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The Ramayana Book 2

Chapter 18

1 tathā tu vilapantīṃ tāṃ kausalyāṃ rāmamātaram
uvāca lakṣmaṇo dīnas tat kālasadṛśaṃ vacaḥ
2 na rocate mamāpy etad ārye yad rāghavo vanam
tyaktvā rājyaśriyaṃ gacchet striyā vākyavaśaṃ gataḥ
3 viparītaś ca vṛddhaś ca viṣayaiś ca pradharṣitaḥ
nṛpaḥ kim iva na brūyāc codyamānaḥ samanmathaḥ
4 nāsyāparādhaṃ paśyāmi nāpi doṣaṃ tathā vidham
yena nirvāsyate rāṣṭrād vanavāsāya rāghavaḥ
5 na taṃ paśyāmy ahaṃ loke parokṣam api yo naraḥ
amitro 'pi nirasto 'pi yo 'sya doṣam udāharet
6 devakalpam ṛjuṃ dāntaṃ ripūṇām api vatsalam
avekṣamāṇaḥ ko dharmaṃ tyajet putram akāraṇāt
7 tad idaṃ vacanaṃ rājñaḥ punar bālyam upeyuṣaḥ
putraḥ ko hṛdaye kuryād rājavṛttam anusmaran
8 yāvad eva na jānāti kaś cid artham imaṃ naraḥ
tāvad eva mayā sādham ātmasthaṃ kuru śāsanam
9 mayā pārśve sadhanuṣā tava guptasya rāghava
kaḥ samartho 'dhikaṃ kartuṃ kṛtāntasyeva tiṣṭhataḥ
10 nirmanuṣyām imāṃ sarvām ayodhyāṃ manujarṣabha
kariṣyāmi śarais tīkṣṇair yadi sthāsyati vipriye
11 bharatasyātha pakṣyo vā yo vāsya hitam icchati
sarvān etān vadhiṣyāmi mṛdur hi paribhūyate
12 tvayā caiva mayā caiva kṛtvā vairam anuttamam
kasya śaktiḥ śriyaṃ dātuṃ bharatāyāriśāsana
13 anurakto 'smi bhāvena bhrātaraṃ devi tattvataḥ
satyena dhanuṣā caiva datteneṣṭena te śape
14 dīptam agnim araṇyaṃ vā yadi rāmaḥ pravekṣyate
praviṣṭaṃ tatra māṃ devi tvaṃ pūrvam avadhāraya
15 harāmi vīryād duḥkhaṃ te tamaḥ sūrya ivoditaḥ
devī paśyatu me vīryaṃ rāghavaś caiva paśyatu
16 etat tu vacanaṃ śrutvā lakṣmaṇasya mahātmanaḥ
uvāca rāmaṃ kausalyā rudantī śokalālasā
17 bhrātus te vadataḥ putra lakṣmaṇasya śrutaṃ tvayā
yad atrānantaraṃ tat tvaṃ kuruṣva yadi rocate
18 na cādharmyaṃ vacaḥ śrutvā sapatnyā mama bhāṣitam
vihāya śokasaṃtaptāṃ gantum arhasi mām itaḥ
19 dharmajña yadi dharmiṣṭho dharmaṃ caritum icchasi
śuśrūṣa mām ihasthas tvaṃ cara dharmam anuttamam
20 śuśrūṣur jananīṃ putra svagṛhe niyato vasan
pareṇa tapasā yuktaḥ kāśyapas tridivaṃ gataḥ
21 yathaiva rājā pūjyas te gauraveṇa tathā hy aham
tvāṃ nāham anujānāmi na gantavyam ito vanam
22 tvadviyogān na me kāryaṃ jīvitena sukhena vā
tvayā saha mama śreyas tṛṇānām api bhakṣaṇam
23 yadi tvaṃ yāsyasi vanaṃ tyaktvā māṃ śokalālasām
ahaṃ prāyam ihāsiṣye na hi śakṣyāmi jīvitum
24 tatas tvaṃ prāpsyase putra nirayaṃ lokaviśrutam
brahmahatyām ivādharmāt samudraḥ saritāṃ patiḥ
25 vilapantīṃ tathā dīnāṃ kausalyāṃ jananīṃ tataḥ
uvāca rāmo dharmātmā vacanaṃ dharmasaṃhitam
26 nāsti śaktiḥ pitur vākyaṃ samatikramituṃ mama
prasādaye tvāṃ śirasā gantum icchāmy ahaṃ vanam
27 ṛṣiṇā ca pitur vākyaṃ kurvatā vratacāriṇā
gaur hatā jānatā dharmaṃ kaṇḍunāpi vipaścitā
28 asmākaṃ ca kule pūrvaṃ sagarasyājñayā pituḥ
khanadbhiḥ sāgarair bhūtim avāptaḥ sumahān vadhaḥ
29 jāmadagnyena rāmeṇa reṇukā jananī svayam
kṛttā paraśunāraṇye pitur vacanakāriṇā
30 na khalv etan mayaikena kriyate pitṛśāsanam
pūrvair ayam abhipreto gato mārgo 'nugamyate
31 tad etat tu mayā kāryaṃ kriyate bhuvi nānyathā
pitur hi vacanaṃ kurvan na kaś cin nāma hīyate
32 tām evam uktvā jananīṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ punar abravīt
tava lakṣmaṇa jānāmi mayi sneham anuttamam
abhiprāyam avijñāya satyasya ca śamasya ca
33 dharmo hi paramo loke dharme satyaṃ pratiṣṭhitam
dharmasaṃśritam etac ca pitur vacanam uttamam
34 saṃśrutya ca pitur vākyaṃ mātur vā brāhmaṇasya vā
na kartavyaṃ vṛthā vīra dharmam āśritya tiṣṭhatā
35 so 'haṃ na śakṣyāmi pitur niyogam ativartitum
pitur hi vacanād vīra kaikeyyāhaṃ pracoditaḥ
36 tad enāṃ visṛjānāryāṃ kṣatradharmāśritāṃ matim
dharmam āśraya mā taikṣṇyaṃ madbuddhir anugamyatām
37 tam evam uktvā sauhārdād bhrātaraṃ lakṣmaṇāgrajaḥ
uvāca bhūyaḥ kausalyāṃ prāñjaliḥ śirasānataḥ
38 anumanyasva māṃ devi gamiṣyantam ito vanam
śāpitāsi mama prāṇaiḥ kuru svastyayanāni me
tīrṇapratijñaś ca vanāt punar eṣyāmy ahaṃ purīm
39 yaśo hy ahaṃ kevalarājyakāraṇān; na pṛṣṭhataḥ kartum alaṃ mahodayam
adīrghakāle na tu devi jīvite; vṛṇe 'varām adya mahīm adharmataḥ
40 prasādayan naravṛṣabhaḥ sa mātaraṃ; parākramāj jigamiṣur eva daṇḍakān
athānujaṃ bhṛśam anuśāsya darśanaṃ; cakāra tāṃ hṛdi jananīṃ pradakṣiṇam

Next: Chapter 19