The multitude that had caused Rama in his journey to the forest wake up to find Rama and his associates gone. They begin to rebuke themselves. Overwhelmed with grief, they hunt up to tracks of Rama's chariot. Being unable to find the tracks, they helplessly return to Ayodhya in sheer despair.
prabhātāyām tu śarvaryām paurāḥ te rāghavo vinā |
śoka upahata niśceṣṭā babhūvur hata cetasaḥ || 2-47-1
1. sharvaryaam = As the night; prabhataayaam = was beginning to become day light; te pouraaH = those citizens; raaghavam vinaa = relinquished by Rama; babhuuvaH = became; hatachetasaH = perplexed; shokopahatachetasaH = their hearts stricken by grief; nishcheshhTaaH = and motionless.
As the night was beginning to become dawn, those citizens relinquished by Raghava were perplexed with grief and became motionless.
śokaja aśru paridyūnā vīkṣamāṇāḥ tataḥ tataḥ |
ālokam api rāmasya na paśyanti sma duhkhitāḥ || 2-47-2
2. shokajaashru paridyuunaaH = Made miserable with tears born of anguish; duHkhitaaH = and agony; viikshhamaaNaaH = seeing; tatastataH = in that and that place; na pashyantisma = they could not notice; aalokamapi = even a glimmer; raamasya = of Rama.
Made miserable with tears born of anguish and agony, they could not notice even a glimmer of Rama, though casting their eyes everywhere.
te viṣādārtavadanā rahitāstena dhimatā |
kṛpaṇāḥ karuṇā vāco vadanti sma manasvinaḥ || 2-47-3
3. te = They; manasvinaH = the magnanimous; rahitaaH = bereft of ; tena = that Rama; dhiimataa = the intelligent man; vishhadaarta vadanaaH = had their faces afflicted with grief; kR^ipaNaaH = and non-plused; vadantisma = spoke; vachaaH = these words; karuNaaH = which were compassionate.
Their faces distorted with sorrow, deprived as they were of sagacious Rama and therefore non-pulsed, the citizens broke into piteous exclamations, saying:-
dhigastu khalu nidrām tām yayāpahṛtacetasaḥ |
nādya paśyāmahe rāmam pṛthūraskam mahābhujam || 2-47-4
4. dhik astu = cursed be; taam nidraam = that slumber; yayaa = by which; apahR^itachetasaH = consciousness was taken away; na pashyaamahe = and could not behold;adya = today; pR^ithuuraskam = broad chested; mahaabhujam = and mighty armed; raamam = Rama."
"Cursed be to that slumber, rendered unconscious, by which we could not behold today that mighty armed Rama with a broad chest."
katham nāma mahābāhuḥ sa tathā.avitathakriyaḥ |
bhaktam janam parityajya pravāsam rāghavo gataḥ || 2-47-5
5. katham naama = "how; saH raaghavaH = that Rama; mahaabaahuH = the strong armed; avitatha kriyaH = whose actions are never in ineffectual; gataH = leave; pravaasam = for exile; parityajya = abandoning; bhaktam = his devoted; janam = people?"
"How that Rama the strong armed, whose actions are never ineffectual, leave for exile, abandoning his devoted citizens?"
yo naḥ sadā pālayati pitā putrānivaurasān |
katham raghūṇām sa śreṣṭhastyaktvā no vipinam gataḥ || 2-47-6
6. "yaH = which Rama; shreshhTaH = the chief; raghuuNaam = of Raghu's; paalayati = who protected; naH = us; sadaa = always; pita = like father; ourasaan putraan iva = the children born of his lions; katham = how; saH = he; tyaktvaa = could leave; naH = us; gataH = and proceed; vipinam = to the forest?"
"How did the chief of Raghus, who protected us ever, like a father the children born of his loins, could proceed to the forest, leaving us?"
ihaiva nidhanam yāmo mahāprasthānameva vā |
rāmeṇa rahitānām hi kimartham jīvitam hi naḥ || 2-47-7
7. "yaamaH = (let us) invoke; nidhanam = death; ihaiva = here itself; mahaa prasthaanameva vaa = or definitely set out for a grand journey( to the north with a resolve to die) kimartham = for what purpose; jiivatam = (can be) life; naH = for us; rahitaanaam = separated; raameNa = from Rama."
"Let us have recourse to death here itself, or definitely set out for a grand journey ( to the north with a resolve to die). For what purpose can life be good for us, separated as we are from Rama?"
santi śuṣkāṇi kāṣṭhāni prabhūtāni mahānti ca |
taiḥ prajvālya citām sarve praviśāmo.atha pāvakam || 2-47-8
8. "atha = or; santi = there are; prabhuutaani = a number of; mahaanti = big; shushhkaaNi = dry; kaashhTaani = logs of woods. prajvalya = Lighting; chitaam = a funeral pile; taiH = by them; sarve = let us all; pravishaamaH = enter; paavakam = the fire."
" Or there are a number of big dry logs of wood here. Lighting a funeral fire out of them, let us all enter the fire."
kim vkhsyāmo mahābāhuranasūyaḥ priyamvada |
nītaḥ sa rāghavo.asmābhirti vaktum katham kṣamam || 2-47-9
9. kim = what; vakshhyaamaH = shall we say? AsmaabhiH = By us; mahaabaahuH = the great armed; saH raaghavaH = (that ) Rama; anasuuyaH = who is free from egoism; priyamvadaH = and who speaks kindly (to all); niitaH = has been conveyed (to the forest); kshhamam = How can we; vaktum = say; iti = so?"
"What shall we say to our fellow citizens? �The great armed Rama who is free from egoism and who speaks kindly ( to all ) has been conveyed to the forest by us!' How can we say so?"
sā nūnam nagarī dīnā dṛṣṭvā.asmān rāghavam vinā |
bhaviṣyati nirānandā sastrībālavayodhikā || 2-47-10
10. "dR^ishhTvaa = seeing; asmaan = us; raaghavam vinaa = bereft of Rama; saa nagarii = that city; nuunam = now; diinaa = desolate; sa strii baala vayodhikaa = together with women and children and the aged; bhavishhyati = will become; niraanandaa = cheerless."
"Seeing us returning without Rama, that city of Ayodhya, already desolate, will with its women, children and the aged, become even deeply cheerless."
niryātāstena vīreṇa saha nityam jitātmanā |
vihināstena ca punaḥ katham paśyāma tām purīm || 2-47-11
11. "niryaataaH = having left the city; tena viireNa saha = thus with that hero; nityam = ever; jitaatmanaa = self-conquered man; katham = how; pashyaama = can we look on; taam puriim = that city; punaH = again; vihiinaaH = without; tena cha = him?"
"Having left the city thus with that hero, the conqueror of one's own self, how can we look on that city again without him?"
itīva bahudhā vāco bāhumudyamya te janāḥ |
vilapantisma duḥkhartā vivatsā iva dhenavaḥ || 2-47-12
12. udyamya = uplifting; baahum = (their) arms; te janaaH = those men; duhkhaartaaH = stricken with anguish; dhenavaH = like cows; vivatsaaH = bereft of their calves; vilapantisma = lamented; bahudhaa = in various ways; itiiva vaachaH = as aforesaid.
Uplifting their arms , those men stricken with anguish, like cows bereft of their calves, lamented in various ways as above.
tataḥ mārga anusāreṇa gatvā kiṃcit kṣaṇam punaḥ
mārga nāśāt viṣādena mahatā samabhiplutaḥ || 2-47-13
13. tataH = then; gatvaa = proceeding; kimchit = to some distance; maargaanusaareNa = along the tracks; kshhaNam = for a while; samabhiplutaaH = they were overwhelmed with; mahataa = great; vishhadena = despair; punaH = again; maarganaashaat = due to disappearance of the tracks.
Then, proceeding to some distance along the tracks for a while, they were overwhelmed with great despair again due to sudden disappearance of tracks.
rathasya mārga nāśena nyavartanta manasvinaḥ |
kim idam kim kariṣyāmaḥ daivena upahatāiti || 2-47-14
14. manasvinaH = the good natured citizens; maarga naashena = due to disappearance of the tracks; rathasya = of the chariot; nyavartanta = returned (to Ayodhyas) iti = saying thus; kimidam = "how is it? kim karishhyaama = what shall we do? Upa hataaH = we are afflicted; daivena = by providence.
The good-natured citizens, due to disappearance of the tracks of the chariot, returned to Ayodhya, saying thus, " How is it? What shall we do? We are afflicted by providence"
tataḥ yathā āgatena eva mārgeṇa klānta cetasaḥ |
ayodhyām agaman sarve purīm vyathita sajjanām || 2-47-15
15. tataH = thereafter; sarve = all of them; klaanta chetanaH = with aggrieved hearts; aagaman = went; aayodhya puriim = to the city of Ayodhya; vyathita sajjanaam = with distressed virtuous people; maargeNa = by the path; yathaagatenaiva = on which they had come.
Therafter, all of them with aggrieved hearts went to the city of Ayodhya, which was comprising of virtuous people with distress, by the same path on which they had come.
ālokya nagarīm tām ca kṣayavyākulamānasāḥ |
āvartayanta t.aśrūṇi nayanaiḥ śokapīḍitaiḥ || 2-47-16
16. aalokya = beholding; taam nagariim = that city; te = they; kshhayavyaakula maanasaaH = in their minds distracted through cheerlessness; aavartayanta = shed; ashruuNi = tears; shoka piiditaiH = stricken as they were in grief.
Beholding the city, they shed tears through their eyes stricken as they were in grief , their minds distressed through cheerlessness.
eṣā rāmeṇa nagarī rahitā nātiśobhate |
āpagā garuḍeneva hradāduddhṛtapannagā || 2-47-17
17. eshhaa nagarii = this city; raameNa rahitaa = bereft of Rama; naatishobhate = was not enchanting even a little; aapagaa iva = as a river; uddhhR^ita pannagaa = whose snakes were uplifted; hradaat = from its pool; garuDena = by Garuda.
Bereft of Rama, the aforesaid city of Ayodhya was not any more enchanting than a river whose snakes were uplifted from its pool by Garuda.
candrahīnamivākāśam toyahīnamivārṇavam |
apaśyannihatānandam nagaram te vicetasaḥ || 2-47-18
18. aakaashamiva = as the sky; chandra hiinam = without the moon; aarNavam iva = or the sea; toya hiinam = without the water; te vichetasaH = those disconcerted men; apashyan = beheld; nagaram = the city; nihataanandam = from which all joy had fled.
As the sky without the moon or the sea without the water, these disconcerted men beheld the city from which all joy had fled.
te tāni veśmāni mahādhanāni |
duḥkhena duḥkhopahatā viśantaḥ |
naiva prajajñuḥ svajanam janam vā |
nirīkṣamāṇāḥ praviṇaṣṭaharṣāḥ || 2-47-19
19. te = they; praviNashhTa harshhaaH = having lost their joy; vishantaH = entering; taani = those; veshmaani = houses; mahaadhanaani = with abundant riches ; duHkhena = uneasily; duHkhopahataaH = having stricken with grief; naiva prajaG^yuH = could not dishtinguish; svajanam = their own people; janam vaa = or others; niriikshhamaanaaH = (even if) being looked at.
Entering their houses full of abundant riches with uneasiness, the citizens could not distinguish between their own people and others, even though being looked at, stricken as they were with grief, their joy having altogether extinguished.
- - -
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye ayodhya kāṇḍe ekacatvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
| Top of Page | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
© Sept 2002, K. M. K. Murthy