Rama's Grief and Brahma's Consolation

Shloka 1 (uttara.98.1)

रसातलं प्रविष्टायां वैदेह्यां सर्ववानराः । चुक्रुशुः साधु साध्वीति मुनयो रामसन्निधौ ।। ७.९८.१ ।।

rasātalaṃ praviṣṭāyāṃ vaidehyāṃ sarvavānarāḥ | cukruśuḥ sādhu sādhv iti munayo rāmasannidhau || 7.98.1 ||

When Vaidehi had entered the netherworld, all the Vanaras and the sages present near Rama cried out, "Well done, well done!"

Shloka 2 (uttara.98.2)

दण्डकाष्ठमवष्टभ्य बाष्पव्याकुलितेक्षणः । अवाक्छिरा दीनमना रामो ह्यासीत्सुदुःखितः ।। ७.९८.२ ।।

daṇḍakāṣṭham avaṣṭabhya bāṣpavyākulitekṣaṇaḥ | avākchirā dīnamanā rāmo hy āsīt suduḥkhitaḥ || 7.98.2 ||

Leaning upon his staff of wood, his eyes clouded with tears, his head bowed, his mind stricken, Rama became greatly sorrowful.

Shloka 3 (uttara.98.3)

स रुदित्वा चिरं कालं बहुशो बाष्पमुत्सृजन् । क्रोधशोकसमाविष्टो रामो वचनमब्रवीत् ।। ७.९८.३ ।।

sa ruditvā ciraṃ kālaṃ bahuśo bāṣpam utsṛjan | krodhaśokasamāviṣṭo rāmo vacanam abravīt || 7.98.3 ||

Having wept for a long time, shedding tears again and again, Rama, overcome with anger and grief, spoke these words.

Shloka 4 (uttara.98.4)

अभूतपूर्वं शोकं मे मनः स्प्रष्टुमिवेच्छति । पश्यतो मे यथा नष्टा सीता श्रीरिव रूपिणी ।। ७.९८.४ ।।

abhūtapūrvaṃ śokaṃ me manaḥ spraṣṭum ivecchati | paśyato me yathā naṣṭā sītā śrīr iva rūpiṇī || 7.98.4 ||

"My mind seems to reach toward a grief such as I have never known before, for before my very eyes Sita, beautiful as Shri incarnate, has vanished."

Shloka 5 (uttara.98.5)

सा ऽदर्शनं पुरा सीता लङ्कापारे महोदधेः । ततश्चापि मयानीता किं पुनर्वसुधातलात् ।। ७.९८.५ ।।

sādarśanaṃ purā sītā laṅkāpāre mahodadheḥ | tataś cāpi mayānītā kiṃ punar vasudhātalāt || 7.98.5 ||

"Sita once vanished from sight before too, beyond the great ocean, in Lanka, and even from there I brought her back -- how then, from beneath the earth's surface, should I not?"

Shloka 6 (uttara.98.6)

वसुधे देवि भवति सीता निर्यात्यतां मम । दर्शयिष्यामि वा रोषं यथा मामवगच्छसि ।। ७.९८.६ ।।

vasudhe devi bhavati sītā niryātyatāṃ mama | darśayiṣyāmi vā roṣaṃ yathā mām avagacchasi || 7.98.6 ||

"O Earth, O goddess, let my Sita be given back to me -- or I shall show a wrath such as you have never known me capable of."

Shloka 7 (uttara.98.7)

कामं श्वश्रूर्ममैव त्वं त्वत्सकाशाद्धि मैथिली । कर्षता हलहस्तेन जनकेनोद्धृता पुरा ।। ७.९८.७ ।।

kāmaṃ śvaśrūr mamaiva tvaṃ tvatsakāśād dhi maithilī | karṣatā halahastena janakenoddhṛtā purā || 7.98.7 ||

"Granted, you are indeed my mother-in-law -- for it was from you that Maithili was once drawn forth, by Janaka, plough in hand, as he tilled you."

Shloka 8 (uttara.98.8)

तस्मान्निर्यात्यतां सीता विवरं वा प्रयच्छ मे । पाताले नाकपृष्ठे वा वसेयं सहितस्तया ।। ७.९८.८ ।।

tasmān niryātyatāṃ sītā vivaraṃ vā prayaccha me | pātāle nākapṛṣṭhe vā vaseyaṃ sahitas tayā || 7.98.8 ||

"Therefore let Sita be given back, or grant me too an opening -- that I may dwell together with her, whether in the netherworld or on the summit of heaven."

Shloka 9 (uttara.98.9)

आनय त्वं हि तां सीतां मत्तो ऽहं मैथिलीकृते । न मे दास्यसि चेत्सीतां यथारूपां महीतले ।। ७.९८.९ ।।

ānaya tvaṃ hi tāṃ sītāṃ matto 'haṃ maithilīkṛte | na me dāsyasi cet sītāṃ yathārūpāṃ mahītale || 7.98.9 ||

"Bring that Sita back to me -- this, for Maithili's sake, I demand of you. And if you will not give Sita back to me in her own form, upon this earth,"

Shloka 10 (uttara.98.10)

सपर्वतवनां कृत्स्नां विधमिष्यामि ते स्थितम् । नाशयिष्याम्यहं भूमिं सर्वमापो भवत्विह ।। ७.९८.१० ।।

saparvatavanāṃ kṛtsnāṃ vidhamiṣyāmi te sthitam | nāśayiṣyāmy ahaṃ bhūmiṃ sarvam āpo bhavatv iha || 7.98.10 ||

"then I will shatter this whole fixed form of yours, mountains and forests together; I will destroy the earth, and let all here become water."

Shloka 11 (uttara.98.11)

एवं ब्रुवाणे काकुत्स्थे क्रोधशोकसमन्विते । ब्रह्मा सुरगणैः सार्धमुवाच रघुनन्दनम् ।। ७.९८.११ ।।

evaṃ bruvāṇe kākutsthe krodhaśokasamanvite | brahmā suragaṇaiḥ sārdham uvāca raghunandanam || 7.98.11 ||

While Kakutstha, filled with anger and grief, was speaking thus, Brahma, together with the hosts of gods, addressed the delight of the Raghus.

Shloka 12 (uttara.98.12)

राम राम न सन्तापं कर्तुमर्हसि सुव्रत । स्मर त्वं पूर्वकं भावं मन्त्रं चामित्रकर्शन ।। ७.९८.१२ ।।

rāma rāma na santāpaṃ kartum arhasi suvrata | smara tvaṃ pūrvakaṃ bhāvaṃ mantraṃ cāmitrakarśana || 7.98.12 ||

"Rama, Rama, O you of noble vows, you should not grieve like this. Remember, O queller of foes, your former nature, and the secret truth of who you are."

Shloka 13 (uttara.98.13)

न खलु त्वां महाबाहो स्मारयेयमनुत्तमम् । इमं मुहूर्तं दुर्धर्ष स्मर त्वं जन्म वैष्णवम् ।। ७.९८.१३ ।।

na khalu tvāṃ mahābāho smārayeyam anuttamam | imaṃ muhūrtaṃ durdharṣa smara tvaṃ janma vaiṣṇavam || 7.98.13 ||

"Indeed, O mighty-armed one, I would not remind you of this supreme truth -- yet at this moment, O unconquerable one, remember your birth as Vishnu."

Shloka 14 (uttara.98.14)

सीता हि विमला साध्वी तव पूर्वपरायणा । नागलोकं सुखं प्रायात्त्वदाश्रयतपोबलात् ।। ७.९८.१४ ।।

sītā hi vimalā sādhvī tava pūrvaparāyaṇā | nāgalokaṃ sukhaṃ prāyāt tvadāśrayatapobalāt || 7.98.14 ||

"Sita, stainless and virtuous, ever devoted to you alone, has gone in happiness to the realm of the Nagas, by the strength of the refuge she took in you and of her own austerity."

Shloka 15 (uttara.98.15)

स्वर्गे ते सङ्गमो भूयो भविष्यति न संशयः । अस्यास्तु परिषन्मध्ये यद्ब्रवीमि निबोध तत् ।। ७.९८.१५ ।।

svarge te saṅgamo bhūyo bhaviṣyati na saṃśayaḥ | asyās tu pariṣanmadhye yad bravīmi nibodha tat || 7.98.15 ||

"In heaven you two will be united again, without doubt. Now understand this that I say to you, in the midst of this assembly."

Shloka 16 (uttara.98.16)

एतदेव हि काव्यं ते काव्यानामुत्तमं श्रुतम् । सर्वं विस्तरतो राम व्याख्यास्यति न संशयः ।। ७.९८.१६ ।।

etad eva hi kāvyaṃ te kāvyānām uttamaṃ śrutam | sarvaṃ vistarato rāma vyākhyāsyati na saṃśayaḥ || 7.98.16 ||

"This very poem of yours is heard as the foremost among poems; O Rama, without doubt it will set forth everything in full."

Shloka 17 (uttara.98.17)

जन्मप्रभृति ते वीर सुखदुःखोपसेवनम् । भविष्यदुत्तरं चेह सर्वं वाल्मीकिना कृतम् ।। ७.९८.१७ ।।

janmaprabhṛti te vīra sukhaduḥkhopasevanam | bhaviṣyad uttaraṃ ceha sarvaṃ vālmīkinā kṛtam || 7.98.17 ||

"O hero, everything -- your experience of joy and sorrow from your birth onward, and here too what is yet to come, the Uttara -- has all been composed by Valmiki."

Shloka 18 (uttara.98.18)

आदिकाव्यमिदं राम त्वयि सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम् । नह्यन्यो ऽर्हति काव्यानां यशोभाग्राघवादृते ।। ७.९८.१८ ।।

ādikāvyam idaṃ rāma tvayi sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam | nahy anyo 'rhati kāvyānāṃ yaśobhāg rāghavād ṛte || 7.98.18 ||

"O Rama, this first of poems rests entirely upon you; none but Raghava has a claim to the glory of this poem."

Shloka 19 (uttara.98.19)

श्रुतं ते पूर्वमेतद्धि मया सर्वं सुरैः सह । दिव्यमद्भुतरूपं च सत्यवाक्यमनावृतम् ।। ७.९८.१९ ।।

śrutaṃ te pūrvam etaddhi mayā sarvaṃ suraiḥ saha | divyam adbhutarūpaṃ ca satyavākyam anāvṛtam || 7.98.19 ||

"All of this I, together with the gods, have already heard before -- this divine composition of wondrous form, its words of truth unveiled."

Shloka 20 (uttara.98.20)

स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल धर्मेण सुसमाहितः । शेषं भविष्यं काकुत्स्थ काव्यं रामायणं शृणु ।। ७.९८.२० ।।

sa tvaṃ puruṣaśārdūla dharmeṇa susamāhitaḥ | śeṣaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ kākutstha kāvyaṃ rāmāyaṇaṃ śṛṇu || 7.98.20 ||

"So do you, O tiger among men, well composed in righteousness, O Kakutstha, listen to the remaining, yet-to-come part of the poem, the Ramayana."

Shloka 21 (uttara.98.21)

उत्तरं नाम काव्यस्य शेषमत्र महायशः । तच्छृणुष्व महातेज ऋषिभिः सार्धमुत्तमम् ।। ७.९८.२१ ।।

uttaraṃ nāma kāvyasya śeṣam atra mahāyaśaḥ | tac chṛṇuṣva mahātejaḥ ṛṣibhiḥ sārdham uttamam || 7.98.21 ||

"The remaining part of this poem is called the 'Uttara,' of great renown; O greatly radiant one, hear that supreme portion together with the sages."

Shloka 22 (uttara.98.22)

न खल्वन्येन काकुत्स्थ श्रोतव्यमिदमुत्तमम् । परमम् ऋषिणा वीर त्वयैव रघुनन्दन ।। ७.९८.२२ ।।

na khalv anyena kākutstha śrotavyam idam uttamam | paramam ṛṣiṇā vīra tvayaiva raghunandana || 7.98.22 ||

"Indeed, O Kakutstha, this supreme, highest portion is not to be heard by any other sage; O hero, delight of the Raghus, it is for you alone."

Shloka 23 (uttara.98.23)

एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं ब्रह्मा त्रिभुवनेश्वरः । जगाम त्रिदिवं देवो देवैः सह सबान्धवैः ।। ७.९८.२३ ।।

etāvad uktvā vacanaṃ brahmā tribhuvaneśvaraḥ | jagāma tridivaṃ devo devaiḥ saha sabāndhavaiḥ || 7.98.23 ||

Having spoken these words, Brahma, lord of the three worlds, that god, went to the third heaven together with the gods and their kindred.

Shloka 24 (uttara.98.24)

ये च तत्र महात्मान ऋषयो ब्राह्मलौकिकाः । ब्रह्मणा समनुज्ञाता न्यवर्तन्त महौजसः । उत्तरं श्रोतुमनसो भविष्यं यच्च राघवे ।। ७.९८.२४ ।।

ye ca tatra mahātmāna ṛṣayo brāhmalaukikāḥ | brahmaṇā samanujñātā nyavartanta mahaujasaḥ | uttaraṃ śrotumanaso bhaviṣyaṃ yac ca rāghave || 7.98.24 ||

And the great-souled sages of Brahma's own world who were present there, having taken leave of Brahma, those of great splendor, remained behind, their minds set on hearing the Uttara and what was yet to come concerning Raghava.

Shloka 25 (uttara.98.25)

ततो रामः शुभां वाणीं देवदेवस्य भाषिताम् । श्रुत्वा परमतेजस्वी वाल्मीकिमिदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.९८.२५ ।।

tato rāmaḥ śubhāṃ vāṇīṃ devadevasya bhāṣitām | śrutvā paramatejasvī vālmīkim idam abravīt || 7.98.25 ||

Then, hearing that auspicious word spoken by the god of gods, Rama, of supreme radiance, said this to Valmiki.

Shloka 26 (uttara.98.26)

भगवन् श्रोतुमनस ऋषयो ब्राह्मलौकिकाः । भविष्यदुत्तरं यन्मे श्वोभूते सम्प्रवर्तताम् ।। ७.९८.२६ ।।

bhagavan śrotumanasa ṛṣayo brāhmalaukikāḥ | bhaviṣyad uttaraṃ yan me śvobhūte sampravartatām || 7.98.26 ||

"O blessed one, since the sages of Brahma's world are eager to hear, let that future Uttara of mine begin tomorrow, when day has dawned."

Shloka 27 (uttara.98.27)

एवं विनिश्चयं कृत्वा सम्प्रगृह्य कुशीलवौ । तं जनौघं विसृज्याथ पर्णशालामुपागमत् । तामेव शोचतः सीतां सा व्यतीयाय शर्वरी ।। ७.९८.२७ ।।

evaṃ viniścayaṃ kṛtvā sampragṛhya kuśīlavau | taṃ janaughaṃ visṛjyātha parṇaśālām upāgamat | tām eva śocataḥ sītāṃ sā vyatīyāya śarvarī || 7.98.27 ||

Having thus resolved, and taking Kusha and Lava with him, he dismissed that multitude and went to his leaf-hut; and, grieving for Sita alone, that night passed for him.