--- title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 13" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-13" lang: "en" --- # Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 13 > अतदर्हं महाराजं शयानमतथोचितम्। > ययातिमिव पुण्यान्ते देवलोकात् परिच्युतम्॥ १॥ > अनर्थरूपासिद्धार्था ह्यभीता भयदर्शिनी। > पुनराकारयामास तमेव वरमङ्गना॥ २॥ The dauntless queen Kaikeyī—who was evil-incarnate, nay, whose object had not yet been accomplished and who scented mischief to Bharata in Rāma’s installation—once more addressed the same good monarch, who did not deserve such callous behaviour from the queen and was lying in an unseemly manner like Yayāti fallen from heaven on the exhaustion of his merit that had earned him a dwelling in heaven : (1-2) > त्वं कत्थसे महाराज सत्यवादी दृढव्रतः। > मम चेदं वरं कस्माद् विधारयितुमिच्छसि॥ ३॥ “You brag, O monarch, that you are veracious and faithful to your vows. Yet wherefore do you seek to withhold the aforesaid boons standing to my credit?” (3) > एवमुक्तस्तु कैकेय्या राजा दशरथस्तदा। > प्रत्युवाच ततः क्रुद्धो मुहूर्तं विह्वलन्निव॥ ४॥ Scolded thus by Kaikeyī on that occasion, however, King Daśaratha remained unconscious, as it were, for an hour or so and then angrily replied as follows : (4) > मृते मयि गते रामे वनं मनुजपुङ्गवे। > हन्तानार्ये ममामित्रे सकामा सुखिनी भव॥ ५॥ “Alas, when I have breathed my last on Rāma, a jewel among men, having left for the woods, rejoice with your wish fulfilled, O unworthy woman inimical to me. (5) > स्वर्गेऽपि खलु रामस्य कुशलं दैवतैरहम्। > प्रत्यादेशादभिहितं धारयिष्ये कथं बत॥ ६॥ “Actually inquired after the welfare of Rāma by the gods even in heaven, alas, how shall I bear to hear the words that will be uttered by them by way of reproach on being told that he was banished by me? (6) > कैकेय्याः प्रियकामेन रामः प्रव्राजितो वनम्। > यदि सत्यं ब्रवीम्येतत् तदसत्यं भविष्यति॥ ७॥ “If I tell them this fact that Rāma was exiled by me to the forest, eager as I was to oblige Kaikeyī (yourself), the other announcement (made by me about installing Rāma as Prince Regent) will turn out to be false. In any case, I cannot escape being censured by the gods for falling back upon my word. (7) > अपुत्रेण मया पुत्रः श्रमेण महता महान्। > रामो लब्धो महातेजाः स कथं त्यज्यते मया॥ ८॥ “In the person of the highly glorious Rāma, an eminent son was procured with great exertion by me, issueless as I was. How can he be forsaken by me? (8) > शूरश्च कृतविद्यश्च जितक्रोधः क्षमापरः। > कथं कमलपत्राक्षो मया रामो विवास्यते॥ ९॥ “How can the lotus-eyed Rāma, who is valiant and learned, has conquered anger and is given to forgiveness—be sent into exile by me? (9) > कथमिन्दीवरश्यामं दीर्घबाहुं महाबलम्। > अभिराममहं रामं स्थापयिष्यामि दण्डकान्॥ १०॥ “How shall I send to the Daṇḍaka forest the long-armed Rāma, who is cerulean as a blue lotus, is endowed with extraordinary might and is so lovely? (10) > सुखानामुचितस्यैव दुःखैरनुचितस्य च। > दुःखं नामानुपश्येयं कथं रामस्य धीमतः॥ ११॥ “How shall I bear to see the sad plight in the form of exile of the talented Rāma, who deserves all comforts and is unworthy of suffering? (11) > यदि दुःखमकृत्वा तु मम संक्रमणं भवेत्। > अदुःखार्हस्य रामस्य ततः सुखमवाप्नुयाम्॥ १२॥ “If my demise were possible in any way without inflicting suffering on Rāma, who is unworthy of suffering, I should derive joy thereby. (12) > नृशंसे पापसंकल्पे रामं सत्यपराक्रमम्। > किं विप्रियेण कैकेयि प्रियं योजयसे मम॥ १३॥ “O hard-hearted Kaikeyī of sinful resolve, why do you place my darling Rāma in an unwelcome predicament? (13) > अकीर्तिरतुला लोके ध्रुवं परिभविष्यति। > तथा विलपतस्तस्य परिभ्रमितचेतसः॥ १४॥ > अस्तमभ्यागमत् सूर्यो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत। > सा त्रियामा तदार्तस्य चन्द्रमण्डलमण्डिता॥ १५॥ > राज्ञो विलपमानस्य न व्यभासत शर्वरी। > सदैवोष्णं विनिःश्वस्य वृद्धो दशरथो नृपः॥ १६॥ > विललापार्तवद् दुःखं गगनासक्तलोचनः। > न प्रभातं त्वयेच्छामि निशे नक्षत्रभूषिते॥ १७॥ “Disrepute which has no parallel anywhere will surely encompass you on all sides.” While he was wailing as aforesaid, his mind being utterly confused, the sun sank below the horizon and the night set in. That night, graced as it was with the orb of the moon, did not at that moment illumine the heart of the distressed and wailing monarch, hurtful* as it was by. Sighing dolefully all through the night, the aged King Daśaratha piteously wailed like an ailing man, his eyes directed towards the heavens. He said: “O night embellished with stars, I do not wish you to be converted into dawn (for Rāma will have to be exiled as soon as the day dawns). (14—17) > क्रियतां मे दया भद्रे मयायं रचितोऽञ्जलिः। > अथवा गम्यतां शीघ्रं नाहमिच्छामि निर्घृणाम्॥ १८॥ > नृशंसां केकयीं द्रष्टुं यत्कृते व्यसनं मम। > एवमुक्त्वा ततो राजा कैकेयीं संयताञ्जलिः॥ १९॥ > प्रसादयामास पुनः कैकेयीं राजधर्मवित्। > साधुवृत्तस्य दीनस्य त्वद्गतस्य गतायुषः॥ २०॥ > प्रसादः क्रियतां भद्रे देवि राज्ञो विशेषतः। > शून्ये न खलु सुश्रोणि मयेदं समुदाहृतम्॥ २१॥ “Let compassion be shown to me, O blessed one; salutation is hereby offered by me with joined palms to you. Or let yourself be gone quickly. I wish no more to see the ruthless and hard-hearted Kaikeyī, to whom I owe my present adversity.” Having told Kaikeyī thus, the Emperor, who knew the duties of a king, viz., the expedients of conciliation etc., then proceeded with joined palms once more to conciliate Kaikeyī in the following words : “Let favour be shown, O good queen, to my wretched self, guileless of conduct and fallen at your mercy, whose span of life is well nigh exhausted,and more so to a king. Indeed this, viz., Rāma’s installation was not announced by me in a lonely quarter, O lady, with lovely limbs ! (18—21) > कुरु साधुप्रसादं मे बाले सहृदया ह्यसि। > प्रसीद देवि रामो मे त्वद्दत्तं राज्यमव्ययम्॥ २२॥ > लभतामसितापाङ्गे यशः परमवाप्स्यसि। > मम रामस्य लोकस्य गुरूणां भरतस्य च। > प्रियमेतद् गुरुश्रोणि कुरु चारुमुखेक्षणे॥ २३॥ “Show abundant grace to me, O young lady, kind-hearted as you are. Be gracious to me; let my Rāma inherit the everlasting kingship granted by you, O fair-eyed queen ! You will thereby attain the highest renown. Do this kindness to me, to Rāma, to the people, to our elders (Vasiṣṭha and others) as well as to Bharata, O lady with well-proportioned limbs and a charming countenance and eyes !” (22-23) > विशुद्धभावस्य हि दुष्टभावा > दीनस्य ताम्राश्रुकलस्य राज्ञः। > श्रुत्वा विचित्रं करुणं विलापं > भर्तुर्नृशंसा न चकार वाक्यम्॥ २४॥ Even on hearing the piteously-worded doleful wail of her wretched husband, Daśaratha, of guileless mind consisting as it did of threats mixed with coaxing, whose eyes had turned coppery through grief and were wet with tears, the hard-hearted queen of malicious intent did not accede to his request. (24) > ततः स राजा पुनरेव मूर्च्छितः > प्रियामतुष्टां प्रतिकूलभाषिणीम्। > समीक्ष्य पुत्रस्य विवासनं प्रति > क्षितौ विसंज्ञो निपपात दुःखितः॥ २५॥ Perceiving his beloved queen still unpropitiated and speaking in a hostile strain, insistent as she was on his son’s exile, the aforesaid king thereupon fainted once more and, full of agony, sank down unconscious on the floor. (25) > इतीव राज्ञो व्यथितस्य सा निशा > जगाम घोरं श्वसतो मनस्विनः। > विबोध्यमानः प्रतिबोधनं तदा > निवारयामास स राजसत्तमः॥ २६॥ While the high-minded king, who was full of extreme agony, was dolefully sighing, that night stole past. When being awakened by panegyrists and bards etc., the said Daśaratha (the foremost of kings) stopped the festal music started with a view to rousing him at that moment. (26) Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana --- Source: Gita Press, Gorakhpur editions. Buy the book: https://gitapress.org/product/sri-ramcharitmanas-special-edition Ramayana.com, a free, ad-free project of Ved Vyas Foundation.