Chapter [Sarga] 49

Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

Chapter [Sarga] 49

Introduction

Having traveled for a pretty long distance, Rama crossed Vedasruti, Gomati and Syandika rivers. He presses forward in the chariot talking with Sumantra.

Verse Locator

raamaH api raatri sheSeNa tena eva mahad antaram |
jagaama puruSa vyaaghraH pitur aaj~naam anusmaran || 2-49-1

1. raamo.api= Also Rama; purushhavyaaghraH= the tiger among men; anusmaran= remembering; aaG^yaam=the command; pituH= of his father; jagaama= obtained; mahat= a long; antaram= distance; tena= (during) that; raatrisesheNa= rest of the night.

Rama the tiger among men, revolving in his mind the command of his father, covered a long distance during the rest of the night.

Verse Locator

tathaiva gacchataH tasya vyapaayaat rajanii shivaa |
upaasya sa shivaam samdhyaam viSaya antam vyagaahata || 2-49-2

2. shivaa= delightful; rajanii= night; vyapaayat= passed away; tasya= (while) Rama; gachchhataH eva= was traveling; tathaa= in that way. saH= Rama; upaasya= having worshipped; shivam= the blissful; sandhyaam= (morning) twilight; vyagaahata= passed beyond; vishhayaantam= the boundary of that country.

While Rama was traveling with the same alacrity, that delightful night passed away. Having worshipped the blissful morning twilight, he passed beyond the boundary of that country.

Verse Locator

graamaan vikR^iSTa siimaan taan puSpitaani vanaani ca |
pashyann atiyayau shiighram sharaiH iva haya uttamaiH || 2-49-3
shR^iNvan vaaco manuSyaaNaam graama samvaasa vaasinaam |

3. pashyan= seeing; graamaan= villages; vikR^ishhTa siimaanaan= whose outskirts have been filled; vanaamicha=and woodlands; pushhpitaani= laden with blossoms; shR^iNvan= hearing; vachaH= the words; manushhyaaNaam= of men; graama samvaasa vaasinaam= dwelling together in mist of the village; shiighram= proceeded apace; shanairiva= as though slowly; atiyayon= and passed over those villages.

Seeing villages, whose outskirts have been tilled and the woodlands laden with blossoms and hearing as follows the words of men dwelling together in the midst of the village, Rama proceeded apace in those excellent horses as though slowly (engrossed as he was in enjoying the sights).

Verse Locator

raajaanam dhig dasharatham kaamasya vasham aagatam || 2-49-4
haa nR^ishamsa adya kaikeyii paapaa paapa anubandhinii |
tiikSNaa sambhinna maryaadaa tiikSNe karmaNi vartate || 2-49-5
yaa putram iidR^isham raaj~naH pravaasayati dhaarmikam |
vana vaase mahaa praaj~nam saanukrosham atandritam || 2-49-6

4,5,6. “dhik= woe unto; raajaanaam= the king Dasaratha; vashamaagatam= who fell into the clutches; kaamasya= of concupiscence. haa= Alas! Kaikeyi= Kaikeyi; nR^ishamasaa= the cruel; paapaa= and the sinful; adya= now; paapaanubandhinii=is following the sin. Yaa=which Kaikeyi; pravaasayati= is sending to exile; iidR^isham= such; raaG^yaHputram= prince Rama; dhaarmikam = the pious man; mahaapraaG^yam= a great intellectual; saanukrosham= the compassionate man; jitendriyam= he who has subdued senses; tiikshhNaa= that hot tempered Kaikeyi, vartate= is abiding; tiikshhNa karmaNi= in a rude action; sambhinna maryaadaa= transgressing the bounds of propriety.

“Woe unto the king Dasaratha who fell into the clutches of concupiscence. Alas! Kaikeyi the cruel and the sinful one now is still engaged in a cruel game. She is sending to exile the prince Rama, the pious man, the great intellectual, the compassionate man and he who subdued the senses. That hot-tempered Kaikeyi is behaving in a rude manner, transgressing the bounds of propriety”

Verse Locator

katham naama mahaabhaagaa siitaa janakanandinii |
sadaa sukheshhvabhirataa duHkhaanyanubhavishhyati || 2-49-7

7. “katham naama=how; siita=Sita;mahaabhaagaa=the venerable woman; janaka nandinii= the daughter of king Janaka; abhirathaa= who was delighted; sadaa= always; sukheshhu=in(homely)comforts; anubhavishhyati= can experience; duHkhaani= difficulties (in the forest)?”

“How Sita the venerable woman, the daughter of Janaka, who was delighted always in homely comforts can now experience hardships in the forest?”

Verse Locator

aho dasharatho raajaa nisnehaH svasuta priyam |
prajaanaamanagham raamam parityaktumihechchhati || 2-49-8

8. “rajaa= the king; dasharathaH=Dasaratha; nisnehaH= having no love; svasutam= for his son; iha =now; ichchhati= wants; parityaktum= to abandon; raamam= Rama; priyam= who is beloved; prajaanam= to his people; anagham= and faultless; aho= what a surprise!”

“What a surprise! The king Dasaratha, having no love for his son, now wants to abandon Rama who is so beloved to the people and is even faultless.”

Verse Locator

etaa vaaco manuSyaaNaam graama samvaasa vaasinaam |
shR^iNvann ati yayau viiraH kosalaan kosala iishvaraH || 2-49-9

9. shruNvaa= hearing; etaaH= these; vaachaH= words; manushhyaaNaam= of people; graama samvaasa vaasinaam= residing in villages and hamlets; viirah= the heroic; kosaleshvaraH= prince of Kosala; atiyayon= crossed the boundaries; kosalaan= of Kosala state.

Hearing these words of people residing in villages and hamlets, Rama the heroic prince of Kosala crossed the boundaries of Kosala state.

Verse Locator

tataH veda shrutim naama shiva vaari vahaam nadiim |
uttiirya abhimukhaH praayaat agastya adhyuSitaam disham || 2-49-10

10. uthiirya= having crossed; nadiim= the river; shiva vaarivahaam= of auspicious waters; vedashrutim naama= named Vedashruti; tataH praayaat= he then proceeded forth; abhimukhaH= facing; disham= the quarter; agastyaadhyushhitaam= occupied by the Sage Agastya.

Having crossed the river of auspicious waters called Vedashruti, Rama then stretched forth, facing the quarter occupied by Sage Agastya.

Verse Locator

gatvaa tu suciram kaalam tataH shiita jalaam nadiim |
gomatiim goyuta anuupaam atarat saagaram gamaam || 2-49-11

11. gatvaa= after traveling; suchiram kaalam= for a pretty time; tataH= from there; atarat= (Rama) crossed; nadiim= the river; gomatiim= called Gomati; shivajalaam= having beautiful waters; goyutaa nuupam= whose banks were adorned with cows; saagarangamaam= and headed towards the sea.

After traveling a pretty long time from there, Rama crossed the river Gomati having beautiful waters, whose banks were adorned with cows and which headed towards the sea.

Verse Locator

gomatiim ca api atikramya raaghavaH shiighragaiH hayaiH |
mayuura hamsa abhirutaam tataara syandikaam nadiim || 2-49-12

12. raaghavaH= Rama;atikramya= crossing; gomatiimcha api= Gomati river too; hayaiH= by horses; shiighragaiH= which are swift-moving; tataara= crossed; nadiim= the river; syandikaam= called Syandika; mayuura hamsaabhirutaam= resounding with howls of peacocks and swans.

Reaching the other bank of Gomati river with the help of the swift moving horses, Rama crossed the river called Syandika which had resounded with howls of peacocks and swans.

Verse Locator

sa mahiim manunaa raaj~naa dattaam ikSvaakave puraa |
sphiitaam raaSTra aavR^itaam raamaH vaidehiim anvadarshayat || 2-49-13

13. raamaH= that Rama; anvadarshayat= showed; vaidehiim= to Sita; mahiim= (that) land; dattaam= given; raaG^yaa= by the king; manunaa=Manu; ikshvaakave= to Ikshvaku; puraa= long ago; raashhTraavR^taam= filled with territories; sphiitaam= many in number.

The said Rama showed to Sita the land (of Kosala, the southern boundary of which was defined by Syandika river)given long ago by the king Manu to Ikshvaku and which was bounded by many territories.

Verse Locator

suutaiti eva ca aabhaaSya saarathim tam abhiikSNashaH |
hamsa matta svaraH shriimaan uvaaca puruSa R^iSabhaH || 2-49-14

14. shriimaan= the glorious Rama; purushharshhabhaH= the foremost among men; hamsa matta svaraH= whose voice resembled the cackling of a swan in rut; aabhaashhya= addressed; tam saarathim= that charioteer; abhiikshhNashaH= with great affection; suuta ityeva= in the words “Oh, charioteer!” uvaacha= (and) spoke( as follows) :

The glorious Rama, the foremost among men, whose voice resembled the cackling of a swan in rut, addressed the charioteer with great affection, in the words “Oh, charioteer!” and spoke as follows :

Verse Locator

kadaa aham punar aagamya sarayvaaH puSpite vane |
mR^igayaam paryaaTaSyaami maatraa pitraa ca samgataH || 2-49-15

15. “ kadaa= when; punaraagamya= coming back; sangataH= and united; maatraa= with mother; pitraacha= and father; paryaTishhyaami= shall I roam; mR^igayaam= hunting; vane= in the forest; sarayvaaH= bordering on Sarayu river; pushhpite= and laden with blossoms?”

“When, coming back and united with my mother and father, shall I roam hunting in the forest, bordering on Sarayu river and laden with blossoms?”

Verse Locator

na atyartham abhikaankSaami mR^igayaam sarayuu vane |
ratir hi eSaa atulaa loke raaja R^iSi gaNa sammataa || 2-49-16
raajarshhiiNaam hi loke.asmin ratyartham mR^igayaa vane |
kaale kR^itaam taam manujairdhanvinaamabhikaaN^kshitaam || 2-49-17

16,17. eshhaa= this hunting; ratirhi= is a delightful sport; atulaa= made much of; loke= in the world; raajarshhi gaNasammataa= approved by a host of royal sages; naabhikaaNkshhaami= I do not hanker; atyartham= much; mR^igayaam= of hunting; sarayuuvane= in the woodlands bordering in Sarayu . mR^igayaa= hunting; vane= in the forest; ratyarthamhi= is for gratification indeed; raajarshhiiNaam= of royal sages; asmin loke= in this world ; .kR^itaam= (It was) adopted; kaale= at times; manujaiH= by the sons of Manu; abhikaaNkshhitaam= and sought after by; dhanvinaam= bowmen. taam= That hunting,(I do not long for it excessively).

“I do not hanker much after hunting in the woodlands bordering on Sarayu river. In fact it is a delightful spot, made much of in the world by hosts of royal sages. Hunting in the forest is indeed for gratification of royal sages in this world. At times; the bow- men adopted it. But I do not long for it excessively.”

Verse Locator

sa tam adhvaanam aikSvaakaH suutam madhurayaa giraa
tam tam artham abhipretya yayauvaakyam udiirayan || 2-49-18

18. udiirayan= uttering; madhurayaa= in sweet; giraa= voice; suutam= to the charioteer; tam tam= on various; artham= topics; abhipretya= dearer; (to him) saH ikshhvaakaH= that Rama; yayou= went; adhvaanam= along that route.

Uttering in sweet voice to the charioteer on various topics dearer to him, Rama advanced thus along that route.

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye ayodhya kaaNDe ekonapaJNchaashaH sargaH

Thus completes 49th chapter in the AyodhyaKanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.