Sloka & Translation

[On the departure of Rama to the forest, citizens of Ayodhya and women from the inner apartment lament]

तस्मिन्स्तु पुरुषव्याघ्रे विनिर्याति कृताञ्जलौ।

आर्तशब्दोऽहि सञ्जज्ञे स्त्रीणामन्त:पुरे महान्।।2.41.1।।


पुरुषव्याघ्रे tiger (foremost) among men, तस्मिन् that Rama, कृताञ्जलौ with folded palms, विनिर्याति having departed, अन्तःपुरे in the inner apartment (of the palace), स्त्रीणाम् of women, आर्तशब्दः cries of distress, संजज्ञे arose.

When Rama, the foremost men, was departing with folded palms there arose a huge cry of distress from the inner apartment of ladies.
अनाथस्य जनस्यास्य दुर्बलस्य तपस्विनः।

यो गतिश्शरणं चासीत्स नाथः क्व नु गच्छति।।2.41.2।।


अनाथस्य of the orphan, दुर्बलस्य of the weak, तपस्विनः of the miserable, अस्य जनस्य of these people, यः who, गतिः refuge, शरणं च also the protector, आसीत् was, सः नाथः such protector, क्व नु गच्छति where is he now going?

Rama was a refuge and a protector to all the people who were defenceless, weak and miserable. Where is such a protector going now? (said the people).
न क्रुध्यत्यभिशप्तोऽपि क्रोधनीयानि वर्जयन्।

क्रुद्धान्प्रसादयन्सर्वान् समदुःखः क्व गज्छति।।2.41.3।।


अभिशप्तोऽपि even when denounced, न क्रुध्यति will not be angry, क्रोधनीयानि acts provoking wrath, वर्जयन् while abandoning, क्रुद्धान् those who were enraged, सर्वान् all of them, प्रसादयन् pacifies, समदुःखः sharing their sorrow, क्व where, गच्छति is going?

Where is he who, even if reviled, never gets angry, never does acts that provoke anger, pacifies those who are enraged and shares the sorrows of others going now?
कौशल्यायां महातेजा यथा मातरि वर्तते।

तथा यो वर्ततेऽस्मासु महात्मा क्व नु गच्छति।।2.41.4।।


महातेजाः effulgent, यः Rama, मातरि with regard to his mother, कौशल्यायाम् Kausalya, यथा as, वर्तते treats, तथा in that way, अस्मासु in us, वर्तते treats, महात्मा a magnanimous one, क्व नु where, गच्छति is he going?

Where is he, that effulgent, magnanimous one who treated us (with the same respect) as he treated his mother Kausalya, going now?
कैकेय्या क्लिश्यमानेन राज्ञा सञ्चोदितो वनम्।

परित्राता जनस्यास्य जगतः क्व नु गच्छति।।2.41.5।।


कैकेय्या by Kaikeyi, क्लिश्यमानेन by being tormented, राज्ञा by the king, वनम् to the forest, सञ्चोदितः one ordered, अस्य जनस्य of these people, जगतः of the whole world, परित्राता protector, Rama, क्व नु where, गच्छति is he going?

Tormented by Kaikeyi, the king ordered him to go to the forest. Where is he, who happened to be the protector of the people of this world, going now?
अहो निश्चेतनो राजा जीवलोकस्य सम्प्रियम्।

धर्म्यं सत्यव्रतं रामं वनवासे प्रवत्स्यति।।2.41.6।।


राजा king, निश्चेतनः nonsense, अहो alas, जीवलोकस्य of the world of living beings, सम्प्रियम् is dear, धर्म्यम् is righteous, सत्यव्रतम् faithful to truth, रामम् Rama, वनवासे to dwell in the forest, प्रवत्स्यति is sending away.

Alas, the king must be devoid of any sense as he is sending away Rama, who is dear to the world, is righteous and truthful, to dwell in the forest.
इति सर्वा महिष्यस्ता विवत्सा इव धेनवः।

रुरुदुश्चैव दुःखार्ताः सस्वरं च विचुक्रुशुः।।2.41.7।।


इति thus, सर्वाः all, ताः महिष्यः all the wives, विवत्साः deprived of their calfs, धेनवः इव like cows, दुःखार्ताः tormented with sorrow, रुरुदुश्चैव wept, सस्वरम् loudly, विचुक्रुशुः cried.

So wept aloud the anguished wives of the king like cows separated from their calves.
स तमन्तः पुरे घोरमार्तशब्दं महीपतिः।

पुत्रशोकाभिसन्तप्तः श्रुत्वा चासीत्सुदुःखितः।।2.41.8।।


पुत्रशोकाभिसन्तप्तः oppressed with sorrow caused by the departure of his son, सः महीपतिः that king, अन्तःपुरे in the inner apartment (of the palace), घोरम् horible, तम् that, आर्त शब्दम् wailings, श्रुत्वा having heard, सुदुःखितः आसीत् became increasingly distressed.

Upon hearing the dreadful wailing from the inner apartments of the palace, the king already devasted at the separation from his son, grew even more distressed.
नाग्निहोत्राण्यहूयन्त नापचन् गृहमेधिनः

अकुर्वन्न प्रजाः कार्यं सूर्यश्चान्तरधीयत।।2.41.9।।


अग्निहोत्राणि (Fire) in agnihotra sacrifice, नाहूयन्त was not invoked, गृहमेधिनः householders, नापचन् did not cook, प्रजाः people, कार्यम् daily chores, न अकुर्वन् did not do, सूर्यश्च even the Sun, अन्तरधीयत also obscured.

The sacred fire in agnihotra sacrifices was not invoked householders did not cook their food the people did not attend to their daily chores. And the Sun set.
व्यसृजन् कबलान्नागा गावो वत्सान्न पाययन्।

पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाभ्यनन्दत।।2.41.10।।


नागाः elephants, कबलान् mouthful of food, व्यसृजन् shed, गावः cows, वत्सान् calves, न पाययन् did not suckle, जननी mothers, प्रथमजम् to the firstborn, पुत्रम् son, लब्धवा having begotten, नाभ्यनन्दत were not pleased.

Elephants dropped their morsel of food. Cows did not suckle their calves. Even the mothers were not pleased with their firstborn sons.
त्रिशङ्कुर्लोहिताङ्गश्च बृहस्पतिबुधावपि।

दारुणा स्सोममभ्येत्य ग्रहास्सर्वे व्यवस्थिताः।।2.41.11।।


त्रिशङ्कु: Trishanku, लोहिताङ्गश्च Mars, बृहस्पतिबुधावपि Jupiter as also Mercury, दारुणाः fierce aspect, सर्वे all, ग्रहाः planets, सोमम् Moon, अभ्येत्य approaching, व्यवस्थिताः remained.

The constellation Trishanku, the planets Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and other fierce planets took their position near the Moon.
नक्षत्राणि गतार्चींषि ग्रहाश्च गततेजसः।

विशाखास्तु सधूमाश्च नभसि प्रचकाशिरे।।2.41.12।।


नक्षत्राणि the constellation of stars, गतार्चींषि shorn of their radiance, ग्रहाश्च planets also, गततेजसः diminished their brilliance, विशाखास्तु as for Visakha stars, सधूमाः with smoke, नभसि in the sky, प्रचकाशिरे were shining.

The stars were shorn of their radiance. The brilliance of the planets diminished. Shrouded in smoke the Visakha constellation appeared in the sky.
कालिकानिलवेगेन महोदधिरिवोत्थितः।

रामे वनं प्रव्रजिते नगरं प्रचचाल तत्।।2.41.13।।


महोदधिः great ocean, कालिकानिलवेगेन इव like windblown dark clouds, उत्थितः aroused, रामे Rama, वनम् to the forest, प्रव्रजिते having been exiled, तत् नगरम् that city (of Ayodhya), प्रचचाल was shaken.

After Rama left for the forest, dark clouds appeared (in the sky) like the (waves of) the great ocean uplifted by the speed of the wind which shook the city.
दिशः पर्याकुलास्सर्वा स्तिमिरेणेव संवृताः।

न ग्रहो नापि नक्षत्रं प्रचकाशे नकिञ्चन।।2.41.14।।


सर्वाः all, दिशः cardinal points, पर्याकुलाः agitated, तिमिरेण with darkness, संवृताः इव covered, ग्रहः planet, न प्रचकाशे did not shine, नक्षत्रमपि even stars, किञ्चन anything, न not shining.

As if covered with darkness, all the cardinal points became agitated. No planet, no star nor was anything (any heavenly body) shining (in the sky).
अकस्मान्नागरस्सर्वो जनो दैन्यमुपागमत्।

आहारे वा विहारे वा न कश्चिदकरोन्मनः।।2.41.15।।


सर्वः all, नागरः relating to the city, जनः people, अकस्मात् suddenly, दैन्यम् helplessness, उपागमत् obtained, आहारे वा either in nourishment, विहारे वा or in recreation, कश्चित् none, मनः their mind, न अकरात् not done.

All of a sudden the people of the city became miserable. No one was interested in eating and enjoying (life).
शोकपर्यायसन्तप्त स्सततं दीर्घमुच्छवसन्।

अयोध्यायां जनस्सर्व श्शुशोच जगतीपतिम्।।2.41.16।।


अयोध्यायाम् in Ayodhya, सर्वः all, जनः people, शोकपर्यायसन्तप्तः afflicted with a series of grief, सततम् always, दीर्घम् deeply, उच्छवसन् heaving, जगतीपतिम् the lord of the world, शुशोच
bewailed.

All the citizens of Ayodhya, afflicted with a series of grief and heaving deep sighs ceaselessly bewailed at the sight of the lord of the world (Dasaratha).
बाष्पपर्याकुलमुखो राजमार्गगतो जनः।

न हृष्टो लक्ष्यते कश्चित्सर्व श्शोकपरायणः।।2.41.17।।


राजमार्गगतः in the royal highway, जनः people, बाष्पपर्याकुलमुखः faces full of tears, कश्चित् any body, हृष्टः happy, न लक्ष्ययते could not be seen, सर्वः all, शोकपरायणः was plunged in sorrow.

The faces of the people on the highway were turbid with tears. None looked happy. All were plunged in sorrow.
न वाति पवन श्शीतो न शशी सौम्यदर्शनः।

न सूर्यस्तपते लोकं सर्वं पर्याकुलं जगत्।।2.41.18।।


पवनः wind, शीतः cool, न वाति does not blow, शशी Moon, सौम्यदर्शनः with pleasant appearance, न not, सूर्यः Sun, लोकम् the world, न तपते did not warm, सर्वम् entire, जगत् world, पर्याकुलम् was agitated.

The breeze did not blow cool. No more did the Moon look pleasant. The Sun did not give warmth to the world. All the world was agitated.
अनर्थिनस्सुताः स्त्रीणां भर्तारो भ्रातरस्तथा।

सर्वे सर्वं परित्यज्य राममेवान्वचिन्तयन्।।2.41.19।।


सुताः sons, भर्तारः husbands, स्त्रीणाम् towards women, अनर्थिनः had no concern, तथा similarly, भ्रातरः brothers, अनर्थिनः had no mutual interest, सर्वे all, सर्वम् everything, परित्यज्य having deserted, राममेव about Rama only, अन्वचिन्तयन् they thought.

Mothers stopped thinking of their sons and husbands of their wives. Brothers were no longer interested in each other. Every one deserted every one and thought only of Rama.
ये तु रामस्य सुहृद स्सर्वे ते मूढचेतसः।

शोकभारेण चाक्रान्ता श्शयनं न जहुस्तदा।।2.41.20।।


तदा then, रामस्य Rama's, ये सुहृदः those friends, ते सर्वे all of them, मूढचेतसः bewildered, शोकभारेण with burden of sorrow, आक्रान्ताः afflicted, शयनम् couches, न जहुः did not leave.

All the friends of Rama were stupefied. Afflicted with the burden of sorrow they did not leave their bed.
ततस्त्वयोध्या रहिता महात्मना

पुरन्दरेणेव मही सपर्वता।

चचाल घोरं भयशोकपीडिता

सनागयोधाश्वगणा ननाद च।।2.41.21।।


ततः thereafter, पुरन्दरेण by Indra, रहिता without, सपर्वता with mountains, महीव like earth, महात्मना magnanimous Rama, रहिता without, अयोध्या Ayodhya, भयशोकपीडिता agitated by fear and sorrow, घोरम् dreadfully, चचाल had shaken, सनागयोधाश्वगणा filled with hosts of warriors, elephants and horses, ननाद च made sounds.

Without magnanimous Rama, Ayodhya thereafter looked like the earth along with its mountains bereft of Indra. Afflicted with fear and sorrow it started shaking dreadfully with the sounds of horses, elephants and warriors.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे एकचत्वारिंशस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the fortyfirst sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.