Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 23

Meaning

Pondering with his head bent low, as it were, while Śrī Rāma spoke as aforesaid, Lakṣmaṇa for his part quickly and suddenly began to swing between dejection at the interruption of Śrī Rāma’s installation and delight over the latter’s steadfast devotion to righteousness. (1)

Meaning

Nay, knitting his brows at the space between his eyebrows, at that time, Lakṣmaṇa, a jewel among men, hissed like an enraged cobra in a hole. (2)

Meaning

That frowning aspect of his, which was difficult to gaze on, appeared at that moment like the face of an infuriated lion. (3)

Meaning

Violently shaking his forearm precisely as an elephant would shake its proboscis, and flinging his neck horizontally as well as upwards on his body, and gazing obliquely with a corner of his eye, Lakṣmaṇa for his part spoke as follows to his brother, Śrī Rāma : “At an inopportune moment indeed has this inordinate flurry appeared in you for fear of lapsing from the path of duty and with a view to disarming the grave suspicion in the mind of the people (that a prince who is disloyal to his father could not be expected to rule his subjects righteously). Indeed, how can a man like yourself speak as you are doing, unless he is agitated? I wonder how you regularly glorify in this way fate—which is indeed ineffectual, pitiable and impotent—powerful and foremost among the Kṣatriyas as you are? (4—7)

Meaning

“It is a matter of surprise how there is no suspicion in your mind about that wicked couple (Daśaratha and Kaikeyī). Don’t you know, O pious Rāma, that there are men devoted to a semblance of piety? (8)

Meaning

“Had this not actually been at the very outset the intention, O scion of Raghu, of the couple, who seek through fraud for their own selfish end, to forsake you, the one who have such a noble conduct, the installation would not have been undertaken at all. Nay, if the story of the boon granted by the one and received by the other had been real, it would have been granted even before the preparations for the installation were taken in hand. (9)

Meaning

“What has now been commenced is disliked by the people. I cannot brook, O heroic Rāma, the installation of anyone other than you. Be pleased to forgive my intolerance in this matter. (10)

Meaning

“Repellent to me is that piety too by the thought of which your mind, which was once inclined to accept the office of Prince Regent, has thus been diverted from the purpose, O noble-minded brother, and through devotion to which you are falling a prey to infatuation. (11)

Meaning

“Had it not been so how are you going to redeem the most unrighteous and reproachful pledge of your father who is under the thumb of Kaikeyī, even though you are able to set things right by recourse to action? (12)

Meaning

“Since this interruption in your installation, though brought about through machination in the shape of connecting the story of a boon granted by the Emperor, is not being recognized by you as such, agony is caused to me on that account and partiality to such false piety is reprehensible in my view. (13)

Meaning

“This adherence of yours to piety is condemned in the eyes of the people of Ayodhyā. How can anyone other than you fulfil, even in thought, the desire of the aforesaid two enemies, bearing the name of parents, who follow their own pleasure and are ever hostile to you? (14)

Meaning

“Although it is your belief that even the decision of your parents to stop your installation is inspired by fate, it nonetheless deserves to be ignored by yourself. Such a decree even of fate does not please me.(15)

Meaning

“He alone who is cowardly and powerless trusts in fate. The valiant, who are possessed of a strong mind, never seek shelter in fate. (16)

Meaning

“A man who is capable of setting aside the decree of fate through personal effort never feels disheartened on his purpose being thwarted by destiny. (17)

Meaning

“People will see today the relative strength of fate and a human being. The distinction between fate and a human being will be manifest today. (18)

Meaning

“People by whom your installation on the throne of Ayodhyā has been seen interrupted through destiny today will find fate worsted this very day by my valour. (19)

Meaning

“By sheer dint of bravery I shall repulse destiny rushing headlong like an uncontrollable and unrestrained elephant, haughty with fluid exuding from its temples. (20)

Meaning

“Neither all the guardians of the spheres nor the denizens of all the three worlds, O Rāma, can interrupt your consecration today; how, then, can father do it? (21)

Meaning

“They alone by whom, O king, has your exile to the forest been unanimously supported will likewise live in exile for fourteen years. (22)

Meaning

“I shall bring to naught that hope of father as well as of hers (Kaikeyī) which is directed towards securing sovereignty for her son through interruption of your consecration. (23)

Meaning

“For him who is antagonistic to my strength, the power of destiny will not prove helpful to the same extent as my fierce might will redound to his suffering. (24)

Meaning

“Later on when you have retired to take up your abode in the forest at the end of thousands of years, sons of your worthy self will rule over the people without interruption (leaving no room for others even then). (25)

Meaning

“In conformity with the conduct of ancient royal sages, residence in the forest is recommended for kings only when they have committed the people to the care of their sons for being protected as sons. (26)

Meaning

“If, constituted as you are, O pious-minded Rāma, you do not really seek sovereignty for yourself for fear of disaffection in the state, the king being irresolute in the matter of renouncing the kingship and retiring to the forest, you need not harbour any misgiving on that score. (27)

Meaning

“Nay, I promise to you, O valiant brother, that I shall guard you as well as your kingdom even as the coastline guards the ocean and keeps it within bounds. Let me not earn the realms that fall to the share of heroes after death if I fail to do so. (28)

Meaning

“Allow yourself to be consecrated by Vasiṣṭha and others with auspicious articles and be up and doing in that direction. I am enough to repel hostile monarchs forcibly single-handed. (29)

Meaning

“These arms of mine are not intended to add to my charm nor is this bow meant to serve as an ornament for my body. Nor is my sword meant for being tied to my belt and hanging by my side as a badge of honour, nor are my arrows meant to serve as a support for some structure. (30)

Meaning

“All these four exist only for crushing the enemy. Nor do I wish that I should not hew, with my uplifted keen-edged sword possessing an inconstant sheen like a flash of lightning, him who is considered to be my inveterate enemy, be he Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt. (31-32)

Meaning

“The earth will be thickly set in no time with the trunks (or hands) of elephants, horses and warriors fighting in chariots, severed with the blows of my sword, and will become hard to tread. (33)

Meaning

“Killed with the edge of my sword today and consequently bathed in blood, enemies will drop on the ground like so many blazing fires or clouds accompanied with flashes of lightning. (34)

Meaning

“While I stand on the battlefield with finger-protectors (made of the skin of iguana) fastened glove-like round the left hand to prevent injury from a bow-string and with uplifted bow, how can anyone among men remain proud of his valour and dare stand before me? (35)

Meaning

“Throwing down a single warrior with many shafts and many men with a single arrow, I shall dig arrows into the vitals of men, horses and elephants. (36)

Meaning

“Today the effectiveness of the might of my weapons will manifest itself in order to prove the helplessness of the king, Daśaratha, and demonstrate your sovereignty, O lord ! (37)

Meaning

“These arms of mine, which are worthy of being daubed with sandal-paste and putting on a pair of armlets, as well as of giving away riches and protecting friends and relations, O Rāma, will exert themselves today to stop those who are interrupting your consecration. (38-39)

Meaning

“Speak out, which enemy of yours may be deprived this very day of his life, fame of invincibility and relations. Pray, instruct me how to proceed so that the globe may be brought under your control. I am at your beck and call.” (40)

Meaning

Wiping the tears of Lakṣmaṇa and comforting him more than once, Śrī Rāma, the promoter of Raghu’s race, replied, “Know me, gentle brother, to be firmly obedient to the command of my parents; for such is the path trodden by the righteous.” (41)