--- title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 18" canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-18" lang: "en" --- # Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 18 > स ददर्शासने रामो विषण्णं पितरं शुभे। > कैकेय्या सहितं दीनं मुखेन परिशुष्यता॥ १॥ The said Śrī Rāma beheld his father seated on a lovely couch with Kaikeyī, dejected and distressd and marked with a withering face. (1) > स पितुश्चरणौ पूर्वमभिवाद्य विनीतवत्। > ततो ववन्दे चरणौ कैकेय्याः सुसमाहितः॥ २॥ Bowing first at his father’s feet with a modest demeanour, he then laid himself low at Kaikeyī’s feet, fully composed in mind.(2) > रामेत्युक्त्वा तु वचनं बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः। > शशाक नृपतिर्दीनो नेक्षितुं नाभिभाषितुम्॥ ३॥ Having barely uttered the word “Rāma”, the afflicted monarch could neither cast a look at him nor speak, his eyes blinded with tears. (3) > तदपूर्वं नरपतेर्दृष्ट्वा रूपं भयावहम्। > रामोऽपि भयमापन्नः पदा स्पृष्ट्वेव पन्नगम्॥ ४॥ Seeing that unusual appearance of the monarch, which gave rise to apprehension, Śrī Rāma too was seized with dismay, even as he would on touching a serpent with his foot. (4) > इन्द्रियैरप्रहृष्टैस्तं शोकसंतापकर्शितम्। > निःश्वसन्तं महाराजं व्यथिताकुलचेतसम्॥ ५॥ > ऊर्मिमालिनमक्षोभ्यं क्षुभ्यन्तमिव सागरम्। > उपप्लुतमिवादित्यमुक्तानृतमृषिं यथा॥ ६॥ He saw the monarch emaciated through grief and agony, with his senses divested of joy, sighing with a distressed and perturbed mind and looking like an unruffled ocean getting turbulent with a succession of waves, the sun obscured by an eclipse and a sage that has told a lie. (5-6) > अचिन्त्यकल्पं नृपतेस्तं शोकमुपधारयन्। > बभूव संरब्धतरः समुद्र इव पर्वणि॥ ७॥ Bestowing his thought on the said grief of the monarch, which was almost inconceivable, Śrī Rāma grew extremely agitated as the ocean is on the full moon. (7) > चिन्तयामास चतुरो रामः पितृहिते रतः। > किंस्विदद्यैव नृपतिर्न मां प्रत्यभिनन्दति॥ ८॥ The shrewd Śrī Rāma, devoted as he was to the welfare of his father, said to himself, ‘How on this day alone the Emperor does not joyfully respond to my greeting? (8) > अन्यदा मां पिता दृष्ट्वा कुपितोऽपि प्रसीदति। > तस्य मामद्य सम्प्रेक्ष्य किमायासः प्रवर्तते॥ ९॥ ‘On other days my royal father would be propitious, even though angry, on seeing me. How is it that he feels agonized to behold me today?’ (9) > स दीन इव शोकार्तो विषण्णवदनद्युतिः। > कैकेयीमभिवाद्यैव रामो वचनमब्रवीत्॥ १०॥ Like one distressed and stricken with grief and with the lustre of his face overshadowed with melancholy, Śrī Rāma saluted Kaikeyī and spoke to her alone as follows : (10) > कच्चिन्मया नापराद्धमज्ञानाद् येन मे पिता। > कुपितस्तन्ममाचक्ष्व त्वमेवैनं प्रसादय॥ ११॥ “I hope no offence has been unwittingly committed by me against my father. Pray, tell me the reason why father is angry with me. You alone can propitiate him on my behalf.” (11) > अप्रसन्नमनाः किं नु सदा मां प्रति वत्सलः। > विषण्णवदनो दीनः नहि मां प्रति भाषते॥ १२॥ “How, I wonder, is he not cheerful of mind, though ever fond of me? With his face downcast, he does not even speak to me, afflicted as he is. (12) > शारीरो मानसो वापि कच्चिदेनं न बाधते। > संतापो वाभितापो वा दुर्लभं हि सदा सुखम्॥ १३॥ “I hope no agony caused by bodily distemper or mental anguish afflicts him; really speaking, everlasting happiness is hard to secure. (13) > कच्चिन्न किंचिद् भरते कुमारे प्रियदर्शने। > शत्रुघ्ने वा महासत्त्वे मातृणां वा ममाशुभम्॥ १४॥ “I hope no offence has been committed by me against Prince Bharata of pleasing aspect or Śatrughna possessing great valour or against my mothers. (14) > अतोषयन् महाराजमकुर्वन् वा पितुर्वचः। > मुहूर्तमपि नेच्छेयं जीवितुं कुपिते नृपे॥ १५॥ “Unable to please the Emperor or failing to do my father’s bidding and in the event of His Majesty being angry with me I would not survive even for an hour or so. (15) > यतोमूलं नरः पश्येत् प्रादुर्भावमिहात्मनः। > कथं तस्मिन् न वर्तेत प्रत्यक्षे सति दैवते॥ १६॥ “How can a man fail to be devoted to his father, his veritable and living deity, to whom he owes his own birth in this world? (16) > कच्चित्ते परुषं किंचिदभिमानात् पिता मम। > उक्तो भवत्या रोषेण येनास्य लुलितं मनः॥ १७॥ “Or, has my father been told by you through vanity or anger a harsh word, by which his heart has been stung to the quick? (17 ) > एतदाचक्ष्व मे देवि तत्त्वेन परिपृच्छतः। > किंनिमित्तमपूर्वोऽयं विकारो मनुजाधिपे॥ १८॥ “What is this unprecedented agitation in the mind of the Emperor due to? Pray, point this out correctly to me, inquisitive as I am, O godly lady?” (18) > एवमुक्ता तु कैकेयी राघवेण महात्मना। > उवाचेदं सुनिर्लज्जा धृष्टमात्महितं वचः॥ १९॥ Questioned thus by the high-souled Rāma, a scion of Raghu, Kaikeyī, for her part, who had grown utterly impudent, made the following bold reply, which was calculated to advance her own interest : (19) > न राजा कुपितो राम व्यसनं नास्य किंचन। > किंचिन्मनोगतं त्वस्य त्वद्भयान्नानुभाषते॥ २०॥ “The king is neither angry nor is there any anguish troubling him, O Rāma ! There is, however, something in his mind, which he is not disclosing to you for fear of paining you. (20) > प्रियं त्वामप्रियं वक्तुं वाणी नास्य प्रवर्तते। > तदवश्यं त्वया कार्यं यदनेनाश्रुतं मम॥ २१॥ “Words do not proceed from his mouth to tell you, his darling, something disagreeable to you. That which has been promised by him to me must, however, be implemented by you. (21) > एष मह्यं वरं दत्त्वा पुरा मामभिपूज्य च। > स पश्चात् तप्यते राजा यथान्यः प्राकृतस्तथा॥ २२॥ “Having granted me a boon in the past and thereby honoured me, this illustrious monarch now repents in the same way as any other common man. (22) > अतिसृज्य ददानीति वरं मम विशाम्पतिः। > स निरर्थं गतजले सेतुं बन्धितुमिच्छति॥ २३॥ “Having given a pledge to me in the words ‘I grant you a boon’ the celebrated monarch seeks in vain to construct a dam across a stream whose water has already flown. (23) > धर्ममूलमिदं राम विदितं च सतामपि। > तत् सत्यं न त्यजेद् राजा कुपितस्त्वत्कृते यथा॥ २४॥ “Truth is the root of piety—this is a fact well-known even to the righteous, O Rāma ! Beware lest the king should forsake that truth, angry as he is with me for your sake. (24) > यदि तद् वक्ष्यते राजा शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम्। > करिष्यसि ततः सर्वमाख्यास्यामि पुनस्त्वहम्॥ २५॥ “If you undertake to implement whatever the king says, whether it is good or evil for you, in that case, of course, I shall reiterate everything to you. (25) > यदि त्वभिहितं राज्ञा त्वयि तन्न विपत्स्यते। > ततोऽहमभिधास्यामि न ह्येष त्वयि वक्ष्यति॥ २६॥ “In case that which has been uttered by the king does not fall flat on you, then alone I shall give it out to you. In no case is he going to open his lips before you.” (26) > एतत् तु वचनं श्रुत्वा कैकेय्या समुदाहृतम्। > उवाच व्यथितो रामस्तां देवीं नृपसंनिधौ॥ २७॥ Distressed to hear the afore-mentioned words uttered by Kaikeyī, Śrī Rāma for his part spoke as follows to the said queen in the presence of the Emperor : (27) > अहो धिङ् नार्हसे देवि वक्तुं मामीदृशं वचः। > अहं हि वचनाद् राज्ञः पतेयमपि पावके॥ २८॥ “Oh ! how shameful it is for me to hear such words expressing doubt about my devotion to my father ! You ought not to speak such words to me, O glorious lady ! At the bidding of my father I am actually prepared to leap into fire. (28) > भक्षयेयं विषं तीक्ष्णं पतेयमपि चार्णवे। > नियुक्तो गुरुणा पित्रा नृपेण च हितेन च॥ २९॥ “Commanded by the Emperor, who is my teacher, father and friend, all in one, I might as well swallow deadly poison and take a plunge into the ocean. (29) > तद् ब्रूहि वचनं देवि राज्ञो यदभिकांक्षितम्। > करिष्ये प्रतिजाने च रामो द्विर्नाभिभाषते॥ ३०॥ “Therefore, speak out what you have got to say, O glorious lady ! I shall do that which is coveted by the king and give my plighted word for it. Know that Rāma does not speak twice.” (30) > तमार्जवसमायुक्तमनार्या सत्यवादिनम्। > उवाच रामं कैकेयी वचनं भृशदारुणम्॥ ३१॥ To the said Śrī Rāma, who always spoke the truth and was richly adorned with guilelessness, the ignoble Kaikeyī addressed the following exceptionally cruel words : (31) > पुरा देवासुरे युद्धे पित्रा ते मम राघव। > रक्षितेन वरौ दत्तौ सशल्येन महारणे॥ ३२॥ “Formerly in the course of a conflict between gods and demons, O scion of Raghu, a couple of boons were granted to me by your father, who had been rescued by me in a major battle when a shaft which remained dug into his body and was extracted afterwards by me. (32) > तत्र मे याचितो राजा भरतस्याभिषेचनम्। > गमनं दण्डकारण्ये तव चाद्यैव राघव॥ ३३॥ “As against those boons the king was solicited by me this very day to acquiesce in the installation as Prince Regent of Bharata and your departure to the Daṇḍaka forest, O scion of Raghu ! (33) > यदि सत्यप्रतिज्ञं त्वं पितरं कर्तुमिच्छसि। > आत्मानं च नरश्रेष्ठ मम वाक्यमिदं शृणु॥ ३४॥ “If you want to prove your father and yourself to be true to your promises, O jewel among men, please listen to the following exhortation of mine: (34) > संनिदेशे पितुस्तिष्ठ यथानेन प्रतिश्रुतम्। > त्वयारण्यं प्रवेष्टव्यं नव वर्षाणि पञ्च च॥ ३५॥ “Be faithful to the word of your father: as promised by him, you ought to retire to the woods for nine years and five. (35) > भरतश्चाभिषिच्येत यदेतदभिषेचनम्। > त्वदर्थे विहितं राज्ञा तेन सर्वेण राघव॥ ३६॥ “And let Bharata be consecrated with all the material that has been got together by the king for your consecration, O scion of Raghu ! (36) > सप्त सप्त च वर्षाणि दण्डकारण्यमाश्रितः। > अभिषेकमिदं त्यक्त्वा जटाचीरधरो भव॥ ३७॥ “Forgoing the forthcoming installation and ensconced in the Daṇḍaka forest, wear matted locks and the bark of trees for seven and seven years. (37) > भरतः कोसलपतेः प्रशास्तु वसुधामिमाम्। > नानारत्नसमाकीर्णां सवाजिरथसंकुलाम्॥ ३८॥ “Let Bharata rule with an iron hand over this globe which is owned by Daśaratha, the king of Ayodhyā, and is full of precious stones of various kinds and crowded with chariots driven by horses. (38) > एतेन त्वां नरेन्द्रोऽयं कारुण्येन समाप्लुतः। > शोकैः संक्लिष्टवदनो न शक्नोति निरीक्षितुम्॥ ३९॥ “Overwhelmed with compassion for you due to this circumstance of having granted a couple of boons in my favour, this monarch cannot even gaze at you, his face withered from grief. (39) > एतत् कुरु नरेन्द्रस्य वचनं रघुनन्दन। > सत्येन महता राम तारयस्व नरेश्वरम्॥ ४०॥ “Implement this pledge of the Emperor, O delight of the Raghus ! By vindicating his outstanding veracity, pray, deliver the Emperor from a delicate situation.” (40) > इतीव तस्यां परुषं वदन्त्यां > न चैव रामः प्रविवेश शोकम्। > प्रविव्यथे चापि महानुभावो > राजा च पुत्रव्यसनाभितप्तः॥ ४१॥ Even though Kaikeyī spoke unkindly as above, Śrī Rāma did not yield to grief at all. The king, however, even though he was possessed of great strength of mind, felt sore distressed, afflicted as he was by the agony of impending separation from his dear son. (41) 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.