Sloka & Translation

[Rama prays his father to look after his mother with compassion and regard.]

tasyāṅ cīraṅ vasānāyāṅ nāthavatyāmanāthavat.

pracukrōśa janassarvō dhiktvāṅ daśarathaṅ tviti৷৷2.38.1৷৷


nāthavatyām having her husband, tasyām that Sita, anāthavat like one without a support, cīram tattered (bark) garment, vasānāyām while wearing, sarvaḥ janaḥ all the people, tvām about you, dhik iti 'fie on you', daśaratham to Dasaratha, pracukrōśa shouted.

Beholding Sita who was wearing a bark garment, like one without a support, though having a husband, all the people cried bitterly exclaiming O Dasaratha, fie on you.
tēna tatra praṇādēna duḥkhitassa mahīpatiḥ.

cicchēda jīvitē śraddhāṅ dharmē yaśasi cātmanaḥ৷৷2.38.2৷৷


mahīpatiḥ that Lord of the earth (king), tatra there, tēna praṇādēna by that shout, duḥkhitaḥ distressed, ātmanaḥ his own, jīvitē in life, dharmē in righteousness, śraddhām faith, cicchēda broke.

Hearing that tumult the distressed Dasaratha lost faith in his own life and in his righteousness.
sa niḥśvasyōṣṇamaikṣvāka stāṅ bhāryāmidamabravīt.

kaikēyi kuśacīrēṇa na sītā gantumarhati৷৷2.38.3৷৷


saḥ aikṣvākaḥ that descendant of the Ikshvakus (Dasaratha), uṣṇam niḥśvasya heaving hot sighs, bhāryām to his wife (Kaikeyi), idam these words, abravīt he spoke, kaikēyī O Kaikeyi, sītā Sita, kuśacīrēṇa with kusa garment, gantum to go, nārhati is not worthy of.

The descendant of the Ikshvakus (Dasaratha), heaving hot sighs, said to his wife O
Kaikeyi, Sita does not deserve to go (to the forest) in garment of kusa grass.
sukumārī ca bālā ca satataṅ ca sukhōcitā.

nēyaṅ vanasya yōgyēti satyamāha gururmama৷৷2.38.4৷৷


sukumārī ca delicate, bālā ca young, satatam always, sukhōcitā accustomed to comfort, iyam she, vanasya to dwell in the forest, na yōgyā is not fit, iti thus, mama guruḥ my preceptor, satyam truly, aha said.

Sita a delicate, young princess accustomed to comforts is not fit to dwell in the forest. This is what my preceptor has truly spoken.
iyaṅ hi kasyāpakarōti kiñci-

ttapasvinī rājavarasya kanyā.

yā cīramāsādya janasya madhyē

sthitā visaṅjñāśramaṇīva kācit৷৷2.38.5৷৷


yā (sā) Sita, cīram bark garment, āsādya having received, kācit obscure one, śramaṇīva like a female ascetic, visaṅjñā lost senses, janasya madhyē amidst people, sthitā standing, iyam this, rājavarasya kanyā daughter of the greatest of kings (Janaka), tapasvinī ascetic, kasya to whom, kiñcit even little, apakarōti has done harm?

Sita, daughter of Janaka, the greatest among kings, stands amidst people wearing bark garment like an ascetic with her senses switched off. To whom and what harm has she done?
cīrāṇyapāsyājjanakasya kanyā

nēyaṅ pratijñā mama dattapūrvā.

yathāsukhaṅ gacchatu rājaputrī

vanaṅ samagrā saha sarvaratnaiḥ৷৷2.38.6৷৷


janakasya Janaka's, kanyā daughter, cīrāṇi bark garments, apāsya taking off, āt afterwards, iyam this, pratijñā promise, mama to me, dattapūrvā na not given earlier, rājaputrī princess, sarvaratnaiḥ saha together with jewels, samagrā with all needs, vanam to the forest, yathāsukham happily, gacchatu go.

Let the daughter of Janaka take off her bark garments. This is not the promise I had made to you earlier. Let the princess happily go to the forest adorned with all jewels and with all other necessities.
ajīvanārhēṇa mayā nṛśaṅsā

kṛtā pratijñā niyamēna tāvat.

tavayā hi bālyāt pratipannamētat

tanmāṅ dahēdvēṇumivātmapuṣpam৷৷2.38.7৷৷


ajīvanārhēṇa unfit to live, mayā by me, niyamēna with a vow, nṛśaṅsā cruel, pratijñā promise, kṛtā tāvat has been made, bālyāt out of childishness (foolishness), tvayā by you, ētat this, pratipannaṅ hi was taken, tat that one, vēṇum bamboo, ātmapuṣpam iva like its own flowers, mām me, dahēt should burn.

By giving this cruel promise through importunity, I have rendered myself unfit to live. This promise was made as a child's play and it (now) destroys me like a bamboo destroyed by its own flowers.
rāmēṇa yadi tē pāpē! kiñcitkṛtamaśōbhanam.

apakāraḥ ka iha tē vaidēhyā darśitō.dhamē!৷৷2.38.8৷৷


pāpē O sinful woman, adhamē O wretch, rāmēṇa by Rama, tē to you, kiñcit even a little, aśōbhanam unbecoming, kṛtaṅ yadi has been done, vaidēhyā Sita, iha here, tē to you, kaḥ what, apakāraḥ offence, darśitaḥ has been shown.

O sinful woman! O wretch! Rama might have done something unbecoming to you, but what offence has Sita committed?
mṛgīvōtphullanayanā mṛduśīlā tapasvīnī.

apakāraṅ kamiha tē karōti janakātmajā৷৷2.38.9৷৷


mṛgīva like a doe, utphullanayanā large-eyed, mṛduśīlā of gentle ways, tapasvinī worthy of compassion, janakātmajā daughter of Janaka, iha here, tē to you, kam apakāram what offence done, karōti is doing?

What wrong has the daughter of Janaka large-eyed like a doe, so gentle and worthy of compassion done to you?
nanu paryāpta mētattē pāpē rāmavivāsanam.

kimēbhiḥ kṛpaṇairbhūya: pātakairapi tē kṛtaiḥ৷৷2.38.10৷৷


pāpē O wicked woman, ētat this, rāmavivāsanam the exile of Rama, tē to you, paryāptaṅ nanu is not enough, bhūyaḥ still, kṛtaiḥ by those committed, kṛpaṇaiḥ by the wretched, ēbhiḥ by these, pātakairapi sins also, tē to you, kim why?

Rama's exile, O wicked woman, is enough for you. What are you committing further heinous crimes for?
pratijñātaṅ mayā tāvat tvayōktaṅ dēvi! śṛṇvatā.

rāmaṅ yadabhiṣēkāya tvamihāgatamabravīḥ৷৷2.38.11৷৷


dēvi O Devi, abhiṣēkāya for installation, iha here, āgatam came, rāmam to Rama, tvam you, abravīḥ had spoken, tvayā by you, uktam what has been said, śṛṇvatā being heard, mayā by me, tāvat to that extent, pratijñātam has been promised.

I have heard you, O Devi! speaking to Rama when he came here in connection with
the coronation. I promised you to that extent only.
tattvētatsamatikramya nirayaṅ gantumicchasi.

maithilīmapi yā hi tvamīkṣasē cīravāsinīm৷৷2.38.12৷৷


yā tvaṅ such you, tat ētat all that, atikramya having exceeded, maithilīṅ api even the princess of Mithila (Sita) also, cīravāsinīṅ one wearing bark garment, īkṣasē want to see, nirayaṅ hell, gantuṅ to go, icchasi wish.

Having exceeded all that, you want to behold Sita in bark garment and thereby, wish for hell.
itīva rājā vilapanmahātmā

śōkasya nāntaṅ sa dadarśa kiñcit.

bhṛśāturatvācca papāta bhūmau

tēnaiva putravyasanēna magnaḥ৷৷2.38.13৷৷


mahātmā noble soul, saḥ rājā that king, itīva thus, vilapan while lamenting, śōkasya grief's, kiñcit even a little, antam end, na dadarśa could not see, bhṛśāturatvācca deeply tormented, tēna that, putravyasanēna ēva by separation from son only, magnaḥ immersed, bhūmau on the ground, papāta fell.

The king could not see any end to his lamentation. Immersed in the grief of separation from his son and deeply tormented, he fell down on the ground.
ēvaṅ bruvantaṅ pitaraṅ rāmassamprasthitō vanam.

avākchirasamāsīnamidaṅ vacanamabravīt৷৷2.38.14৷৷


vanam to the forest, samprasthitaḥ set out to forest, rāmaḥ Rama, ēvam in this way, bruvantam speaking, avākchirasamam with bowed head, āsīnam sitting, pitaram addressing his father,
idaṅ vacanam these words, abravīt said.

Rama who was about to leave for the forest addressed his father who sat with his head bent once again:
yaṅ dhārmika! kauśalyā mama mātā yaśasvinī.

vṛddhā cākṣudraśīlā ca na ca tvāṅ dēva! garhatē৷৷2.38.15৷৷


dhārmika! O righteous one, dēva! O lord, yaśasvinī illustrious, mama mātā my mother, iyam kauśalyā Kausalya, vṛddhā aged, akṣudraśīlā ca does not possess meanness of character, tvām you, na ca garhatē does not reproach.

O righteous father! O king! my aged and illustrious mother, Kausalya possesses neither a mean character nor does she blame you.
mayā vihīnāṅ varada prapannāṅ śōkasāgaram.

adṛṣṭapūrvavyasanāṅ bhūyassammantumarhasi৷৷2.38.16৷৷


varada O bestower of boons, mayā with me, vihīnām separated, śōkasāgaram ocean of sorrow, prapannām enter into, adṛṣṭapūrvavyasanām experiencing such unforeseen suffering, bhūyaḥ in a greater measure, sammantum to care for her, arhasi should.

O bestower of boons, separated from me and unaccustomed to suffering, she will be plunged into an unforeseen ocean of sorrow. You should pay her greater attention.
putraśōkaṅ yathā narcchēttvayā pūjyēna pūjitā.

māṅ hi sañcintayantī sā tvayi jīvēttapasvinī৷৷2.38.17৷৷


tapasvinī one who deserves compassion, sā she, mām about me, sañcintayantī while constantly thinking, putraśōkam grief on account of her son, yathā as, na icchēt does not obtain, pūjyēna venerable, tvayā by you, pūjitā honoured, tvayi in you, jīvēt shall live.

Let her not grieve on account of her son. O venerable father, if she, who deserves compassion is honoured by you, she will live.
imāṅ mahēṅndrōpama! jātagardhinīṅ

tathā vidhātuṅ jananīṅ mamārhasi.

yathā vanasthē mayi śōkakarśitā

na jīvitaṅ nyasya yamakṣayaṅ vrajēt৷৷2.38.18৷৷


mahēndrōpama! equal to Indra, mayi me, vanasthē staying in the forest, śōkakarśitā emaciated by sorrow, jīvitam life, nyasya having yielded, yathā how, yamakṣayam abode of Yama, na vrajēt will not go, tathā in that way, jātagardhinīm a woman with a possesive feeling, imām this, mama jananīm my mother, vidhātum arhasi should do.

You are powerful like Indra.You should act accordingly so that my mother who has a possesive feeling towards her son should not, due to emaciation go to the abode of Yama after my departure for the forest.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē aṣṭatriṅśassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the thirtyeighth sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.