kva nu vatsyati dharma aatmaa vriksa muulam upaashritah |

so atyanta sukhitah suuta kim ashisyati raaghavah || 2-58-5

 “Oh, Sumantra! Where can Rama the virtuous man abide, taking refuge at the root of a tree? What that Rama, who enjoyed very many pleasantries, can eat now?”

duhkhasyaanucito duhkham sumantra shayanocitah |

bhuumi paala aatmajo bhuumau shete katham anaathavat || 2-58-6

 “Oh, Sumantra! How can Rama the prince, who was habituated to good beds, sleep with such discomfort on a floor like an orphan?”

yam yaantam anuyaanti sma padaati ratha kunjjaraah |

sa vatsyati katham raamah vijanam vanam aashritah || 2-58-7

 “Foot soldiers, Chariots and elephants used to follows whenever Rama was marching ahead. How such a man can take shelter and stay in a forest devoid of people?”

vyaalaih mrigaih aacaritam krisna sarpa nisevitam |

katham kumaarau vaidehyaa saardham vanam upasthitau || 2-58-8

 “How Seetha Rama and Lakshmana entered forest filled with wild animals and black snakes?”

sukumaaryaa tapasvinyaa sumantra saha siitayaa |

raaja putrau katham paadaih avaruhya rathaat gatau || 2-58-9

 “Oh, Sumantra! How those princes with Seetha the delicate and the poor lady went on foot, after descending from the chariot?”

siddha arthah khalu suuta tvam yena dristau mama aatmajau |

vana antam pravishantau taav ashvinaav iva mandaram || 2-58-10

 “Oh, Sumantra! You have seen my sons entering the forest, as though divinities of Aswini had entered the Mountain-range of Mandara. You are indeed lucky.”

kim uvaaca vaco raamah kim uvaaca ca laksmanah |

sumantra vanam aasaadya kim uvaaca ca maithilii || 2-58-11

 “Oh, Sumantra! After reaching the forest, what words did Rama speak? What did Lakshmana speak? What did Seetha speak?”

aasitam shayitam bhuktam suuta raamasya kiirtaya |

jiivishhyaamyahametena yayaatiriva saadhusu || 2-58-12

 “Oh, charioteer! Tell me where Rama sat, slept and took food. By hearing these things, I shall survive, as Yayati survived in the company of saints.”

iti suutah nara indrena coditah sajjamaanayaa |

uvaaca vaacaa raajaanam sa baaspa parirbaddhayaa || 2-58-13

As asked thus by the king, Sumantra spoke to the emperor in a voice quivering and choked with tears (as follows).

abraviin maam mahaa raaja dharmam eva anupaalayan |

anjalim raaghavah kritvaa shirasaa abhipranamya ca || 2-58-14

 “Oh, emperor! Rama, keeping up the prescribed course of conduct, making salutation with joined palms and bowing his head in reverence to you, spoke to me as follows:”

suuta madvacanaat tasya taatasya vidita aatmanah |

shirasaa vandaniiyasya vandyau paadau mahaatmanah || 2-58-15

 “Oh, charioteer! Tell my salutations to my father, the one with a remarkable intellect, a mighty soul and the one to be respectfully greeted.”

sarvam antah puram vaacyam suuta madvacanaattvayaa |

aarogyam avishesena yathaa arham ca abhivaadanam || 2-58-16

Oh, charioteer! Enquire about the health of all the people in the gynaeceum without any disparity and offer my appropriate salutations to them.

maataa ca mama kausalyaa kushalam ca abhivaadanam |

apramaadam ca vaktavyaa bruuyaashcaimidam vacah || 2-58-17

My mother Kausalya is to be told about my welfare, about my offering salutations to her and about my meticulousness.

dharmanityaa yathaakaalamagnyagaaraparaa bhava |

devi devasya paadau ca devavat paripaalaya || 2-58-18

 “Oh, godly lady! Be always righteous and be interested in offering worship and sacrifices as per the prescribed timings in the House of Fire worship. Nurture the feet of the Lord Dasaratha, like with a god.”

abhimaanam ca maanam ca tyaktvaa vartasva maatrisu |

anu raajaana maaryaam ca kaikeyiimamba kaaraya || 2-58-19

 “Oh, mother! Behave towards my other mothers, abandoning self-conceit and indignation. Make the venerable Kaikeyi, agreeable to the king.”

kumaare bharate vrittirvartitavyaaca raajavat |

arthajyesthaa hi raajaano raajadharmamanusmara || 2-58-20

 “In respect of Bharata your son, follow a respectable behavior as with a king. Kings are indeed sovereign in substance. Remember the rules relating to kings.”

bharatah kushalam vaacyo vaacyo mad vacanena ca |

sarvaasva eva yathaa nyaayam vrittim vartasva maatrisu || 2-58-21

 “Bharata is to be enquired about his well-being and he is also to be informed as follows: “Follow good behavior indeed judiciously towards all your mothers.”

vaktavyah ca mahaa baahur iksvaaku kula nandanah |

pitaram yauvaraajyastho raajyastham anupaalaya || 2-58-22

 “The mighty armed Bharata the son of Ikshvaku race, is to be told as follows: ‘Being installed in the office of Prince Regent, attend to your father who still stays in the throne’.”

atikraantavayaa raajaa maasmainam vyavarorudhah |

kumaararaajye jiiva tvam tasyaivaajjnpravartanaam || 2-58-23

 “The king has crossed his age. But do not depose him on that score. By proceeding according to the orders of the king, you live as a prince.”

abraviicchaapi maam bhuuyo bhrishamashruuni vartayan |

maateva mama maataa te drastavyaa putragardhinii || 2-58-24

 “Shedding tears profusely, Rama again spoke to me as follows: ‘My mother, who is very much longing her son, is to be looked after by you as if she is your mother’.”

iti evam maam mahaaraaja brivann eva mahaa yashaah |

raamah raajiiva taamra akso bhrisham ashruuni avartayat || 2-58-25

 “Oh, emperor! Rama of the most beautiful appearance with red eyes resembling red lotus flowers, while even uttering these words to me profusely shed tears.”

laksmanah tu susamkruddho nihshvasan vaakyam abraviit |

kena ayam aparaadhena raaja putrah vivaasitah || 2-58-26

 “But Lakshmana was very angry and breathing a sigh, spoke to me as follows: ‘On which offence this prince was expelled from home?’”

raajjnaa tu khalu kaikeyyaa laghu tvaashritya shaasanam |

kritam kaaryamakaaryam vaa vayam yenaabhipiiditaah || 2-58-27

 “The king even took shelter under a wretched decree of Kaikeyi and performed an act not to be done, as though it is a proper deed, for which we are now tormented.”

yadi pravraajitah raamah lobha kaarana kaaritam |

vara daana nimittam vaa sarvathaa duskritam kritam || 2-58-28

 “Even if this was done for the good pleasure of the king or through the will of God, I do not see any justification for Rama’s abandonment.”

idam taavadyathaakaamamiishvarasya krite kritam |

raamasya tu parityaage na hetum upalaksaye || 2-58-29

 “Even if this was done for the good pleasure of the king or through the will of god, I do not see any justification for Rama’s abandonment.”

asamiiksya samaarabdham viruddham buddhi laaghavaat |

janayisyati samkrosham raaghavasya vivaasanam || 2-58-30

 “Rama’s exile, an illegal decision undertaken whether due to levity of judgment or due to lack of reflection, will raise countless protests.”

aham taavan mahaa raaje pitritvam na upalaksaye |

bhraataa bhartaa ca bandhuh ca pitaa ca mama raaghavah || 2-58-31

 “I do not consider the emperor as my father. For me, Rama is the brother, lord, relative and my father.”

sarva loka priyam tyaktvaa sarva loka hite ratam |

sarva loko anurajyeta katham tvaa anena karmanaa || 2-58-32

 “Leaving Rama the beloved of all people and who is interested in the welfare of all human beings, how would all these people would be interested in you by this act of yours?”

sarvaprajaabhiraamam hi raamam pravraajya dhaarmikam |

sarvalokam virudhyemam katham raajaa bhavisyasi || 2-58-33

 “By banishing Rama who is delightful to entire people and who is a virtuous man and by opposing all this entire world, how will you stay as a king?”

jaanakii tu mahaa raaja nihshvasantii tapasvinii |

bhuuta upahata cittaa iva visthitaa vrismritaa sthitaa || 2-58-34

 “Oh, King! The wise Seetha for her part with her mind like one possessed and forgetting her own existence, stood sighing and static.

adrista puurva vyasanaa raaja putrii yashasvinii |

tena duhkhena rudatii na eva maam kimcit abraviit || 2-58-35

 “The illustrious Seetha having not seen such misfortune earlier, could not even to speak me anything, weeping as she was with that uneasiness.”

udviiksamaanaa bhartaaram mukhena parishusyataa |

mumoca sahasaa baaspam maam prayaantam udiiksya saa || 2-58-36

 “Seeing me going back, Seetha with emaciated face, perceiving her husband, soon shed down tears.”

tathaiva raamah ashru mukhah krita anjalih |

sthitah abhaval laksmana baahu paalitah sthitah |

tathaiva siitaa rudatii tapasvinii |

niriiksate raaja ratham tathaiva maam || 2-58-37

 “In the same way, Rama with tears on his face and with joined palms stood being shielded by the arms of Lakshmana. The miserable Seetha in the same manner was weeping and seeing the royal chariot and me.”

ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande astapajncaashah sargah

Thus completes 58th Chapter of 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.