Having traveled for a pretty long distance, Rama crossed Vedasruti, Gomati and Syandika rivers. He presses forward in the chariot talking with Sumantra.
raamaH api raatri sheSheNa tena eva mahad antaram |
jagaama puruSha vyaaghraH pitur aaGYaam anusmaran || 2-49-1
1. raamo.api = Also Rama; purushhavyaaghraH = the tiger among men; anusmaran = remembering; aaG^yaam = the command; pituH = of his father; jagaama = obtained; mahat = a long; antaram = distance; tena = (during) that; raatrisesheNa = rest of the night.
Rama the tiger among men, revolving in his mind the command of his father, covered a long distance during the rest of the night.
tathaiva gacchataH tasya vyapaayaat rajanii shivaa |
upaasya sa shivaam sa.ndhyaam viShaya antam vyagaahata || 2-49-2
2. shivaa = delightful; rajanii = night; vyapaayat = passed away; tasya = (while) Rama; gachchhataH eva = was traveling; tathaa = in that way. saH = Rama; upaasya = having worshipped; shivam = the blissful; sandhyaam = (morning) twilight; vyagaahata = passed beyond; vishhayaantam = the boundary of that country.
While Rama was traveling with the same alacrity, that delightful night passed away. Having worshipped the blissful morning twilight, he passed beyond the boundary of that country.
graamaan vikR^iShTa siimaan taan puShpitaani vanaani ca |
pashyann atiyayau shiighram sharaiH iva haya uttamaiH || 2-49-3
shR^iNvan vaaco manuShyaaNaam graama samvaasa vaasinaam |
3. pashyan = seeing; graamaan = villages; vikR^ishhTa siimaanaan = whose outskirts have been filled; vanaamicha = and woodlands; pushhpitaani = laden with blossoms; shR^iNvan = hearing; vachaH = the words; manushhyaaNaam = of men; graama samvaasa vaasinaam = dwelling together in mist of the village; shiighram = proceeded apace; shanairiva = as though slowly; atiyayon = and passed over those villages.
Seeing villages, whose outskirts have been tilled and the woodlands laden with blossoms and hearing as follows the words of men dwelling together in the midst of the village, Rama proceeded apace in those excellent horses as though slowly (engrossed as he was in enjoying the sights).
raajaanam dhig dasharatham kaamasya vasham aagatam || 2-49-4
haa nR^isha.nsa adya kaikeyii paapaa paapa anubandhinii |
tiikShNaa sambhinna maryaadaa tiikShNe karmaNi vartate || 2-49-5
yaa putram iidR^isham raaGYaH pravaasayati dhaarmikam |
vana vaase mahaa praaGYam saanukrosham atandritam || 2-49-6
4;5;6. "dhik = woe unto; raajaanaam = the king Dasaratha; vashamaagatam = who fell into the clutches; kaamasya = of concupiscence. haa = Alas! Kaikeyi = Kaikeyi; nR^ishamasaa = the cruel; paapaa = and the sinful; adya = now; paapaanubandhinii = is following the sin. Yaa = which Kaikeyi; pravaasayati = is sending to exile; iidR^isham = such; raaG^yaHputram = prince Rama; dhaarmikam = the pious man; mahaapraaG^yam = a great intellectual; saanukrosham = the compassionate man; jitendriyam = he who has subdued senses; tiikshhNaa = that hot tempered Kaikeyi; vartate = is abiding; tiikshhNa karmaNi = in a rude action; sambhinna maryaadaa = transgressing the bounds of propriety.
"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
7. "katham naama = how; siita = Sita;mahaabhaagaa = the venerable woman; janaka nandinii = the daughter of king Janaka; abhirathaa = who was delighted; sadaa = always; sukheshhu = in(homely)comforts; anubhavishhyati = can experience; duHkhaani = difficulties (in the forest)?"
"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
8. "rajaa = the king; dasharathaH = Dasaratha; nisnehaH = having no love; svasutam = for his son; iha = now; ichchhati = wants; parityaktum = to abandon; raamam = Rama; priyam = who is beloved; prajaanam = to his people; anagham = and faultless; aho = what a surprise!"
"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 manuShyaaNaam graama samvaasa vaasinaam |
shR^iNvann ati yayau viiraH kosalaan kosala iishvaraH || 2-49-9
9. shruNvaa = hearing; etaaH = these; vaachaH = words; manushhyaaNaam = of people; graama samvaasa vaasinaam = residing in villages and hamlets; viirah = the heroic; kosaleshvaraH = prince of Kosala; atiyayon = crossed the boundaries; kosalaan = of Kosala state.
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 adhyuShitaam disham || 2-49-10
10. uthiirya = having crossed; nadiim = the river; shiva vaarivahaam = of auspicious waters; vedashrutim naama = named Vedashruti; tataH praayaat = he then proceeded forth; abhimukhaH = facing; disham = the quarter; agastyaadhyushhitaam = occupied by the Sage Agastya.
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
11. gatvaa = after traveling; suchiram kaalam = for a pretty time; tataH = from there; atarat = (Rama) crossed; nadiim = the river; gomatiim = called Gomati; shivajalaam = having beautiful waters; goyutaa nuupam = whose banks were adorned with cows; saagarangamaam = and headed towards the sea.
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 ha.nsa abhirutaam tataara syandikaam nadiim || 2-49-12
12. raaghavaH = Rama;atikramya = crossing; gomatiimcha api = Gomati river too; hayaiH = by horses; shiighragaiH = which are swift-moving; tataara = crossed; nadiim = the river; syandikaam = called Syandika; mayuura hamsaabhirutaam = resounding with howls of peacocks and swans.
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 raaGYaa dattaam ikShvaakave puraa |
sphiitaam raaShTra aavR^itaam raamaH vaidehiim anvadarshayat || 2-49-13
13. raamaH = that Rama; anvadarshayat = showed; vaidehiim = to Sita; mahiim = (that) land; dattaam = given; raaG^yaa = by the king; manunaa = Manu; ikshvaakave = to Ikshvaku; puraa = long ago; raashhTraavR^taam = filled with territories; sphiitaam = many in number.
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 aabhaaShya saarathim tam abhiikShNashaH |
ha.nsa matta svaraH shriimaan uvaaca puruSha R^iShabhaH || 2-49-14
14. shriimaan = the glorious Rama; purushharshhabhaH = the foremost among men; hamsa matta svaraH = whose voice resembled the cackling of a swan in rut; aabhaashhya = addressed; tam saarathim = that charioteer; abhiikshhNashaH = with great affection; suuta ityeva = in the words "Oh; charioteer!" uvaacha = (and) spoke( as follows) :
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 puShpite vane |
mR^igayaam paryaaTaShyaami maatraa pitraa ca samgataH || 2-49-15
15. " kadaa = when; punaraagamya = coming back; sangataH = and united; maatraa = with mother; pitraacha = and father; paryaTishhyaami = shall I roam; mR^igayaam = hunting; vane = in the forest; sarayvaaH = bordering on Sarayu river; pushhpite = and laden with blossoms?"
"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 abhikaankShaami mR^igayaam sarayuu vane |
ratir hi eShaa atulaa loke raaja R^iShi gaNa sammataa || 2-49-16
raajarshhiiNaam hi loke.asmin ratyartham mR^igayaa vane |
kaale kR^itaam taam manujairdhanvinaamabhikaaN^kshitaam || 2-49-17
16;17. eshhaa = this hunting; ratirhi = is a delightful sport; atulaa = made much of; loke = in the world; raajarshhi gaNasammataa = approved by a host of royal sages; naabhikaaNkshhaami = I do not hanker; atyartham = much; mR^igayaam = of hunting; sarayuuvane = in the woodlands bordering in Sarayu . mR^igayaa = hunting; vane = in the forest; ratyarthamhi = is for gratification indeed; raajarshhiiNaam = of royal sages; asmin loke = in this world ; .kR^itaam = (It was) adopted; kaale = at times; manujaiH = by the sons of Manu; abhikaaNkshhitaam = and sought after by; dhanvinaam = bowmen. taam = That hunting;(I do not long for it excessively).
"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 aikShvaakaH suutam madhurayaa giraa
tam tam artham abhipretya yayauvaakyam udiirayan || 2-49-18
18. udiirayan = uttering; madhurayaa = in sweet; giraa = voice; suutam = to the charioteer; tam tam = on various; artham = topics; abhipretya = dearer; (to him) saH ikshhvaakaH = that Rama; yayou = went; adhvaanam = along that route.
Uttering in sweet voice to the charioteer on various topics dearer to him, Rama advanced thus along that route.
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iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye ayodhya kaaNDe ekonapaJNchaashaH sargaH
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© Sept 2002, K. M. K. Murthy