raajaanam dhig dasharatham kaamasya vasham aagatam || 2-49-4

haa nrishamsa adya kaikeyii paapaa paapa anubandhinii |

tiiksnaa sambhinna maryaadaa tiiksne karmani vartate || 2-49-5

yaa putram iidrisham raajnah pravaasayati dhaarmikam |

vana vaase mahaa praajnam saanukrosham atandritam || 2-49-6

 “Woe unto the king Dasaratha who fell into the clutches of concupiscence. Alas! Kaikeyi the cruel and the sinful one now is still engaged in a cruel game. She is sending to exile the prince Rama, the pious man, the great intellectual, the compassionate man and he who subdued the senses. That hot-tempered Kaikeyi is behaving in a rude manner, transgressing the bounds of propriety”

katham naama mahaabhaagaa siitaa janakanandinii |

sadaa sukheshhvabhirataa duhkhaanyanubhavishhyati || 2-49-7

 “How Sita the venerable woman, the daughter of Janaka, who was delighted always in homely comforts can now experience hardships in the forest?”

aho dasharatho raajaa nisnehah svasuta priyam |

prajaanaamanagham raamam parityaktumihechchhati || 2-49-8

 “What a surprise! The king Dasaratha, having no love for his son, now wants to abandon Rama who is so beloved to the people and is even faultless.”

etaa vaaco manusyaanaam graama samvaasa vaasinaam |

shrinvann ati yayau viirah kosalaan kosala iishvarah || 2-49-9

Hearing these words of people residing in villages and hamlets, Rama the heroic prince of Kosala crossed the boundaries of Kosala state.

tatah veda shrutim naama shiva vaari vahaam nadiim |

uttiirya abhimukhah praayaat agastya adhyusitaam disham || 2-49-10

Having crossed the river of auspicious waters called Vedashruti, Rama then stretched forth, facing the quarter occupied by Sage Agastya.

gatvaa tu suciram kaalam tatah shiita jalaam nadiim |

gomatiim goyuta anuupaam atarat saagaram gamaam || 2-49-11

After traveling a pretty long time from there, Rama crossed the river Gomati having beautiful waters, whose banks were adorned with cows and which headed towards the sea.

gomatiim ca api atikramya raaghavah shiighragaih hayaih |

mayuura hamsa abhirutaam tataara syandikaam nadiim || 2-49-12

Reaching the other bank of Gomati river with the help of the swift moving horses, Rama crossed the river called Syandika which had resounded with howls of peacocks and swans.

sa mahiim manunaa raajnaa dattaam iksvaakave puraa |

sphiitaam raastra aavritaam raamah vaidehiim anvadarshayat || 2-49-13

The said Rama showed to Sita the land (of Kosala, the southern boundary of which was defined by Syandika river)given long ago by the king Manu to Ikshvaku and which was bounded by many territories.

suutaiti eva ca aabhaasya saarathim tam abhiiksnashah |

hamsa matta svarah shriimaan uvaaca purusa risabhah || 2-49-14

The glorious Rama, the foremost among men, whose voice resembled the cackling of a swan in rut, addressed the charioteer with great affection, in the words “Oh, charioteer!” and spoke as follows:

kadaa aham punar aagamya sarayvaah puspite vane |

mrigayaam paryaatasyaami maatraa pitraa ca samgatah || 2-49-15

 “When, coming back and united with my mother and father, shall I roam hunting in the forest, bordering on Sarayu river and laden with blossoms?”

na atyartham abhikaanksaami mrigayaam sarayuu vane |

ratir hi esaa atulaa loke raaja risi gana sammataa || 2-49-16

raajarshhiinaam hi loke.asmin ratyartham mrigayaa vane |

kaale kritaam taam manujairdhanvinaamabhikaakshitaam || 2-49-17

 “I do not hanker much after hunting in the woodlands bordering on Sarayu river. In fact it is a delightful spot, made much of in the world by hosts of royal sages. Hunting in the forest is indeed for gratification of royal sages in this world. At times; the bow- men adopted it. But I do not long for it excessively.”

sa tam adhvaanam aiksvaakah suutam madhurayaa giraa

tam tam artham abhipretya yayauvaakyam udiirayan || 2-49-18

Uttering in sweet voice to the charioteer on various topics dearer to him, Rama advanced thus along that route.

iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye ayodhya kaande ekonapajnchaashah sargah

Thus completes 49th chapter in the Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.

Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate

References

K. M. K. Murthy. (1999). Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya.

Merriam-Webster. (2007). At http://www.m-w.com.

Reference.com. (2007). At http://www.reference.com.