Ayodhya Kanda — Sarga 66

तमग्निमिव संशान्तमम्बुहीनमिवार्णवम्। गतप्रभमिवादित्यं स्वर्गस्थं प्रेक्ष्य भूमिपम्॥ कौसल्या बाष्पपूर्णाक्षी विविधं शोककर्शिता। उपगृह्य शिरो राज्ञः कैकेयी प्रत्यभाषत ॥

Seeing the king had ascended heaven, like to a fire that has cooled, or an ocean deprived of its waters, or the sun shorn of his splendour, Kausalyā afflicted with woe, taking on her lap the head of the king, with tears in her eyes, said.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.1

सकामा भव कैकेयि भुक्ष्व राज्यमकण्टकम्। त्यक्त्वा राजानमेकाना नृशंसे दुष्टचारिणि ॥ विहाय मां गतो रामो भर्ता च स्वर्गतो मम। विपथे सार्थहीनेव नाहं जीवितुमुत्सहे॥

O Kaikeyī, attain you your wished: do you enjoy this kingdom rid of your thorn. O cruel one, O you of wicked ways, you that forsaking the king had set your heart (on having your son crowned), Rāma had gone away, forsaking me; and now my lord has ascended heaven. I can no longer bear to live, like one left lone in a wilderness by her companions.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.2

भर्तारं तु परित्यज्य का स्त्री दैवतमात्मनः। इच्छेज्जीवितुमन्यत्र कैकेय्यास्त्यक्तधर्मणः॥

What other woman except Kaikeyi lost to righteousness, having lost her deity, her lord, wishes to carry on existence in another's kingdom?

Ayodhya Kanda 66.3

न लुब्धो बुध्यते दोषान् किंपाकमिव भक्षयन्। कुब्जानिमित्तं कैकेय्या राघवाणां कुलं हतम्॥ अनियोगे नियुक्तेन राज्ञा रामं विवासितम्। सभार्य जनकः श्रुत्वा परितप्स्यत्यहं यथा।७।।

As a covetous person taking poison (through anger or some other passion), does not consider himself guilty, (so Kaikeyī) having done this evil through Manthara's incitement, does not bring her guilt home to her mind. It is through the instrumentality of the humpbacked woman that this race of the Rāghavas has been destroyed by Kaikeyi. Hearing that the king being made to do an unrighteous action, has banished Rāma together with his wife, king Janaka will be filled with grief as I have been.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.4

स मामनाथां विधवां नाद्य जानाति धार्मिकः। रामः कमलपत्राक्षो जीवनाशमितो गतः॥

That virtuous one does not know that to-day I have become helpless and been widowed. Răma of eyes resembling lotus-petals has living been removed from my sight.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.5

विदेहराजस्य सुता तथा चारुतपस्विनी। दुःखस्यानुचिता दुःखं वने पर्युद्विजिष्यति॥

The fair daughter of Videha's king unworthy of hardship, in ascetic guise is leading a life of trouble and terror in the woods.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.6

नदतां भीमघोषाणां निशासु मृगपक्षिणाम्। निशम्यमाना संत्रस्ता राघवं संश्रयिष्यति॥

Hearing at night the dreadful roars of birds and beasts crying, she exceedingly frightened takes shelter with Rāghava.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.7

वृद्धश्चैवाल्पपुत्रश्च वेदेहीमनुचिन्तयन्। सोऽपि शोकसमाविष्टो नूनं त्यक्ष्यति जीवितम्॥ साहमचैव दिष्टान्तं गमिष्यामि पतिव्रता। इदं शरीरमालिङ्गय प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्॥

Old and having an only daughter, he revolving in his mind thoughts of Vaidehi, shall, smitten with grief, surely renounce his life. I ever faithful to my lord will die this very day, embracing this body; I will enter fire.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.8

तां ततः सम्परिष्वज्य विलपन्ती तपस्विनीम्। व्यपनिन्युः सुदुःखाता कौसल्यां व्यावहारिकाः॥

As embracing the (dead) body, that unfortunate lady was bewailing, the courtiers had the distressed (queen) removed from there.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.9

तैलद्रोण्यां तदामात्याः संवेश्य जगतीपतिम्। राज्ञः सर्वाण्यथादिष्टाश्चक्रुः कर्माण्यनन्तरम्॥

Then placing the corpse of the king in a (capacious) pan with oil, the courtiers performed the mourning rites of the monarch.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.10

न तु संकालनं राज्ञो विना पुत्रेण मन्त्रिणः। सर्वज्ञाः कर्तुमीषुस्ते ततो रक्षन्ति भूमिपम्॥ तैलद्रोण्यां शायितं तं सचिवैस्तु नराधिपम्। हा मृतोऽयमिति ज्ञात्वा स्त्रियस्ताः पर्यदेवयन्॥

But well versed in everything, the counsellors, in the absence of his son, did not perform the funeral obsequies of the king; and therefore they placed his body stretched in the pan of oil. Alas! at length concluding it for certain that the king was dead, the ladies burst out into lamentaions.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.11

बाहूनुच्छ्रित्य कृपणा नेत्रप्रस्रवणैर्मुखैः। रुदत्यः शोकसंतप्ताः कृपणं पर्यदेवयन्॥

And raising their arms, with tears trickling down their faces, they in dire affliction and extremely exercised with grief, lamented.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.12

हा महाराज रामेण संततं प्रियवादिना। विहीनाः सत्यसंधेन किमर्थं विजहासि नः॥

O monarch, why do you forsake us, who have been already deprived of Rāma ever speaking fair and firm in promise?

Ayodhya Kanda 66.13

कैकेय्या दुष्टभावाया राघवेण विवर्जिताः। कथं सपत्न्या वत्स्यामः समीपे विधवा वयम्॥

Renounced by Rāma, how shall we, rendered widows, stay with the wicked Kaikeyi, co-wife with us?

Ayodhya Kanda 66.14

स हि नाथः स चास्माकं तव च प्रभुरात्मवान्। वनं रामो गतः श्रीमान् विहाय नृपतिश्रियम्॥

That one of free soul is our master, as he is the lord of yourself. Rāma has gone to the woods, forsaking regal dignity.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.15

त्वया तेन च वीरेण विना व्यसनमोहिताः। कथं वयं निवत्स्यामः कैकेय्या च विदूषिताः॥

Deprived of you as well as that hero, and overwhelmed with misfortune, how shall we live reprimanded by Kaikeyi?

Ayodhya Kanda 66.16

यया च राजा रामश्च लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः। सीतया सह संत्यक्ताः सा कमन्यं न हास्यति ॥

She that has renounced the king, Rāma, and Lakşmaņa along with Sītā, whom can such a one not renounce?

Ayodhya Kanda 66.17

ता बाष्पेण च संवीताः शोकेन विपुलेन च। व्यचेष्टन्त निरानन्दा राघवस्य वरस्त्रियः॥

Thus with tears in their eyes, the wives of that descendant of Raghu, joyless and convulsed with a huge passion, displayed signs of sorrow.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.18

निशा नक्षत्रहीनेव स्त्रीव भर्तृविवर्जिता। पुरी नाराजतायोध्या हीना राज्ञा महात्मना॥ बाष्पपर्याकुलजना हाहाभूतकुलाङ्गना। शून्यचत्वरवेश्मान्ता न बभ्राज यथापुरम्॥

Like a night without stars, like a fair one forsaken by her husband, the city of Ayodhyā without the magnanimous monarch did not appear delightful as it had done before, with the populace filled with tears, the ladies uttering exclamations of distress, and the terraces and courts deserted.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.19

गते तु शोकात् त्रिदिवं नराधिपे महीतलस्थासु नृपाङ्गनासु च। निवृत्तचारः सहसा गतो रविः प्रवृत्तचारा रजनी ह्युपस्थिता॥

On the lord of men having ascended heaven from grief, and the wives of the king remaining on the earth, the sun, his journey done, set, and the night began her course.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.20

नारोचयस्ते सुहृदः समागताः। इतीव तस्मिशयने न्यवेशयन् विचिन्त्य राजानमचिन्त्यदर्शनम्॥

The idea of consuming the king's corpse in the absence of his son did not recommended itself to the assembled. adherents (of the departed). Thinking this, they in that way laid the king endowed with an inconceivably dignified presence.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.21

गतप्रभा द्यौरिव भास्करं विना व्यपेतनक्षत्रगणेव शर्वरी। पुरी बभासे रहिता महात्मना कण्ठास्रकण्ठाकुलमार्गचत्वरा ॥

And with her terraces overflowing with tears that flooded the throats of the mourners, the city appeared like the welkin without its splendour in the absence of the sun, or the night with the stars enveloped.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.22

नराश्च नार्यश्च समेत्य संघशो विगर्हमाणा भरतस्य मातरम्। तदा नगाँ नरदेवसंक्षये बभूवुरार्ता न च शर्म लेभिरे॥

And on on the demise of that illustrious personage, in the city men and women in multitudes, censuring Bharata's mother, became extremely distressed, and did not attain peace of mind.

Ayodhya Kanda 66.23