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The Ramayana Book 2

Chapter 17

1 rāmas tu bhṛśam āyasto niḥśvasann iva kuñjaraḥ
jagāma sahito bhrātrā mātur antaḥpuraṃ vaśī
2 so 'paśyat puruṣaṃ tatra vṛddhaṃ paramapūjitam
upaviṣṭaṃ gṛhadvāri tiṣṭhataś cāparān bahūn
3 praviśya prathamāṃ kakṣyāṃ dvitīyāyāṃ dadarśa saḥ
brāhmaṇān vedasaṃpannān vṛddhān rājñābhisatkṛtān
4 praṇamya rāmas tān vṛddhāṃs tṛtīyāyāṃ dadarśa saḥ
striyo vṛddhāś ca bālāś ca dvārarakṣaṇatatparāḥ
5 vardhayitvā prahṛṣṭās tāḥ praviśya ca gṛhaṃ striyaḥ
nyavedayanta tvaritā rāma mātuḥ priyaṃ tadā
6 kausalyāpi tadā devī rātriṃ sthitvā samāhitā
prabhāte tv akarot pūjāṃ viṣṇoḥ putrahitaiṣiṇī
7 sā kṣaumavasanā hṛṣṭā nityaṃ vrataparāyaṇā
agniṃ juhoti sma tadā mantravat kṛtamaṅgalā
8 praviśya ca tadā rāmo mātur antaḥpuraṃ śubham
dadarśa mātaraṃ tatra hāvayantīṃ hutāśanam
9 sā cirasyātmajaṃ dṛṣṭvā mātṛnandanam āgatam
abhicakrāma saṃhṛṣṭā kiśoraṃ vaḍavā yathā
10 tam uvāca durādharṣaṃ rāghavaṃ sutam ātmanaḥ
kausalyā putravātsalyād idaṃ priyahitaṃ vacaḥ
11 vṛddhānāṃ dharmaśīlānāṃ rājarṣīṇāṃ mahātmanām
prāpnuhy āyuś ca kīrtiṃ ca dharmaṃ copahitaṃ kule
12 satyapratijñaṃ pitaraṃ rājānaṃ paśya rāghava
adyaiva hi tvāṃ dharmātmā yauvarājye 'bhiṣekṣyati
13 mātaraṃ rāghavaḥ kiṃ cit prasāryāñjalim abravīt
sa svabhāvavinītaś ca gauravāc ca tadānataḥ
14 devi nūnaṃ na jānīṣe mahad bhayam upasthitam
idaṃ tava ca duḥkhāya vaidehyā lakṣmaṇasya ca
15 caturdaśa hi varṣāṇi vatsyāmi vijane vane
madhumūlaphalair jīvan hitvā munivad āmiṣam
16 bharatāya mahārājo yauvarājyaṃ prayacchati
māṃ punar daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ vivāsayati tāpasaṃ
17 tām aduḥkhocitāṃ dṛṣṭvā patitāṃ kadalīm iva
rāmas tūtthāpayām āsa mātaraṃ gatacetasaṃ
18 upāvṛtyotthitāṃ dīnāṃ vaḍavām iva vāhitām
pāṃśuguṇṭhitasarvāgnīṃ vimamarśa ca pāṇinā
19 sā rāghavam upāsīnam asukhārtā sukhocitā
uvāca puruṣavyāghram upaśṛṇvati lakṣmaṇe
20 yadi putra na jāyethā mama śokāya rāghava
na sma duḥkham ato bhūyaḥ paśyeyam aham aprajā
21 eka eva hi vandhyāyāḥ śoko bhavati mānavaḥ
aprajāsmīti saṃtāpo na hy anyaḥ putra vidyate
22 na dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ kalyāṇaṃ sukhaṃ vā patipauruṣe
api putre vipaśyeyam iti rāmāsthitaṃ mayā
23 sā bahūny amanojñāni vākyāni hṛdayacchidām
ahaṃ śroṣye sapatnīnām avarāṇāṃ varā satī
ato duḥkhataraṃ kiṃ nu pramadānāṃ bhaviṣyati
24 tvayi saṃnihite 'py evam aham āsaṃ nirākṛtā
kiṃ punaḥ proṣite tāta dhruvaṃ maraṇam eva me
25 yo hi māṃ sevate kaś cid atha vāpy anuvartate
kaikeyyāḥ putram anvīkṣya sa jano nābhibhāṣate
26 daśa sapta ca varṣāṇi tava jātasya rāghava
atītāni prakāṅkṣantyā mayā duḥkhaparikṣayam
27 upavāsaiś ca yogaiś ca bahubhiś ca pariśramaiḥ
duḥkhaṃ saṃvardhito moghaṃ tvaṃ hi durgatayā mayā
28 sthiraṃ tu hṛdayaṃ manye mamedaṃ yan na dīryate
prāvṛṣīva mahānadyāḥ spṛṣṭaṃ kūlaṃ navāmbhasā
29 mamaiva nūnaṃ maraṇaṃ na vidyate; na cāvakāśo 'sti yamakṣaye mama
yad antako 'dyaiva na māṃ jihīrṣati; prasahya siṃho rudatīṃ mṛgīm iva
30 sthiraṃ hi nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ mamāyasaṃ; na bhidyate yad bhuvi nāvadīryate
anena duḥkhena ca deham arpitaṃ; dhruvaṃ hy akāle maraṇaṃ na vidyate
31 idaṃ tu duḥkhaṃ yad anarthakāni me; vratāni dānāni ca saṃyamāś ca hi
tapaś ca taptaṃ yad apatyakāraṇāt; suniṣphalaṃ bījam ivoptam ūṣare
32 yadi hy akāle maraṇaṃ svayecchayā; labheta kaś cid guru duḥkha karśitaḥ
gatāham adyaiva pareta saṃsadaṃ; vinā tvayā dhenur ivātmajena vai
33 bhṛśam asukham amarṣitā tadā; bahu vilalāpa samīkṣya rāghavam
vyasanam upaniśāmya sā mahat; sutam iva baddham avekṣya kiṃnarī

Next: Chapter 18