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The Ramayana Book 6

Chapter 23

1 sā sītā tac chiro dṛṣṭvā tac ca kārmukam uttamam
sugrīvapratisaṃsargam ākhyātaṃ ca hanūmatā
2 nayane mukhavarṇaṃ ca bhartus tat sadṛśaṃ mukham
keśān keśāntadeśaṃ ca taṃ ca cūḍāmaṇiṃ śubham
3 etaiḥ sarvair abhijñānair abhijñāya suduḥkhitā
vijagarhe 'tha kaikeyīṃ krośantī kurarī yathā
4 sakāmā bhava kaikeyi hato 'yaṃ kulanandanaḥ
kulam utsāditaṃ sarvaṃ tvayā kalahaśīlayā
5 āryeṇa kiṃ nu kaikeyyāḥ kṛtaṃ rāmeṇa vipriyam
yad gṛhāc cīravasanas tayā prasthāpito vanam
6 evam uktvā tu vaidehī vepamānā tapasvinī
jagāma jagatīṃ bālā chinnā tu kadalī yathā
7 sā muhūrtāt samāśvasya pratilabhya ca cetanām
tac chiraḥ samupāghrāya vilalāpāyatekṣaṇā
8 hā hatāsmi mahābāho vīravratam anuvratā
imāṃ te paścimāvasthāṃ gatāsmi vidhavā kṛtā
9 prathamaṃ maraṇaṃ nāryā bhartur vaiguṇyam ucyate
suvṛttaḥ sādhuvṛttāyāḥ saṃvṛttas tvaṃ mamāgrataḥ
10 duḥkhād duḥkhaṃ prapannāyā magnāyāḥ śokasāgare
yo hi mām udyatas trātuṃ so 'pi tvaṃ vinipātitaḥ
11 sā śvaśrūr mama kausalyā tvayā putreṇa rāghava
vatseneva yathā dhenur vivatsā vatsalā kṛtā
12 ādiṣṭaṃ dīrgham āyus te yair acintyaparākrama
anṛtaṃ vacanaṃ teṣām alpāyur asi rāghava
13 atha vā naśyati prajñā prājñasyāpi satas tava
pacaty enaṃ tathā kālo bhūtānāṃ prabhavo hy ayam
14 adṛṣṭaṃ mṛtyum āpannaḥ kasmāt tvaṃ nayaśāstravit
vyasanānām upāyajñaḥ kuśalo hy asi varjane
15 tathā tvaṃ saṃpariṣvajya raudrayātinṛśaṃsayā
kālarātryā mayācchidya hṛtaḥ kamalalocanaḥ
16 upaśeṣe mahābāho māṃ vihāya tapasvinīm
priyām iva śubhāṃ nārīṃ pṛthivīṃ puruṣarṣabha
17 arcitaṃ satataṃ yatnād gandhamālyair mayā tava
idaṃ te matpriyaṃ vīra dhanuḥ kāñcanabhūṣitam
18 pitrā daśarathena tvaṃ śvaśureṇa mamānagha
pūrvaiś ca pitṛbhiḥ sārdhaṃ nūnaṃ svarge samāgataḥ
19 divi nakṣatrabhūtas tvaṃ mahat karma kṛtaṃ priyam
puṇyaṃ rājarṣivaṃśaṃ tvam ātmanaḥ samupekṣase
20 kiṃ mān na prekṣase rājan kiṃ māṃ na pratibhāṣase
bālāṃ bālena saṃprāptāṃ bhāryāṃ māṃ sahacāriṇīm
21 saṃśrutaṃ gṛhṇatā pāṇiṃ cariṣyāmīti yat tvayā
smara tan mama kākutstha naya mām api duḥkhitām
22 kasmān mām apahāya tvaṃ gato gatimatāṃ vara
asmāl lokād amuṃ lokaṃ tyaktvā mām iha duḥkhitām
23 kalyāṇair ucitaṃ yat tat pariṣvaktaṃ mayaiva tu
kravyādais tac charīraṃ te nūnaṃ viparikṛṣyate
24 agniṣṭomādibhir yajñair iṣṭavān āptadakṣiṇaiḥ
agnihotreṇa saṃskāraṃ kena tvaṃ tu na lapsyase
25 pravrajyām upapannānāṃ trayāṇām ekam āgatam
pariprakṣyati kausalyā lakṣmaṇaṃ śokalālasā
26 sa tasyāḥ paripṛcchantyā vadhaṃ mitrabalasya te
tava cākhyāsyate nūnaṃ niśāyāṃ rākṣasair vadham
27 sā tvāṃ suptaṃ hataṃ śrutvā māṃ ca rakṣogṛhaṃ gatām
hṛdayena vidīrṇena na bhaviṣyati rāghava
28 sādhu pātaya māṃ kṣipraṃ rāmasyopari rāvaṇaḥ
samānaya patiṃ patnyā kuru kalyāṇam uttamam
29 śirasā me śiraś cāsya kāyaṃ kāyena yojaya
rāvaṇānugamiṣyāmi gatiṃ bhartur mahātmanaḥ
muhūrtam api necchāmi jīvituṃ pāpajīvinā
30 śrutaṃ mayā vedavidāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ pitur gṛhe
yāsāṃ strīṇāṃ priyo bhartā tāsāṃ lokā mahodayāḥ
31 kṣamā yasmin damas tyāgaḥ satyaṃ dharmaḥ kṛtajñatā
ahiṃsā caiva bhūtānāṃ tam ṛte kā gatir mama
32 iti sā duḥkhasaṃtaptā vilalāpāyatekṣaṇā
bhartuḥ śiro dhanus tatra samīkṣya janakātmajā
33 evaṃ lālapyamānāyāṃ sītāyāṃ tatra rākṣasaḥ
abhicakrāma bhartāram anīkasthaḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ
34 vijayasvāryaputreti so 'bhivādya prasādya ca
nyavedayad anuprāptaṃ prahastaṃ vāhinīpatim
35 amātyaiḥ sahitaḥ sarvaiḥ prahastaḥ samupasthitaḥ
kiṃ cid ātyayikaṃ kāryaṃ teṣāṃ tvaṃ darśanaṃ kuru
36 etac chrutvā daśagrīvo rākṣasaprativeditam
aśokavanikāṃ tyaktvā mantriṇāṃ darśanaṃ yayau
37 sa tu sarvaṃ samarthyaiva mantribhiḥ kṛtyam ātmanaḥ
sabhāṃ praviśya vidadhe viditvā rāmavikramam
38 antardhānaṃ tu tac chīrṣaṃ tac ca kārmukam uttamam
jagāma rāvaṇasyaiva niryāṇasamanantaram
39 rākṣasendras tu taiḥ sārdhaṃ mantribhir bhīmavikramaiḥ
samarthayām āsa tadā rāmakāryaviniścayam
40 avidūrasthitān sarvān balādhyakṣān hitaiṣiṇaḥ
abravīt kālasadṛśo rāvaṇo rākṣasādhipaḥ
41 śīghraṃ bherīninādena sphuṭakoṇāhatena me
samānayadhvaṃ sainyāni vaktavyaṃ ca na kāraṇam
42 tatas tatheti pratigṛhya tad vaco; balādhipās te mahad ātmano balam
samānayaṃś caiva samāgataṃ ca te; nyavedayan bhartari yuddhakāṅkṣiṇi


Next: Chapter 24