Sloka & Translation

[Sumantra consoles Kausalya.]

tatō bhūtōpasṛṣṭēva vēpamānā punaḥ punaḥ.

dharaṇyāṅ gatasattvēva kausalyā sūtamabravīt৷৷2.60.1৷৷


tataḥ thereafter, kauśalyā Kausalya, bhūtōpasṛṣṭēva as if possessed by an evil spirit, vēpamānā trembling, gatasattvēva like one who has his senses lost, punaḥ punaḥ again and again, dharaṇyām on the floor, sūtam to the charioteer (Sumantra), abravīt said.

Thereafter Kausalya, trembling as if possessed by an evil spirit and rolling on the floor like one who her senses now and again, said to the charioteer (Sumantra):
naya māṅ yatra kākutsthassītā yatra ca lakṣmaṇaḥ.

tānvinā kṣaṇamapyatra jīvituṅ nōtsahēhyaham৷৷2.60.2৷৷


kākutsthaḥ Rama, sītā ca Sita, yatra wherever, lakṣmaṇaḥ Lakshmana, yatra wherever, tatra there, mām to me, naya take, tān vinā without them, atra here, kṣaṇamapi even for a moment, jīvitum to live, aham I, na utsahē do not wish.

Take me where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are. I do not wish to live even for a moment without them.
nivartaya rathaṅ śīghraṅ daṇḍakānnaya māmapi.

atha tānnānugacchāmi gamiṣyāmi yamakṣayam৷৷2.60.3৷৷


ratham chariot, śīghram quickly, nivartaya turn back, māmapi me also, daṇḍakān to Dandaka, naya take, atha if, tān them, nānu gacchāmi if I do not follow, yamakṣayam to the world of Yama, gamiṣyāmi shall go.

'Turn back your chariot immediately and take me to the Dandaka forest. If I do not follow them, I shall enter the world of Yama'.
bāṣpavēgōpahatayā sa vācā sajjamānayā.

idamāśvāsayandēvīṅ sūtaḥ prāñjalirabravīt৷৷2.60.4৷৷


saḥ sūtaḥ that charioteer, bāṣpavēgōpahatayā prevented by fast-flowing tears, sajjamānayā faltering, vācā with words, dēvīm to Kausalya, āśvasayan consoling, prāñjaliḥ with folded palms, idam these words, abravīt said.

With folded hands and faltering words choked by his fast-flowing tears the charioteer tried to console Kausalya:
tyaja śōkaṅ ca mōhaṅ ca sambhramaṅ duḥkhajaṅ tathā.

vyavadhūya ca santāpaṅ vanē vatsyati rāghavaḥ৷৷2.60.5৷৷


śōkam grief, mōham delusion, tathā also, duḥkhajam arising out of sorrow, sambhramaṅ ca despair, tyaja abandon, rāghavaḥ Rama, santāpam difficulties, vyavadhūya after brushig aside, vanē in the forest, vatsyati is going to live.

Abandon your tears, delusion and despair arising out of sorrow. Rama is going to live
in the forest, brushing aside all agony.
lakṣmaṇaścāpi rāmasya pādau paricaranvanē.

ārādhayati dharmajñaḥ paralōkaṅ jitēndriyaḥ৷৷2.60.6৷৷


dharmajña: knower of duty, lakṣmaṇaścāpi also Lakshmana, vanē in the forest, jitēndriyaḥ one whose senses are controlled, rāmasya to Rama' s, pādau feet, paricaran serving at, paralōkam the other world, ārādhayati is accomplishing.

Self-controlled Lakshmana, aware of his duty, serves Rama in the forest. By this he is securing his next world.
vijanē.pi vanē sītā vāsaṅ prāpya gṛhēṣviva.

visrambhaṅ labhatē.bhītā rāmē sannyastamānasā৷৷2.60.7৷৷


sītā Sita, vijanē in the desolate, vanēpi in the forest also, gṛhēṣviva like at home, vāsam living, prāpya having obtained, rāmē in Rama, sannyastamānasā with her mind fixed, abhītā without fear, visrambham confidence, labhatē is getting.

Sita with her mind fixed on Rama is living confidently in that desolate forest without any fear as if it were her home.
nāsyā dainyaṅ kṛtaṅ kiñcitsusūkṣmamapi lakṣyatē.

ucitēva pravāsānāṅ vaidēhī pratibhāti mā৷৷2.60.8৷৷


asyāḥ of her, susūkṣmamapi even the slightest, dainyam dejection, kiñcit not even a little, kṛtam done, na lakṣyatē not to be seen, vaidēhī Sita, pravāsānām for staying away from home, ucitēva as if accustomed, mā to me, pratibhāti appears.

I could not see even the slightest depression in Sita as if she was accustomed to staying away from home.
nagarōpavanaṅ gatvā yathā smaramatē purā.

tathaiva ramatē sītā nirjanēṣu vanēṣvapi৷৷2.60.9৷৷


sītā Sita, purā earlier, nagarōpavanam to the pleasure-gardens of the city, gatvā having gone, yathā as, ramatēsma was enjoying, nirjanēṣu in desolate, vanēṣvapi even in the forest, tathaiva in the same way, ramatē enjoying.

Earlier, just as Sita used to revel in the gardens of the city, so does she now in those desolate forests.
bālēva ramatē sītā.bālacandranibhānanā.

rāmā rāmē hyadhīnātmā vijanē.pi vanē satī৷৷2.60.10৷৷


rāmā charming lady, rāmē in Rama, adhīnātmā one with absorbed mind, abālacandranibhānanā countenance resembling the full Moon, sītā Sita, vijanē desolate, vanē in the forest also, satī api staying, bālēva like a child, ramatē is enjoying.

Charming Sita whose face resembles the full Moon, with her mind fixed on Rama, is enjoying even the desolate forest like a child.
tadgataṅ hṛdayaṅ hyasyāstadadhīnaṅ ca jīvitam.

ayōdhyāpi bhavē.ttasyā rāmahīnā tadā vanam৷৷2.60.11৷৷


asyāḥ her, hṛdayam heart, tadgatam united with Rama, jīvitaṅ ca life also, tadadhīnam under his control, ayōdhyāpi even Ayodhya too, rāmahīnā without Rama, tadā then, tasyāḥ to her, vanam forest, bhavēt would have become.

Her heart is ever united with Rama, and her life is under his control. Without Rama, even Ayodhya would become a forest for her.
paripṛcchati vaidēhī grāmāṅśca nagarāṇi ca.

gatiṅ dṛṣṭvā nadīnāṅ ca pādapānvividhānapi৷৷2.60.12৷৷

rāmaṅ hi lakṣmaṇaṅ vāpi pṛṣṭvā jānāti jānakī.

ayōdhyā krōśamātrē tu vihāramiva saṅśritā৷৷2.60.13৷৷


ayōdhyā krōśamātrē at the distance of a krosa from Ayodhya, vihāram pleasure-garden, saṅśritā iva as if sporting, vaidēhī Sita, grāmāṅśca villages, nagarāṇi ca cities,nadīnām rivers', gatiṅ ca courses, vividhān different kinds of, pādapānapi trees also, dṛṣṭvā seeing, rāmam to Rama, paripṛcchati enquiring, lakṣmaṇaṅ vāpi or Lakshmana, pṛṣṭvā asking, jānāti knowing.

Seeing villages, cities, trees of different kinds and courses of rivers, Sita is enquiring
from Rama or Lakshmana about them. She feels as though she is sporting in the pleasure-garden just a krosa from Ayodhya.
idamēva smarāmyasyāssahasaivōpajalpitam.

kaikēyī saṅśritaṅ vākyaṅ nēdānīṅ pratibhāti mā৷৷2.60.14৷৷


asyāḥ her, idamēva this much, smarāmi I remember, sahasaiva suddenly, upajalpitam utterance, kaikēyī saṅśritam about Kaikeyi, vākyam words, idānīm now, mā to me, na pratibhāti does not come to my mind.

Sita did say something about Kaikeyi, but now I do not remember what.
dhvaṅsayitvā tu tadvākyaṅ pramādātparyupatsthitam.

hlādanaṅ vacanaṅ sūtō dēvyā madhuramabravīt৷৷2.60.15৷৷


sūtaḥ charioteer, pramādāt inadvertently, paryupatsthitam uttered by all means, tadvākyam those words relating to Kaikeyi, dhvaṅsayitvā holding back, dēvyāḥ to Kausalya, hlādanam causing delight, madhuram pleasing, vacanam words, abravīt said.

Diverting the context of what he uttered inadvertently relating to Kaikeyi, the charioteer said pleasing words of consolation to Kausalya.
adhvanā vātavēgēna sambhramēṇā৷৷tapēna ca.

na vigacchati vaidēhyāścandrāṅśu sadṛśī prabhā৷৷2.60.16৷৷


vaidēhyāḥ Sita's, candrāṅśu sadṛśī resembling the beams of the Moon, prabhā lustre, adhvanā on the way, vātavēgēna or by the speed of the wind, sambhramēṇa or due to haste, ātapēna ca or due to scorching heat also, na vigacchati does not fade.

Just like the beams of the Moon, Sita's glow is not affected by the fatigue of the journey or by the speed of the wind or by the scorching heat.
sadṛśaṅ śatapatrasya pūrṇacandrōpamaprabham.

vadanaṅ tadvadānyāyā vaidēhyā na vikampatē৷৷2.60.17৷৷


vadānyāyāḥ of that munificent, vaidēhyāḥ Sita, śatapatrasya a hundred-petalled lotus, sadṛśam similar to, pūrṇacandrōpamaprabham like the splendour of the full Moon, tat vadanam that countenance, na vikampatē does not change at all.

The countenance of Sita with her gentle eloquence resembles a hundred-petalled lotus. She has the luminance of the full Moon that has not wilted.
alaktarasaraktābhāvalaktarasavarjitau.

adyāpi caraṇau tasyāḥ padmakōśasamaprabhau৷৷2.60.18৷৷


alaktarasaktābhau shining red like the liquid lac, alaktarasavarjitau no longer tinted with such liquid, tasyāḥ her, caraṇau feet, adyāpi even now, padmakōśasamaprabhau are shining like the lotus buds.

Her feet, now devoid of lac-dye, still look red like lac and shine like the lotus bud.
nūpurōdghuṣṭahēlēva khēlaṅ gacchati bhāminī.

idānīmapi vaidēhī tadrāgānnayasta bhūṣaṇā৷৷2.60.19৷৷


bhāminī damsel (Sita), nūpurōdghuṣṭa hēlēva tinkling anklets proclaiming dalliance, khēlam (as if) playing, gacchati going, vaidēhī Sita, idānīmapi even now, tadrāgāt due to affection for Rama, nayastabhūṣaṇā cast off the ornaments.

Casting off her ornaments, the damsel (Sita) is gracefully walking as if dalliant with her tinkling anklets for her love for him (Rama).
gajaṅ vā vīkṣya siṅhaṅ vā vyāghraṅ vā vanamāśritā.

nā.hārayati santrāsaṅ bāhū rāmasya saṅśritā৷৷2.60.20৷৷


vanam forest, āśritā resorted, rāmasya Rama's, bāhū arms, saṅśritā having taken refuge, gajaṅ vā elephant, siṅhaṅ vā or lion, vyāghraṅ vā or tiger, vīkṣya having seen, santrāsaṅ fear, nā.hārayati does not get.

Though in the forest, Sita, under the protection of Rama's arms, is afraid of neither elephants nor lions nor tigers.
na śōcyāstē na cātmanaśśōcyō nāpi janādhipaḥ.

idaṅ hi caritaṅ lōkē pratiṣṭhāsyati śāśvatam৷৷2.60.21৷৷


tē they, na śōcyāḥ need not be pitied, ātmanaḥ ca yourself, na not, janādhipa api king also, idam this, caritam history, lōkē in the world, śāśvatam permanently, pratiṣṭhāsyati will endure.

You need not lament for them or for yourself or for the king. This story of Rama will endure permanently in the world.
vidhūya śōkaṅ parihṛṣṭamānasā maharṣiyātē pathi suvyavatsthitāḥ.

vanēratā vanyaphalāśanāḥ pituśśubhāṅ pratijñāṅ paripālayanti tē৷৷2.60.22৷৷


tē they, śōkam grief, vidhūya shaking off, parihṛṣṭamānasāḥ with cheerful hearts, maharṣiyātē established by maharshis, pathi in the path, suvyavatsthitāḥ firmly fixed, vanē in the forest, ratāḥ are enjoying, vanyaphalāśanāḥ subsisting on forest fruits, pituḥ father's, śubhām auspicious, pratijñām promise, paripālayanti are upholding.

They are upholding the sacred promise of their father with cheerful hearts, grief given the go-by, steadfastly pursuing the path established by maharsis, subsisting on forest fruits and enjoying the forest life.
tathāpi sūtēna suyuktavādinā nivāryamāṇā sutaśōkakarśitā.

na caiva dēvī virarāma kūjitātpriyēti putrēti ca rāghavēti ca৷৷2.60.23৷৷


suyuktavādinā by one who was speaking befittingly, sūtēnā by Sumantra, tathā like that, nivāryamāṇāpi though prevented, dēvī queen Kausalya, sutaśōkakarśitā enfeebled with weeping over her son, priyēti 'O My beloved', putrēti 'O my son', rāghavēti ca 'O Rama', kūjitāt from crying, nacaiva virarāma did not stop.

Though Sumantra was speaking with befitting words to prevent Kausalya from weeping over her son which had enfeebled her, she did not stop crying, 'O my beloved', 'O my son', 'O Rama'.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē ṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the sixtieth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.