Ayodhya Kanda — Sarga 29

एतत् तु वचनं श्रुत्वा सीता रामस्य दुःखिता। प्रसक्ताश्रुमुखी मन्दमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥

Hearing these words of Rāma, Sītā greatly sorry, with tears in her eyes, spoke gently to him the following words.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.1

ये त्वया कीर्तिता दोषा वने वस्तव्यतां प्रति। गुणानित्येव तान् विद्धि तव स्नेहपुरस्कृता॥

The evils, thus enumerated by you of living in the forest, do you know, appear as so many good qualities to me, who have been made forward by your affection.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.2

मृगाः सिंहा गजाश्चैव शार्दूलाः शरभास्तथा। चमराः सृमराश्चैव ये चान्ये वनचारिणः॥ अदृष्टपूर्वरूपत्वात् सर्वे ते तव राघव। रूपं दृष्ट्वाऽपसर्पेयुस्तव सर्वे हि बिभ्यति॥

Deer, lions, elephants, tigers, sarabhas, camaras, srmaras, and other animals which have not seen you before, seeing you, O Rāghava, will stand off, for they all fear you. 1. A fabulous animal supposed to have eight legs and to inhabit particularly the snowy mountains. 2. A kind of deer, or rather the Bos Gruriniens erroneously classed by the Hindu writers amongst the deer. 3. A young deer.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.3

त्वया च सह गन्तव्यं मया गुरुजनाज्ञया। त्वद्वियोगेन मे राम त्यक्तव्यमिह जीवितुम्॥

I shall follow you, taking the permission of the respected ones, without you, O, Rāma, I will renounce my life.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.4

नहि मां त्वत्समीपस्थामपि शक्रोऽपि राघव। सुराणामीश्वरः शक्तः प्रधर्षयितुमोजसा॥

If I live by you, O Rāghava, Sakra, the lord of celestials, shall not be able with his mighty power to defeat me.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.5

पतिहीना तु या नारी न सा शक्ष्यति जीवितुम्। काममेवंविधं राम त्वया मम निदर्शितम्॥

'A woman, without her husband, cannot live' this truth has been pointed out by you. O Rāma, to me.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.6

अथापि च महाप्राज्ञ ब्राह्मणानां मया श्रुतम्। पुरा पितृगृहे सत्यं वस्तव्यं किल मे वने॥

Besides, I heard before, O you of great intelligence, in my paternal house from the Brāhmaṇas that I should live in the forest.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.7

लक्षणिभ्यो द्विजातिभ्यः श्रुत्वाहं वचनं गृहे। वनवासकृतोत्साहा नित्यमेव महाबल॥

I have heard this from the Brāhmaṇas versed in palmistry, and I have all along been anxious.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.8

आदेशो वनवासस्य प्राप्तव्यः स मया किल। सा त्वया सह भर्ताहं यास्यामि प्रिय नान्यथा॥

O mighty hero, to go to the forest; I shall therefore obtain permission and go, O dearly beloved to the forest with you; nothing can make it otherwise.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.9

कृतादेशा भविष्यामि गमिष्यामि त्वया सह। कालश्चायं समुत्पन्नः सत्यवाग्भवतु द्विजः॥

I shall secure permission and follow you; the time has arrived; may the Brāhmaṇas be of truthful words.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.10

वनवासे हि जानामि दुःखानि बहुधा किल। प्राप्यन्ते नियतं वीर पुरुषैरकृतात्मभिः॥

I know, O great hero, that there are many evils incident to living in the forest; but they generally befall those men who have not their senses subdued.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.11

कन्यया च पितुर्गेहे वनवासः श्रुतो मया। भिक्षिण्याः शमवृत्ताया मम मातुरिहाग्रतः॥

I heard, when I was a girl, that an ascetic woman of well-disciplined character, came to my mother and apprised her of my future abode in the forest.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.12

प्रसादितश्च वै पूर्वं त्वं में बहुतिथं प्रभो। गमनं वनवासस्य कासितं हि सह त्वया॥

I had requested you, O my lord, many times before in this house to take me to the forest with you for enjoyment, and you ware pleased to agree.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.13

कृतक्षणाहं भद्रं ते गमनं प्रति राघव। वनवासस्य शूरस्य मम चर्या हि रोचते॥

For your welfare, O Raghava, having received your permission to follow you, I like to serve you, O great hero, while living in the forest.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.14

शुद्धात्मन् प्रेमभावाद्धि भविष्यामि विकल्मषा। भर्तारमनुगच्छन्ती भर्ता हि परदैवतम्॥

O you, pure-hearted one, surely shall I become sinless if I follow my husband, out of affection; for my husband is my Divinity.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.15

प्रेत्यभावे हि कल्याण: संगमो मे सदा त्वया। श्रुतिर्हि श्रूयते पुण्या ब्राह्मणानां यशस्विनाम्॥

I have heard this pious report from the Brāhmaṇas of great fame that even in after life your company is greatly beneficial to me.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.16

इहलोके च पितृभिर्या स्त्री यस्य महाबल। अद्भिर्दत्ता स्वधर्मेण प्रेत्यभावेऽपि तस्य सा॥

She, who has been given away as wife by her father to one, with due rites of gift peculiar to each class, touching holy water, shall be his, even in her after life.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.17

एवमस्मात् स्वकां नारी सुवृत्तां हि पतिव्रताम्। नाभिरोचयसे नेतुं त्वं मां केनेह हेतुना॥

For what reason then did you not wish to take your wife with you who is of good character and devoted to her husband? Do you take me.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.18

भक्तां पतिव्रतां दीनां मां समां सुखदुःखयोः। नेतुमर्हसि काकुत्स्थ समानसुखदुःखिनीम्॥

O Kākutstha, who am poor in spirit, devoted to my husband, ever given to your service, and participating equally in your joy and sorrow.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.19

यदि मां दुःखितामेवं वनं नेतुं न चेच्छसि। विषमग्नि जलं वाहमास्थास्ये मृत्युकारणात्॥

If you do not purpose to take me with you, surely will I do away with my life by drinking poison, entering into fire, or drowning myself in water.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.20

एवं बहुविधं तं सा याचते गमनं प्रति। नानुमेने महाबाहुस्तां नेतुं विजनं वनम्॥

She begged Rāma in these and various other means to take her with him, but that mighty hero did not consent to lead her into the lonely forest.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.21

एवमुक्ता तु सा चिन्तां मैथिली समुपागता। स्नापयन्तीव गामुष्णैरश्रुभिर्नयनच्युतैः॥

Being accosted thus, Maithili was wrapt up in thought and bathed her breast with tears trickling down from her eyes.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.22

चिन्तयन्ती तदा तां तु निवर्तयितुमात्मवान्। क्रोधाविष्टां तु वैदेही काकुत्स्थो बहुसान्त्वयत्॥

And Kākutstha having control over his ownself, with a view to dissuade her who was angry and engrossed in anxious thoughts, began to console her in divers way.

Ayodhya Kanda 29.23