पुरोहितं वसिष्ठं च शत्रुघ्नः प्रयतात्मवान् । प्रदक्षिणमथो कृत्वा निर्जगाम महाबलः ।। 64.17 ।।

lakṣmaṇaṃ bharataṃ caiva praṇipatya kṛtāñjaliḥ | purohitaṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ ca śatrughnaḥ prayatātmavān | pradakṣiṇamatho kṛtvā nirjagāma mahābalaḥ || 64.17 ||

The self-restrained, mighty Shatrughna, with joined palms, bowed to Lakshmana and Bharata and to the priest Vasishtha, and circling them in reverence, set forth.

Shloka 18 (uttara.64.18)

प्रस्थाप्य सेनामथ सो ऽग्रतस्तदा गजेन्द्रवाजिप्रवरौघसङ्कुलाम् । उपास मासं तु नरेन्द्रपार्श्वतस्त्वथ प्रयातो रघुवंशवर्धनः ।। 64.18 ।।

prasthāpya senāmatha so 'gratastadā gajendravājipravaraughasaṅkulām | upāsa māsaṃ tu narendrapārśvatastvatha prayāto raghuvaṃśavardhanaḥ || 64.18 ||

That increaser of the Raghu line first sent forth his army, thronging with the finest elephants and horses; then, remaining a month at the king's side, he at last set out upon his way.