Chapter [Sarga] 41

Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

Chapter [Sarga] 41

Introduction

The ladies of the royal gymnasium lament over the exile of Rama and others. The citizens of Ayodhya also are reduced to a miserable plight. All Nature mourns at Rama’s departure.

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tasmimstu purushhavyaaghre viniryaati kR^itaaJNjalau |
aartashabdo.atha samjajJNe striiNaamantahpute tadaa || 2-41-1

1. tadaa= then; tasmin =that Rama; purushhavyaaghre= the tiger among men; kR^itaaNjalou= having paid obeisance with joined palms; viniryaati= departed; atha= moreover ; aartha shabdaH =a great cry of distress ;samjaG^ye= arose ;striiNaam= among women ; antaHpure =of inner apartments.

As Rama the tiger among men, having paid obeisance with joined palms departed, a great cry of distress arose among women of inner apartments.

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anaathasya janasya asya durbalasya tapasvinaH |
yo gatim sharaNam ca aasiit sa naathaH kva nu gacchati || 2-41-2

2. kvanu= Where; saH naathaH= is he the Lord; gachchhati= going; yaH= who; gataH= was the path ; aasiit= who became; sharaNamcha= the protector ;asya Janasya= of these people; anaathasya = who are defenseless ; durbalasya= weak; tapasvinaH= and unhappy.”

Where is he going, who was the path, who became the protector of the people, who are now defenseless weak and unhappy?”

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na krudhyati abhishastaH api krodhaniiyaani varjayan |
kruddhaan prasaadayan sarvaan sama duhkhaH kva gacchati || 2-41-3

3. kvachit= where; gataH= has he gone; kR^idhyati= who was not angry; abhishapto. api= even if accused ; varjayan= who resolved; krodhaniiyaani= every misunderstanding; prasaadayan= who propitiated; sarvaan= all those; kruddhaan = who were angry; samaduHkaH = by sharing their suffering?”

“Where has he gone, who was not angry even when provoked, who resolved every misunderstanding and who propitiated all those who were angry by sharing their suffering?

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kausalyaayaam mahaa tejaa yathaa maatari vartate |
tathaa yo vartate asmaasu mahaatmaa kva nu gacchati || 2-41-4

4. yaH= which Rama; mahaatejaH= having great splendor; yathaa= in which manner; vartate= was treating; kausalyaayaam= Kausalya; maatari= his mother; tathaa= in the same manner; vartate= was treating; Asmaasu= us; kvanu= where; mahaatmaa= that great-souled Rama; gachchhati= has gone?”

That illustrious and great-souled Rama, who treated us with the same reverence he paid to his own mother, where has he gone?”

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kaikeyyaa klishyamaanena raaj~naa samcoditaH vanam |
paritraataa janasya asya jagataH kva nu gacchati || 2-41-5

5. kvanu= Where; gachchhati= has he gone; paritraataa= (he) the protector; asya= of these; janasya= people; jagataH= and the world; samachoditaH= driven; vanam= to the forest; raaG^yaa= by the king; klishyamaanena= tormented; kaikeyyaa= by Kaikeyi”

"Where has he gone, he the protector of the people and the whole world, driven to the forest by the king, goaded on by Kaikeyi? ''

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aho nishcetano raajaa jiiva lokasya sampriyam |
dharmyam satya vratam raamam vana vaaso pravatsyati || 2-41-6

6. raajaa=the king; nishchetanaH= is a senseless man. Aho= Alas! pravastyati= he has sent away from home; vanavaase= to dwell in forest; raamam= Rama; sampriyam= the very beloved man; dharmyam= the pious minded; satyavratam =strictly truthful .

“Alas! In his folly, the king has banished the virtuous the beloved and the strictly truthful Rama to the forest!”

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iti sarvaa mahiSyaH taa vivatsaaiva dhenavaH |
ruruduH caiva duhkha aartaaH sasvaram ca vicukrushuH || 2-41-7

8. iti= thus; sarvaaH= all; taaH mahishhyaH= those queens; rurudushchaiva= shed their tears; duhkhaartaaH= in grief; dhenavaH iva= like unto cows; vivatsaaH= deprived of their calves; vichukrushuH= cried out; sasvaram= in loud noise.

Thus did all the queens lament, like unto cows deprived of their calves and in there affection cried out loudly.

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sa tam antaH pure ghoram aarta shabdam mahii patiH |
putra shoka abhisamtaptaH shrutvaa ca aasiit suduhkhitaH || 2-41-8

8. saH mahiipatH= that king; putrashokaabhisantaptaH= profoundly afflicted by the departure of his son; aasiit= became; suduHkhitaH= increasingly depressed; shrutvaa= after hearing; tam= that; ghoram= terrible; aarta shabdam = crying sound; antaHpure= in the private apartments.

Hearing those terrible crying sounds in the private apartments, the king profoundly afflicted by the departure of his son, became increasingly depressed.

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na agni hotraaNi ahuuyanta suuryaH ca antar adhiiyata |
vyasR^ijan kavalaan naagaa gaavo vatsaan na paayayan || 2-41-9

9. agnihotraaNi= sacrificial fires; naahuuyanta= were not performed; gR^ihamethinaH= house-holders; naapachan= did not cook their food.; prajaaH= people; na aakurvan= did not do; kaaryam= (their )act .suuryashcha= even the sun antaradhiiyata= disappeared .

On the departure of Rama to the forest, the sacred fires were no longer performed, no house holder prepared food, the people did not do their acts and even the sun went into eclipse.

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vyasR^ijan kabalaannaagaa gaavo vatsaanna paayayan |
putram prathamajam labdhvaa jananii naabhyanandata || 2-41-10

10. naagaaH= Elephants; vyasR^ijan=threw out; kabalaan=the morsels of food (they had taken into their mouths ) gaavaH=Cows; na paayayan= did not give suck; vatsaan=to their calves; jananii=mother; naabhyanandata= did not rejoice; labdhvaa= for having got; putram= a son; prathamajam= born for the first time .

Elephants threw out the morsels of food they had taken into their mouths. Cows did not give suck to their calves. Mother did not rejoice, for having got a son born for the first time.

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trishankur lohita angaH ca bR^ihaspati budhaav api |
daaruNaaH somam abhyetya grahaaH sarve vyavasthitaaH || 2-41-11

11. trishankuH= Trisanku; lohitaaN^gashcha= Lohitanga; Brihaspati budhaavapi= Brihaspati as also Budha; sarve= all; grahaaH= planets; daaruNaaH= assumed harshness; abhyetya= got; vyavasathitaaH= stayed; samam= with the moon.

Trisanku, Lohintanga, Brihaspati as also Budha and all other planets assumed a menacing aspect and got stayed with the moon.

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nakSatraaNi gata arciimSi grahaaH ca gata tejasaH |
vishaakhaaH ca sadhuumaaH ca nabhasi pracakaashire || 2-41-12

12. nakshhatraaNi= Stars; gataarchiimshhi= ceased to twinkle; grahaashcha= planets; gatachetasaH= were deprived of their splendour; vishaakhaastu= The stars of Visakha; prachakaashire= appeared; nabhasi= in the heaven; sadhuumaaH= veiled in mist.

Stars ceased to twinkle. Planets were deprived of their splendour. The stars of Visakha appeared in the heaven, veiled in the mist.

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kaalikaanilavegena mahodadhirivotthitaH |
raame vanam pravrajite nagaram prachachaala tat || 2-41-13

13. mahodadhiH= The great ocean; utthitaH= rose; kaalikaanilavegena= as by a speed of a long-lasting tempest; raame= (while) Rama; pravrajite= went; vanam= to the forest; tat nagaram= that city; prachachaala= was shaken.

The great ocean rose, as by a speed of a long-lasting tempest. While Rama went to the forest, that city was shaken.

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dishaH paryaakulaaH sarvaa stimireNeva samvR^itaaH |
na graho naapi nakshatraM prachakaashe na kiMchana || 2-41-14

14. sarvaaH= All; dishaH= the cardinal points;paryaakulaaH= having been disturbed;samvR^itaaHiva= were like covered timireNa= by darkness ; grahaaH= planets; naprakaashe= did not become visible; na= nor; nakshhatramapi= even the stars; na= nor; kimcha= any other.

All the cardinal points, having been disturbed, were covered by darkness. Planets did not become visible, nor the stars nor any other thing in heaven.

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akasmaan naagaraH sarvo jano dainyam upaagamat |
aahaare vaa vihaare vaa na kashcit akaron manaH || 2-41-15

15. sarvaaH= All; janaH= the people; naagaraH= belonging to the city; akasmaat= suddenly; upaagamat= became; dainyam= apathetic. na kashchit= No one; akarot= made; manaH= mind; aahaare vaa= in either food; vihaare vaa= or in pastime.

All the people of the city suddenly became apathetic. No one was interested in either food or in pastime.

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shokaparyaayasantaptaH satataM diirghamuchchhvasan |
ayodhyaayaam janaH sarvaH shushocha jagatiipatim || 2-41-16

16. sarvaaH= All; janaH= the people; ayodhyaayaam= in Ayodhya; shokaparyaayasamtaptaH= afflicted by grief in succession; satatam= with a perpetual;diirgham= long;uchchhvasan= sighs;shushocha= bewailed;jagatiipatim= about(the departure of)the Lord of the earth.

All the people of Ayodhya, afflicted by grief in succession, heaved profound and burning sighs and bewailed about the departure of the Lord of the earth.

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baaSpa paryaakula mukho raaja maarga gataH janaH |
na hR^iSTaH lakSyate kashcit sarvaH shoka paraayaNaH || 2-41-17

17. janaH= The people; raajamaarga gataH= in the king's way; bhaashhpa paryaakula mukhaH= were having distressed faces filled with tears. nakashchit= No one; lakshhyate= appeared; hR^ishhTaH= rejoicing.sarvaaH= All; shoka paraayaNaH= were possessed by grief.

The people in the king's way were wearing distressed faces filled with tears. No one appeared rejoicing. All were possessed by grief.

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na vaati pavanaH shiitaH na shashii saumya darshanaH |
na suuryaH tapate lokam sarvam paryaakulam jagat || 2-41-18

18. pavanaH= The wind;na vaati= was not blowing; shiitaH= coolly; shashii= The moon; na= did not; soumyadarshanaH= appear beneficient; suuryaH= the sun; na tapate= did not give out warmth; lokam= to the earth.sarvam= The entire; jagat= world; paryaakulam= was in disorder.

The wind was not blowing coolly. The moon did not appear beneficient. The sun did not give out warmth to the earth. The entire world was in disorder

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anarthinaH sutaaH striiNaam bhartaaraH bhraataraH tathaa |
sarve sarvam parityajya raamam eva anvacintayan || 2-41-19

19. sutaaH= Sons; bhartaaraH husbands; anarthinaH= did not ask for; striiNaam= the women; tathaa= and; bhraataraH= brothers; anarthinaH= did not enquire (of their sisters); sarve= all; parityajaya= gave up; sarvam= everything; anvachintayan= thinking of; raamam eva= Rama alone.

Sons did not ask for their mothers and husbands did not ask for their wives. Brothers did not enquire about their sisters. All gave up every thing and thought of Rama alone.

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ye tu raamasya suhR^idaH sarve te muuDha cetasaH |
shoka bhaareNa ca aakraantaaH shayanam na juhus tadaa || 2-41-20

20. tadaa= Then; raamasya= Rama's; ye= which; suhrudaH= ownfriends; te sarve= all of them; muudhachetasaH= bewildered in mind; aakraantaaH= overwhelmed; shoka bhaareNa= by the weight of their agony; na jahuH: did not abandon; shayanam= their beds.

Then, all of Rama's own friends were bewildered in mind and the weight of their agony overwhelmed them. They did not leave their beds.

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tataH tu ayodhyaa rahitaa mahaatmanaa |
puramdareNa iva mahii saparvataa |
cacaala ghoram bhaya bhaara piiDitaa |
sanaaga yodha ashva gaNaa nanaada ca || 2-41-21

21. tataH= Thereafter; ayodhyaa= the city of Ayodhya; rahitaa= bereft of; mahaatmanaa= the great souled Rama; mahiiva= like the earth; saparvataa= with mountains; rahitaa= abandoned by; purandhareNa= Indra, the lord of rain; chachaala= was shaken;ghoram= terribly;bhaya shoka piiditaa= afflicted by fear and grief;sanaagayodhaashvagaNaaH= the city filled with elephants, warriors and horses;nanaadacha= made a roaring sound.

Afflicted by fear and grief, the earth with its mountains, deprived of that great souled Rama, suffered a terrible convulsion, as when it is abandoned by Indra the lord of rain, and a great uproar reigned in the city which was filled with elephants, warriors and horses.

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye ayodhya kaaNDe ekachatvaariMshaH sargaH

Thus completes 41th chapter in the AyodhyaKanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.