Sloka & Translation

[Rama crosses the frontiers of the kingdom of Kosala -- crosses rivers Vedasruti and Gomati-speaks to Sumantra.]

rāmō.pi rātriśēṣēṇa tēnaiva mahadantaram.

jagāma puruṣavyāghraḥ piturājñāmanusmaran৷৷2.49.1৷৷


puruṣavyāghraḥ foremost among men, rāmō.pi Rama also, pituḥ father's, ājñām command, anusmaran recollecting, tēna by that, rātriśēṣēṇaiva in the remaining part of the night, mahat vast, antaram distance, jagāma covered.

Recollecting his father's command, Rama, the foremost among men, covered a long distance during the remaining part of the night.
tathaiva gacchatastasya vyapāyādrajanī śivā.

upāsya śivāṅ sandhyāṅ viṣayāntaṅ vyagāhata৷৷2.49.2৷৷


tasya for him, tathā in that manner, gacchataḥ ēva thus travelling, śivā auspicious, rajanī night, vyapāyāt ended, (saḥ he), śivām auspicious, sandhyām sandhya (morning twilight), upāsya having worshipped, viṣayāntam frontiers of the country, vyagāhata reached.

While Rama was thus travelling, the auspicious night ended. With the sandhya (morning twilight), worship over, he reached the frontiers of the country.
grāmān vikṛṣṭasīmāntān puṣpitāni vanāni ca.

paśyannatiyayau śīghraṅ śanairiva hayōttamaiḥ৷৷2.49.3৷৷

śṛṇvan vacō manuṣyāṇāṅ grāmasaṅvāsavāsinām.


vikṛṣṭasīmāntān ploughed outskirts, grāmān villages, puṣpitāni flowered, vanāni ca forests, paśyan seeing, grāmasaṅvāsavāsinām living in the midst of villages, manuṣyāṇām of the people, vacaḥ discussions, śṛṇvan hearing, hayōttamaiḥ on those excellent horses, śīghram quickly travelling, śanairiva as if going slowly, atiyayau went a long distance.

Watching the villages furrowed at the outskirts, forests in blossom, hearing the gossips of the people living in the midst of villages, Rama felt he was moving very slowly whereas he had actually covered a long distance with those excellent (swift) horses.
rājānaṅ dhigdaśarathaṅ kāmasya vaśamāgatam৷৷2.49.4৷৷

hā nṛśaṅsādya kaikēyī pāpā pāpānubandhinī.

tīkṣṇā sambhinnamaryādā tīkṣṇakarmaṇi vartatē৷৷2.49.5৷৷

yā putramīdṛśaṅ rājñaḥ pravāsayati dhārmikam.

vanavāsē mahāprājñaṅ sānukrōśaṅ jitēndriyam৷৷2.49.6৷৷


kāmasya to passion, vaśamāgatam overtaken by, rājānam king, daśaratham Dasaratha, dhik fie on him, hā what a pity, nṛśaṅsā wicked, pāpā sinful, kaikēyī Kaikeyi, adya now, pāpānubandhinī is committed to sins, yā that Kaikeyi, dhārmikam righteous, mahāprājñam sagacious, sānukrōśam full of compassion, jitēndriyam one who has control over his senses, īdṛśam such a person, rājñaḥ putram king's son, vanavāsē to dwell in the forest, pravāsayati has banished, tīkṣṇā cruel, sambhinnamaryādā breaking all limits of decency, tīkṣṇakarmaṇi in an extremely cruel act, vartatē is committed.

(The villagers were speaking among themselves) Fie on the king who is overtaken by passion! Alas, the heartless, sinful Kaikeyi, indulging in evil has banished into the forest this prince who is righteous and sagacious, compassionate and self-restrained. How could this cruel Kaikeyi, by breaking all limits of decorum resort to such atrocious action?
kathaṅ nāma mahābhāgā sītā janakanandinī.

sadā sukhēṣvabhiratā duḥkhānyanubhaviṣyati৷৷2.49.7৷৷


mahābhāgā highly fortunate, janakanandinī Janaka's daughter, sadā always, sukhēṣu in luxury, abhiratā always attached, sītā Sita, kathaṅ nāma how, duḥkhāni discomforts, anubhaviṣyati will experience.

How will Sita, highly fortunate daughter of Janaka and used to comforts endure these sufferings?
ahō! daśarathō rājā nisnēhaḥ svasutaṅ priyam.

prajānāmanaghaṅ rāmaṅ parityaktumihēcchati৷৷2.49.8৷৷


rājā king, daśarathaḥ Dasaratha, svasutam own son, prajānām of the subjects, priyam dear, anagham sinless, rāmam Rama, nisnēhaḥ without affection, iha here, parityaktum to abandon, icchati wishes, ahō! alas!

Alas, the loveless king Dasaratha now intends to abandon his own sinless son Rama who is dear to the subjects.
ētā vācō manuṣyāṇāṅ grāmasaṅvāsavāsinām.

śṛṇvannatiyayau vīraḥ kōsalān kōsalēśvaraḥ৷৷2.49.9৷৷


vīraḥ valiant, kōsalēśvaraḥ lord of Kosala Rama, grāmasaṅvāsavāsinām living in villages and hamlets, manuṣyāṇām people's, ētāḥ these, vācaḥ words, śṛṇvan while listening, kōsalān boundaries of Kosala kingdom, ati yayau crossed.

Such were the words of people living in villages and hamlets that Rama the valiant lord of Kosala happened to hear as he was crossing the boundaries of Kosala.
tatō vēdaśrutiṅ nāma śivavārivahāṅ nadīm.

uttīryābhimukhaḥ prāyādagastyādhyuṣitāṅ diśam৷৷2.49.10৷৷


tataḥ thereafter, śivavārivahām carrying the auspicious waters, vēdaśrutiṅ nāma by name
Vedasruti, nadīm river, uttīrya having crossed, agastyādhyuṣitām where Agastya was residing, diśam quarter, abhimukhaḥ in the direction of, prāyāt went.

He then crossed the river Vedasruti flowing with sacred waters and went in the southern direction where sage Agastya resided.
gatvā tu suciraṅ kālaṅ tataḥ śītajalāṅ nadīm.

gōmatīṅ gōyutānūpāmataratsāgaraṅgamām৷৷2.49.11৷৷


tataḥ then, suciraṅ kālam for a long time, gatvā having travelled, śīta jalām of cool waters, gōyutānūpām cows abounding in marshy areas, sāgaraṅgamām flowing into the sea, gōmatīm Gomati, nadīm river, atarat crossed.

Travelling for a long time along the river Gomati full of cool waters on whose marshy bank cows grazed, Rama crossed it at the point where it flows into the sea.
gōmatīṅ cāpyatikramya rāghavaḥ śīghragairhayaiḥ.

mayūrahaṅsābhirutāṅ tatāra syandikāṅ nadīm৷৷2.49.12৷৷


rāghavaḥ Rama, śīghragaiḥ with swift-moving, hayaiḥ with horses, gōmatīṅ cāpi Gomati river also, atikramya having crossed, mayūrahaṅsābhirutām echoed with the cries of peacocks and swans, syandikām nadīm river Syandika, tatāra crossed.

Gomati gone, Rama with the swift-moving horses crossed the river Syandika echoing with the cries of peacocks and swans.
sa mahīṅ manunā rājñā dattāmikṣvākavē purā.

sphītāṅ rāṣṭrāvṛtāṅ rāmō vaidēhīmanvadarśayat৷৷2.49.13৷৷


saḥ rāmaḥ that Rama, purā formerly, rājñā by the king, manunā by Manu, ikṣvākavē to Ikshvaku, dattām bestowed, sphītām vast tracts, rāṣṭrāvṛtām encircled by kingdoms, mahīm land, vaidēhīm to Sita, anvadarśayat showed.

Rama showed Sita vast tracts of land encircled by kingdoms which were formerly bestowed upon Ikshvaku by emperor Manu.
sūta ityēva cābhāṣya sārathiṅ tamabhīkṣṇaśaḥ.

haṅsamattasvaraśśrīmānuvāca puruṣarṣabhaḥ৷৷2.19.14৷৷


haṅsamattasvaraḥ resembling the intoxicated voice of swans, puruṣarṣabhaḥ the best among men,
śrīmān graceful, sūta ityēva O charioteer saying so, taṅ sārathim that charioteer, abhīkṣṇaśa: repeatedly, ābhāṣya having uttered, uvāca said.

Graceful Rama, best among men with a voice resembling that of an intoxicated swan, called the charioteer again and again and said:
kadā.haṅ punarāgamya sarayvā puṣpitē vanē.

mṛgayāṅ paryaṭiṣyāmi mātrā pitrā ca saṅgataḥ৷৷2.49.15৷৷


aham I, punaḥ again, āgamya having returned, mātrā with mother, pitrā ca also with father, saṅgataḥ united with, sarayvā: Sarayu river's, puṣpitē blossoming, vanē groves, mṛgayām hunting, kadā when, paryaṭiṣyāmi I shall roam about.

When shall I return and reunite with my father and mother and go hunting in the blooming forest on the bank of the river Sarayu?
nātyarthamabhikāṅkṣāmi mṛgayāṅ sarayūvanē.

ratirhyēṣātulā lōkē rājarṣigaṇasammatā৷৷2.49.16৷৷


ēṣā this hunting, lōkē in this world, atulā incomparable, rājarṣigaṇasammatā is accepted by royal sages, ratirhi is delightful (sport indeed), sarayūvanē in the Sarayu forest of, mṛgayām hunting, atyartham greatly, nābhikāṅkṣāmi do not desire.

In this world, hunting is a unique pleasure. It is regarded as a delightful sport for
royal sages. But I do not have a great longing for hunting in the forest on the bank of river Sarayu.
rājarṣīṇāṅ hi lōkē.smin ratyarthaṅ mṛgayā vanē.

kālē kṛtāṅ tāṅ manujairghanvināmabhikāṅkṣitām৷৷2.49.17৷৷


asmin in this, lōkē world, vanē in the woods, mṛgayā hunting, rājarṣīṇām of royal sages, ratyarthaṅ hi is for their pleasure, manujaiḥ by people, kālē in appropriate times, kṛtām is undertaken,
dhanvinām for the bowmen, abhikāṅkṣitām a sought after one, tām that (hunting I do not seek.)

In this world, hunting in the woods is a pleasure for royal sages and is greatly sought after by bowmen. This was later resorted to by others.
sa tamadhvānamaikṣvākassūtaṅ madhurayā girā.

taṅ tamarthamabhiprētya yayau vākyamudīrayan৷৷2.49.18৷৷


saḥ aikṣvākaḥ that descendant of Ikshvaku, Rama, tam that, sūtam to charioteer, madhurayā in sweet, girā words, tam tam these and other, artham thoughts, abhiprētya regarding, vākyam words, udīrayan pronouncing, adhvānam the path, yayau went (covered).

The descendant of Ikshvaku related to the charioteer in a sweet voice the thoughts that came to him and went on the way (continued his journey).
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē ēkōnapañcāśassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the fortyninth sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.