Chapter [Sarga] 38

Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

Chapter [Sarga] 38

Introduction

Dasharatha is enraged to see his precious daughter-in-law in rags and takes Kaikeyi to task. Rama seeks blessings of his father for departure and requests him to keep his mother Kausalya, who is aging, comfortable.

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tasyaam ciiram vasaanaayaam naathavatyaam anaathavat |
pracukrosha janaH sarvo dhig tvaam dasharatham tu iti || 2-38-1

1. tasyaam= that Seetha; naatha vatyaam= though protected by her husband; vasaanaayaam= is wearing; chiiram= bark of trees; anaathavat= like a helpless woman; sarvaH= all; janaH= the people; prachukrosha= loudly cried out; iti= thus; dhik= "Fie; tvaam= upon you; dasharatham= dasaratha!"

On seeing Seetha wearing bark of trees like a helpless woman, eventhough protected by her husband all the people there loudly cried out: "Fie upon you, Dasaratha!"

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tena tatra praNaadena duHkhitassa mahiipatiH |
chichchheda jiivite shraddhaam dharme yashasi chaatmanaH || 2-38-2

2. duHkhitaH= pained; tena praNaadena= by that loud cry; tatra= there; mahiipatiH= that king; chichchheda= lost; shraddhaam= interest; aatmanaH= in his; jiivete= life; dharme= religious merit; yashasi= esteem.

Pained by that loud cry there, King Dasaratha lost interest in his life, religious merit and esteem.

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sa nihshvasya uSNam aikSvaakaH taam bhaaryaam idam abraviit |
kaikeyi kusha ciireNa na siitaa gantum arhati || 2-38-3

3. saH= that; aikshhvaakaH= Dasaratha; niHshvasya= by sighing; ushhNam= warmly; abraviit= spoke; bhaaryaam= to his wife; idam= these words; kaikeyi "Oh, Kaikeyi! siitaa= Seetha; naarhati= does not deserve; gantum= to go; kushachiireNa= with a robe made of Kusa grass"

Dasaratha with a warm sigh, spoke to his wife these words. "Oh, Kaikeyi! Seetha does not deserve to go with a robe made of Kusa grass."

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sukumaarii cha baalaa cha satatam cha sukhochitaa |
neyam vanasya yogyeti satyamaaha gururmama || 2-38-4

4. mama guruH= my preceptor; satyam= truly; aha= says; iti= that; iyam= this Seetha; sukumaariicha= who is delicate; baalaacha= young and; sukhochita= ever habituated to comforts; nayogyaa= is not fit; vanasya= for forest.

"My preceptro truly says that Seetha, who is delicate young and ever habituated to comforts, is not fit for forest-life"

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iyam hi kashyaapakaroti kimchi |
ttapasvinii raajavarasya kanyaa |
yaa chiiramaasaadya janasya madhye |
sthitaa visamjJNaa shramaNiiva kaachit || 2-38-5

5. yaa= which Seetha; aasadya= by obtaining; chiiram= a bark of tree; kaachit shramaNiiva= like a hermitess; sthitaa= standing; visaNJNa= dumb founded; madhye= in the midst; janasya= of men; iyam= such; tapasvinii= pitiable; raajavarasya kanyaa= daughter of Janaka(the jewel of kings); kimchint apakaaroti= has done any harm; kasya= to any one?

"has this pitiable daughter of Janaka, the jewel of kings, done any harm to any one that, having obtained a bark of tree she is standing like a hermitess dumbfounded in the midst of men?"

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chiiraaNyasaasyaa janakasya kanyaa |
neyam pratijJNaa mama dattapuurvaa |
yathaasukham gachchhatu raajaputrii |
vanam samgraa saha sarvartnaiH || 2-38-6

6. janakasya kanyaa= (let0 daughter of Janaka(Seetha); apaasyaa= throw away; chiiraaNi= barks of trees; na= No; iyam= such; pratiJNaa= pledge; datta puurvaa= was given earlier; gachchhatu raajaputrii= let the priness go; vanam= to the forest; yathaasukham= happily; samagraa= fully; sarva ratnaiH saha= with all valuable possessions.

"Seetha the daughter of Janaka need not wear these barks of trees. No such pledge was given be me earlier. hence, let this prinecess go to the forest happily fully provided ewith all valuable possesssions."

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ajiivanaarheNa mayaa nR^ishamsaa |
kR^itaa pratijJNaa niyamena taavat |
tvayaa hi baalyaat pratipannametat |
tnmaam dahed veNumivaatmapushhpam || 2-38-7

7. nR^ishamsaa= a cruel; pratiJNaa= pledge; kR^itaavat= has been made; niyamena= on oath; mayaa= by me; ajiivanaarheNa= who do not deserve to survive; etat= this(providing robes of hermitess to Seetha); pratipannamhi= has been initiated; tvayaa= by you; baalyaat= by sheer childishness; tat= that; dahet= will consume; maam= me; aatma pushhpam iva= as by its own flow; veNum= to a bamboo.

"A Cruel pledge has been made on oath by me, who do not deserve to survive. This (providing robes of hermitess to Seetha) has been initiated by you by sheer childishness. That will consume me, as by its own flower to a bamboo."

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raameNa yadi te paa pe kimchitkR^itamashobhanam |
apakaaraH ka iha te vaidehyaa darshito.adhame || 2-38-8

8. paape= Oh, evil women! adhame= the mean woman! ashobhanam kR^itamyadi= (even) supposing an offence is done; kimchit= a little; raameNa= by Rama; te= to you; kaH= what; apakaaraH= harm; darshitaH= was displayed; te= to you; iha= here; vaidehyaa= by Seetha?"

"Oh evil woman! (Even) supposing a little offence is done by Rama to you, what harm was displayed to you here by Seetha? Oh, mean woman!"

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mR^igiivotphullanayanaa mR^idushiilaa tapasvinii |
apakaaram kamiha te karoti janakaatmajaa || 2-38-9

9. kam apakaaram= "What harm; iha= on earth; karoti= can be done; janakaatmajaa= by daughter of Janada(Seetha) utphullanayanaa= who has blooming eyes; mR^igiiva= like those of a female deer; mR^idu shiilaa= soft in disposition; tapasvinii= a practiser of penance?"

"What harm on earth can be done to you by Seetha, who has blooming eyes like those of a female deer, soft in disposition a practiser of penance?"

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nanu paryaaptam etat te paape raama vivaasanam |
kim ebhiH kR^ipaNaiH bhuuyaH paatakaiH api te kR^itaiH || 2-38-10

10. paape= Oh, the evil woman! raamavivaasanam= sending Rama to exile; etat= thus; te= for you; paryaaptam nanu= is indeed enough; kim= what use; te= for you; bhuuyaH= further; kR^itaiH= in being done; ebhiH= these; kR^ipaNaiH= wretched; paatakairapi= sinful acts too.

"Oh, the evil woman! Sending Rama to exile thus indeed is enough for you. What use is there for you in further doing these wretched, sinful acts too.

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pratijJNaatam mayaa taavat tvayoktam devi shR^iNvataa |
raamam yadabhishhekaaya tvamihaaata mabraviiH || 2-38-11

11. shriNataa= hearing; uktam= the speech; tvayaa= by you; tvam= you; abraviiH= spoke; raamam= to Rama; aagatam= who came; iha= here; abhishhekaaya= for coronation; taavat= that much; pratiJNaat= was acceded; mayaa= by me; devi= Oh, queen!

"Hearing the speech you gave to Rama who came here for coronation, only that much was acceded by me, Oh queen!"

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tattvetatsamatikramya nirayam gantumichchhasi |
maithiliimapi yaa hi tva miikshase chiiravaasiniim || 2-38-12

12. atikramya= transgressing; tat etat= all that; evam= you; yaa= somehow or other; ichchhasi= wish; gantum= to go; nirayam= to hell; iikshhase= by perceiving; maithiliim api= Seetha also; chiira vaasiniim= clad in bark of trees.

"Transgressing all that, you somehow or other wish to go to hell, by perceiving Seetha also clad in bark of trees.

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itiiva raajaa vilapanmahaatmaa |
shokasya naantam sa dadarsha kimchit |
bhR^ishaaturatvaachcha papaata bhuumau |
tenaiva putravyasanena magnaH || 2-38-13

13. saH raajaa= that king; mahaatmaa= the high-soulded; itiiva= thus; vilapan= lamenting; na dadarsha= did not see; kimchit= any; autam= cessation; shokasya= of that sorrow; magnaH= drenched; putra vyasnena eva= in excessive devotion to his son; papaate= to fell; bhuumau= on the gound; bhR^ishaaturatvaachcha= having been hurt very mcuh.

That high-souled king thus lamenting, did not see any ending to that sorrow. Drenched as he was in excessive devotion to his son and having been hurt vey much, he fell down on the ground.

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evam bruvantam pitaram raamaH samprasthitaH vanam |
avaak shirasam aasiinam idam vacanam abraviit || 2-38-14

14. raamaH= Rama; samprasthitaH= who was setting out; vanam= to forest; abraviit= spoke; idam vachanam= these words; pitaram= to his father; bruvantam= who was speaking; evam= thus; avaakchirasam= bowing down his head; aasiinam= siiting.

Rama, who was setting out to the forest, spoke these words to his father, who was speaking thus bowing down his head, sitting there.

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iyam dhaarmika kausalyaa mama maataa yashasvinii |
vR^iddhaa ca akSudra shiilaa ca na ca tvaam deva garhite || 2-38-15

15. dharmika= Oh, virtuous; deva= king! iyam= this; kausalyaa= Kausalya= Kausalya; mama maataa= my mother; yashasvinii= the glorious woman; vR^iddhaa= is aged; akshhudra shiilaacha= not base natured; nacha garhate= will not accuse; tvaam= you.

"Oh, virtuous king! This glorious Kausalya, my mother is aged. She is not of base nature and will not accuse you.

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mayaa vihiinaam varada prapannaam shoka saagaram |
adR^iSTa puurva vyasanaam bhuuyaH sammantum arhasi || 2-38-16

16. varada= Oh, the bestower of boons! arhasi= you are worthy; sammantum= to respect(her); bhuuyaH= much; vihiinam= who is deprived; maaa= of me; prapannaam= who got; shoka saagaram= an ocean of sorrow; adR^ishhTa puurva vyasanaam= such an affliction not being seen by her earlier.

"Oh, the bestower of boons! You are worthy of amply respection her, who is deprived of me, who is immersed in an ocean of sorrow and who has not see such an affliction earlier."

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putrashokam yathaa narchettvayaa puujyena puujitaa |
maam hi samchintayantii saa tvayi jiivet tapasvinii || 2-38-17

17. puujitaa= being honoured; tvayaa= by you; puujyena= the venerable man; saa= she; tapasvinii= the pitiable woman; naR^ichchhet= will not obtain; yathaa= such; putra shokam= grief for her son; samchintayantii= thinking; maamhi= of me alone; jiivet= will have life; tvayi= in you.

"Having been honoured by you the venerable man, she the pitiable woman will not get such a grief for her son, thinking of me alone and she will draw breath in you."

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imaam mahaa indra upama jaata garbhiniim |
tathaa vidhaatum janamiim mama arhasi |
yathaa vanasthe mayi shoka karshitaa |
na jiivitam nyasya yama kSayam vrajet || 2-38-18

18. mahendropama= Oh, king equal to the great Indra the ruler of gods! arhasi= you are worthy; vidhaatum= to destine; imaam= my mother; jaata gardhiniim= who has high affection towards her son; yathaa= in such a manner; tathaa= that; na vrajet= she will not go; yamakshhayam= to the house of yama the God of Death; syasya= by abandoning; jiivitam= her life; shoka karshitaa= emaciated by grief; mayi vanasthe= while I am in the forest.

"Oh, the king akim to the mighty Indra the ruler of gods! You must see that my mother, who has high affection towards her son, will not depart to the house of Yama the God of Death, by abandoning her life being emaciated by grief after my departure for the forest."

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye ayodhya kaaNDe aSTaa tri.mshaH sargaH

Thus completes 38th chapter of ayodhya Kanda in glorious Valmiki Ramayana, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.