Sloka & Translation

[Disappointed citizens return to Ayodhya.]

prabhātāyāṅ tu śarvaryāṅ paurāstē rāghavaṅ vinā.

śōkōpahataniścēṣṭā babhūvurhatacētasaḥ৷৷2.47.1৷৷


prabhātāyāṅ śarvaryām when the night advanced towards dawn, tē paurāḥ those citizens, rāghavaṅ vinā not beholding Rama, hatacētasaḥ deprived of their senses, śōkōpahatacētasaḥ crushed with grief, niścēṣṭāḥ babhūvuḥ were stunned.

When the night advanced towards dawn the citizens were stunned not to see the scion of the Raghus (Rama). Overwhelmed with sorrow they lost their senses.
śōkajāśruparidyūnā vīkṣamāṇāstatastataḥ.

ālōkamapi rāmasya na paśyanti sma duḥkhitāḥ৷৷2.47.2৷৷


śōkajāśruparidyūnāḥ drenched in the tears of grief, tatastataḥ hither and thither, vīkṣamāṇāḥ
looking, duḥkhitāḥ anguished, rāmasya Rama's, ālōkamapi even his light (trace), na paśyanti sma could not see.

Anguished and drenched with tears of grief they looked hither and thither but could not find even a trace of Rama.
tē viṣādārtavadanā rahitāstēna dhīmatā.

kṛpaṇāḥ karuṇā vācō vadanti sma manasvinaḥ৷৷2.47.3৷৷


manasvinaḥ high-minded people, tē those men, dhīmatā by the sagacious, tēna rahitāḥ separated from him (Rama), viṣādārtavadanāḥ with faces marked with grief, kṛpaṇāḥ piteous, karuṇāḥ evoking compassion, vācaḥ words, vadanti sma talked about.

Those high-minded people with sorrowful faces due to separation from sagacious Rama expressed themselves in piteous words:
dhigastu khalu nidrāṅ tāṅ yayā.pahṛtacētasaḥ.

nādya paśyāmahē rāmaṅ pṛthūraskaṅ mahābhujam৷৷2.47.4৷৷


yayā by which, apahṛtacētasaḥ senses robbed of, adya now, pṛthūraskam broad-chested, mahābhujam mighty-armed, rāmam Rama, na paśyāmahē we cannot see, tāṅ nidrām to that sleep, dhik astu fie on it.

Fie on this sleep which robbed us of our senses. We are unable to see (now) that broad-chested and mighty-armed Rama.
kathaṅ nāma mahābāhu ssa tathāvitathakriyaḥ.

bhaktaṅ janaṅ parityajya pravāsaṅ rāghavō gataḥ৷৷2.47.5৷৷


tathā in that way, avitathakriyaḥ one to whom services rendered never go fruitless, mahābāhuḥ mighty-armed, saḥ rāghavaḥ that Rama, bhaktam devoted, janam people, parityajya abandoning, kathaṅ nāma how, pravāsam exile, gataḥ has gone.

How is it that the mighty-armed Rama who never renders services done to him fruitless has deserted his devoted people and gone into exile?
yō naḥ sadā pālayati pitā putrānivaurasān.

kathaṅ raghūṇāṅ sa śrēṣṭhastyaktvā nō vipinaṅ gataḥ৷৷2.47.6৷৷


raghūṇām among the kings of Raghu dynasty, śrēṣṭhaḥ the best, yaḥ such Rama, pitā father, aurasān putrān sons born to him, naḥ us, sadā always, pālayati protect, saḥ such Rama , naḥ us, tyaktvā deserting, vipinam to the forest, katham how, gataḥ could he go?

How could he, the best among the kings of Raghu dynasty, who used to protect us as a father protects his own children, go to the forest, abandoning us?
ihaiva nidhanaṅ yāmō mahāprasthānamēva vā.

rāmēṇa rahitānāṅ hi kimarthaṅ jīvitaṅ hi naḥ৷৷2.47.7৷৷


ihaiva here itself, nidhanam death, yāmaḥ we will meet with, mahāprasthānamēva vā everlasting journey, rāmēṇa by Rama, rahitānām bereft of, naḥ for us, jīvitam life, kimartham what is the use?

We all will die here. We will go on the everlasting journey to death. Of what use is this life to us without Rama?
santi śuṣkāṇi kāṣṭhāni prabhūtāni mahānti ca.

taiḥ prajvālya citāṅ sarvē praviśāmō.tha pāvakam৷৷2.47.8৷৷


mahānti huge, prabhūtāni plenty, śuṣkāṇi dry, kāṣṭhāni santi are logs here, atha or, taiḥ with them, citām pyre, prajvālya flaming it, sarvē all, pāvakam fire, praviśāmaḥ will enter.

There are plenty of dry logs of wood. We will prepare a pyre with them, set fire to it and we all will enter it.
kiṅ vakṣyāmō mahābāhuranasūyaḥ priyaṅvadaḥ.

nīta ssa rāghavō.smābhiriti vaktuṅ kathaṅ kṣamam৷৷2.47.9৷৷


kim what, vakṣyāmaḥ shall say, mahābāhuḥ mighty-armed, anasūyaḥ free from malice, priyaṅvadaḥ saying pleasing words, saḥ such, rāghavaḥ Rama, asmābhiḥ by us, nītaḥ conducted to the forest, iti thus, katham how, vaktum to tell, kṣamam is possible?

What shall we say (to the people)? How can we say, 'We have conducted him (to the forest), that scion of the Raghus, that mighty-armed Rama, who is of gentle speech and free from malice?
sā nūnaṅ nagarī dīnā dṛṣṭvā.smān rāghavaṅ vinā.

bhaviṣyati nirānandā sastrībālavayōdhikā৷৷2.47.10৷৷


rāghavaṅ vinā without Rama, asmān us, dṛṣṭvā having seen, sastrībālavayōdhikā with women, children and the aged, sā nagarī that city, (Ayodhya), nūnam certainly, dīnā will be dejected, nirānandā without joy, bhaviṣyati will be.

Seeing us return without Rama, the women, children and the aged of the city (Ayodhya) will certainly feel miserable and cheerless.
niryātāstēna vīrēṇa saha nityaṅ jitātmanā.

vihīnāstēna ca punaḥ kathaṅ paśyāma tāṅ purīm৷৷2.47.11৷৷


nityam always, jitātmanā by the self-controlled, tēna vīrēṇa saha with that valiant one, niryātāḥ having left (that city), tēna ca with him, vihīnāḥ devoid of, tāṅ purīm to that city, katham how, paśyāma will see.

Having left (that city) with the valiant and self-restrained Rama, how can we now return without him ?
itīva bahudhā vācō bāhumudyamya tē janāḥ.

vilapanti sma duḥkhārtā vivatsā iva dhēnavaḥ৷৷2.47.12৷৷


tē janāḥ those people, duḥkhārtāḥ distressed men with grief, bāhum arms, udyamya having uplifted, bahudhā in many ways, itīva like this, vācaḥ words, vivatsāḥ deprived of calves, dhēnavaḥ iva like cows, vilapanti sma lamented.

All of them with grief distressed, and with their arms thrown up lamented like cows deprived of their calves.
tatō mārgānusārēṇa gatvā kiñcit kṣaṇaṅ punaḥ.

mārganāśādviṣādēna mahatā samabhiplutāḥ৷৷2.47.13৷৷


tataḥ then, kṣaṇam for a short while, mārgānusārēṇa following the track, kiñcit for a little, gatvā having gone, mārganāśāt by missing the way, punaḥ again, mahatā great, viṣādēna with grief, samabhiplutāḥ were overcome.

For a short while they followed the tracks (of the chariot) and after having gone a little distance, they missed the way. They were again submerged in deep sorrow.
rathasya mārganāśēna nyavartanta manasvinaḥ.

kimidaṅ kiṅ kariṣyāmō daivēnōpahatā iti৷৷2.47.14৷৷


manasvinaḥ high-minded people, rathasya chariot's, mārganāśēna disappearance of the track, kimidam what is this?, daivēna by destiny, upahatāḥ struck, kiṅ kariṣyāmaḥ what are we to do?, iti thus (saying), nyavartanta returned.

When they could not find the tracks of the chariot, those high-minded people turned back and said to themselves 'What is this? We have been deceived by fate. What are we to do now?'
tatō yathāgatēnaiva mārgēṇa klāntacētasaḥ.

ayōdhyāmāgamansarvē purīṅ vyathitasajjanām৷৷2.47.15৷৷


tataḥ thereafter, sarvē all of them, klāntacētasaḥ with their minds, yathāgatēnaiva they had come, mārgēṇa way, vyathitasajjanām with virtuous people grieving, ayōdhyām to Ayodhya, purīm city, āgaman had come back.

Thereafter, all of them, the virtuous people grieving, their minds fatigued, returned to Ayodhya the same way they had come.
ālōkya nagarīṅ tāṅ ca kṣayavyākulamānasāḥ.

āvartayanta tē.śrūṇi nayanaiḥ śōkapīḍitaiḥ৷৷2.47.16৷৷


tē they, tāṅ nagarīm that city, ālōkya having seen, kṣayavyākulamānasāḥ minds agitated, śōkapīḍitaiḥ oppressed with sorrow, nayanaiḥ with eyes, aśrūṇi tears, āvartayanta shed.

On seeing the city the minds of the people were agitated due to the loss (of their prince). Tears streamed down their eyes, oppressed with sorrow.
ēṣā rāmēṇa nagarī rahitā nātiśōbhatē.

āpagā garuḍēnēva hradāduddhṛtapannagā৷৷2.47.17৷৷


rāmēṇa rahitā without Rama, ēṣā nagarī this city, hradāt from the deep, garuḍēna by Garuda, uddhṛtapannagā the snakes having been lifted away, āpagā iva like a river, nātiśōbhatē does not look beautiful.

This city without Rama just as a river with serpents lifted away by Garuda from its depths looks no longer beautiful.
candrahīnamivākāśaṅ tōyahīnamivārṇavam.

apaśyannihatānandaṅ nagaraṅ tē vicētasaḥ৷৷2.47.18৷৷


vicētasaḥ overcome with grief, tē they, nihatānandam with their joys destroyed , nagaram that city, candrahīnam without Moon, ākāśam iva like sky, tōyahīnam without water, ārṇavam iva like an ocean, apaśyan saw.

Plunged in grief, they saw the city deprived of all joy, looking like a sky without the Moon and an ocean without water.
tē tāni vēśmāni mahādhanāni

duḥkhēna duḥkhōpahatā viśantaḥ.

naiva prajajñuḥ svajanaṅ janaṅ vā

nirīkṣamāṇāḥ pravinaṣṭaharṣāḥ৷৷2.47.19৷৷


pravinaṣṭaharṣāḥ with their happiness destroyed, tē they, mahādhanāni endowed with plenty of wealth, tāni such, vēśmāni houses, duḥkhēna with great difficulty, viśantaḥ while entering, duḥkhōpahatāḥ stricken with sorrow, nirīkṣamāṇāḥ looking at, svajanam their own people, janaṅ vā or others, naiva prajajñuḥ could not recognise.

Those people devoid of delight entered their rich mansions with great difficulty. Even though they, stricken with sorrow, looked at men and their own kinsmen they could not recognise them.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē saptacatvāriṅśassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the fortyseventh sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.