Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 21

Meaning

Feeling miserable over the situation, Lakṣmaṇa for his part made the following submission, suited to that occasion, to Kausalyā, mother of Śrī Rāma, who was wailing as aforesaid : (1)

Meaning

“To me either it does not appeal, O worthy lady, that Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, should proceed to the forest relinquishing the royal fortune. Dominated by the words of a woman, the king has become perverse and is full of lust, senile and overpowered by his love for the pleasures of sense. What will he not say, when urged by Kaikeyī? (2-3)

Meaning

“I do not perceive in Śrī Rāma any such offence against the king nor any vice for which Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, should be exiled from the state to take up his abode in a forest. (4)

Meaning

“I find no such man in the world who may point out Śrī Rām’s fault even in his absence—not even the man who is his deadly enemy or has been vanquished by him. (5)

Meaning

“What man having regard for virtue would forsake without any cause a son who stands on a par with the gods, is guileless, disciplined and fond even of his enemies?(6)

Meaning

“What son having an eye to statesmanship would heed such a command of a king who has attained a second childhood in the shape of dotage?” (7)

Meaning

Addressing Śrī Rāma, he continued : “Before any individual comes to know this fact of the king having decided to send you into exile, take the reins of administration in your hands with my help after duly installing yourself as Prince Regent. (8)

Meaning

“Before you standing as death, guarded by me, stationed beside you, bow in hand, who will be able to exhibit greater valour, O scion of Raghu? (9)

Meaning

“If the city of Ayodhyā stands in opposition to you, I shall depopulate the entire city by means of my sharp-pointed shafts, O jewel among men ! (10)

Meaning

“Nay, whosoever is a supporter of Bharata and whoever seeks to advance his interests, I shall kill them all; for he alone who is meek is subjected to contumely. (11)

Meaning

“If pleased with Kaikeyī and instigated by her, our royal father, behaves as an enemy, let him be made captive or even got rid of without the least scruple. (12)

Meaning

“Coercion has to be resorted to even with reference to a father or teacher who being puffed up with pride has ceased to distinguish between what ought to be done and what ought not to be done and has taken to the evil path. (13)

Meaning

“On what authority or ground, O jewel among men, does he seek to confer on the son of Kaikeyī this kingdom, which has as a matter of right devolved on you? (14)

Meaning

“What power has he to bestow royal fortune on Bharata entering into bitter enmity with you as well as with me, O chastiser of foes?” (15)

Meaning

Turning again to Kausalyā he said : “I swear to you by my bow as well as by the merit attained by me through truthfulness, charity and worship of gods that I am truly devoted to my eldest brother with the core of my heart, O godly lady ! (16)

Meaning

“If Śrī Rāma enters a blazing fire or retires to the forest, know me, O glorious lady, as having already entered the same. (17)

Meaning

“I shall presently dispel your sorrow by dint of my prowess even as the sun when risen drives away darkness. Let all people as well as Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) witness my valour. (18)

Meaning

“I shall kill my aged and wretched father, whose mind is attached to Kaikeyī and who is going through his second childhood as a result of his senility and has accordingly grown contemptible.” (19)

Meaning

On hearing the aforesaid utterance of the high-minded Lakṣmaṇa, Kausalyā, who was plunged in grief, spoke weeping as follows to Śrī Rāma : (20)

Meaning

“The statement of your younger brother, my son, has been heard by you even as he spoke. Do you now, if it so pleases you, what should be done next in this connection. (21)

Meaning

“Hearing the unjust command given by my co-wife, you ought not in any case to depart from Ayodhyā leaving me sore stricken with grief. (22)

Meaning

“If, as one who is well-versed in morality, you wish to do what is right, O most pious son, serve you me remaining here and practise thus the highest virtue. (23)

Meaning

“Staying self-disciplined at home in the service of his mother and endowed with supreme asceticism, a son of Kaśyapa attained the position of a Prajāpati, lord of creation, in heaven. (24)

Meaning

“As the king is worthy of adoration to you, more so am I from the point of view of merit. As such I do not grant leave to you to depart. Hence you should not proceed to the forest from this place. (25)

Meaning

“After my separation from you, I have no longer any use for life and happiness. In your company it is better for me even to live on blades of grass. (26)

Meaning

“If you retire to the forest leaving me plunged in grief, I shall take up a vow of fasting unto death; for, in that case I shall no longer be able to survive. (27)

Meaning

“As a sequel to that offence of yours, my son, you will suffer hellish tortures well-known in the world, even as Ocean, the spouse of deities presiding over the rivers, underwent hellish tortures of the kind suffered as a result of Brahmanicide through unrighteousness in the form of inflicting suffering on his own mother.” (28)

Meaning

Śrī Rāma, whose mind was given to piety, thereupon made the following submission, conformable to righteousness, to his afflicted mother, Kausalyā, who was wailing as aforesaid : (29)

Meaning

“I have no courage to flout the command of my father and as such wish to proceed to the forest. I, therefore, solicit your favour in the form of leave to depart with my head bent low. (30)

Meaning

“A cow was slaughtered in the past by the learned Sage Kaṇḍu living in a forest, in obedience to the command of his father, even though he knew it to be a sin. (31)

Meaning

“A tragic death was met in the past by the sons of Sagara (numbering sixty thousand), belonging to our race, while digging the earth under the command of their father. (32)

Meaning

“Mother Reṇukā was beheaded in a forest by Paraśurāma, son of Sage Jamadagni, by means of an axe with his own hand in obedience to the command of his father. (33)

Meaning

“Their father’s behest has been unhesitatingly carried out by these as well as by many other godlike men, I too shall, therefore, do a good turn to my father, O godly mother ! (34)

Meaning

“Indeed, a father’s command is not being carried out by me alone in this case, but it has been done by those as well that have been mentioned by me above, O pious lady ! (35)

Meaning

“I am not introducing any new sacred practice disagreeable to you. That path alone is being followed by me, which was intended and has been traversed by my forbears. (36)

Meaning

“That alone which is worth doing on this globe is being done by me in this case, not otherwise. Indeed, as is well-known, nobody doing the bidding of his father is forsaken by virtue.” (37)

Meaning

Having submitted to his celebrated mother as aforesaid, Śrī Rāma, the foremost of those knowing the art of expression as also of all bowmen, then spoke to Lakṣmaṇa as follows : (38)

Meaning

“I know your unsurpassed love for me as also your valour and strength as well as your glory, which cannot be easily approached by others. (39)

Meaning

“Not knowing the import of truthfulness and self-control, as understood by me, great agony, which is unequalled anywhere is being experienced by my mother, O prince endowed with noble characteristics ! (40)

Meaning

“Indeed, righteousness is paramount in the world and truthfulness is rooted in piety. This command of my father too is supreme in that it is based on righteousness. (41)

Meaning

“Having plighted one’s word to do the bidding of one’s father, mother or a Brāhmaṇa, O gallant Lakṣmaṇa, he who takes his stand on righteousness should not falsify it. (42)

Meaning

“Since I have been commanded by Kaikeyī to go into exile according to the pledge given to her by my father, O valiant prince, I, constituted as I am, dare not flout her command in any case. (43)

Meaning

“Therefore, give up this unworthy thought of assuming the reins of government even by taking captive or killing the reigning king, deriving its support from military heroism. Take your stand on righteousness and do not resort to severity. Let my resolution of carrying out the royal command, be followed.” (44)

Meaning

Having thus admonished his aforesaid younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, out of affection, Śrī Rāma (Lakṣmaṇa’s eldest brother) submitted once more to his mother, Kausalyā, with joined palms and his head bent low as follows : (45)

Meaning

“Grant leave, O glorious lady, to me, ready as I am to depart from Ayodhyā to the forest. You are hereby bound with an oath on my life: please perform rites ensuring my welfare in the journey. (46)

Meaning

“Having honoured my vow of remaining in exile for fourteen years, I shall come back from the forest to Ayodhyā, even as in the former days the royal Sage Yayāti ascended back to heaven after leaving it once. (47)

Meaning

“Let grief be fully inhibited in the heart, O mother ! Pray, do not sorrow. Having carried out the behest of my father, I shall return to Ayodhyā from my exile in the forest. (48)

Meaning

“Yourself, Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), Lakṣmaṇa, Sumitrā and myself should abide by the injunctions of my father: such is the eternal law of morality. (49)

Meaning

“Removing the materials collected for the installation and restraining the agony in the heart, let my righteous resolution of taking up my abode in the forest be carried out.” (50)

Meaning

Hearing the aforesaid submission of Śrī Rāma, which was fully conformable to the principles of righteousness and was marked with patience and courage, the royal mother regained her consciousness like a dead woman coming to life again and, looking intently on Śrī Rāma, spoke to him once more as follows : (51)

Meaning

“By virtue of my having discharged my duty of tending you as well as by virtue of my affection towards you, I am worthy of your adoration in the same way, my son, as your father and I do not grant leave to you to retire to the woods. Therefore, leaving me sore distressed, my son, you ought not to go. (52)

Meaning

“What is to be gained by me through life without you in this world or what joy shall I derive through the other world or through offering, received by the departed in the realm of the manes or even through ambrosia—the food of the gods in heaven if I am transferred to these realms after death? Preferable to me is your presence even for an hour or so than the company or even the governance of the entire living creation !” (53)

Meaning

Hearing, as aforesaid, the piteous wail of his mother, Śrī Rāma grew all the more impetuous (impatient to escape) even as a lordly elephant that has entered a gloomy retreat would, when goaded by men laying the trap to catch it with firebrands. (54)

Meaning

Holding firmly to his duty, Śrī Rāma made the following righteous reply, a reply which he alone was capable of making on that occasion, to his mother, who lay almost unconscious, as well as to Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā), who was feeling distressed and greatly excited on that occasion : (55)

Meaning

“Indeed, O Lakṣmaṇa, I know your everlasting devotion to me as well as your prowess. But, failing to read my mind fully, you harass me most painfully alongwith mother. (56)

Meaning

“Religious merit, material gain and worldly enjoyment—which have been positively concluded to be the means of attaining happiness (the reward of merit ) in the world of mortals—all undoubtedly follow in the wake of righteousness even as one’s wife, if obedient, is conducive to religious merit by being helpful in the discharge of one’s religious obligations such as hospitality to unexpected guests, yields sensuous enjoyment if agreeable and makes for prosperity in the other world by giving birth to a son. (57)

Meaning

“One should abstain from pursuits in which all the three objects of human pursuit do not find any scope and should undertake that pursuit alone from which follows religious merit; for he who is devoted to material wealth, divorced from righteousness, becomes hateful; while excessive addiction to sensuous enjoyment, incompatible with righteousness, is not commendable either. (58)

Meaning

“What man who is not cruel in his dealings would fail to perform as a sacred obligation a duty which his aged father, who is also his preceptor and king, might enjoin him to do, whether from anger, excessive delight or even from concupiscence? (59)

Meaning

“Therefore, I cannot but duly implement this pledge of my father inasmuch as he is competent to command us both (Bharata as well as myself), O dear brother, and he is the asylum as also the means of happiness in this as well as in the other world of the queen (Kausalyā), whose husband he is and with whom she should live through thick and thin rather than with her son. (60)

Meaning

“So long as such a husband, who is not only a virtuous king but is staunchly adhering to his path (the path of virtue in the shape of truthfulness, for the sake of which he is abandoning his dearest son and sacrificing his interests), is alive, how can the Empress, like an ordinary widowed woman, who has lost her husband and lives with her son, actually depart from Ayodhyā alongwith me? (61)

Meaning

“As such, pray, grant leave to me proceeding to the forest, and perform sacred rites ensuring our welfare in the journey, O godly lady, so that on the period of exile being complete, I may come back even as King Yayāti ascended for the second time to heaven by dint of truthfulness. (62)

Meaning

“For, I am unable to throw away fame, which is of greater consequence, for the sake of mere sovereignty divorced from righteousness. Life being of such a short duration, O godly lady, I am not going to accept in any case the trivial rulership of the globe through unrighteousness today.” (63)

Meaning

Thus trying to please his mother and having fully taught Lakṣmaṇa, his younger brother, his own philosophy of morality, that jewel among men, positively inclined as he was to proceed to the Daṇḍaka forest by way of an enterprise, mentally went round his aforesaid mother clockwise as a mark of respect. (64)