---
title: "Uttara Kanda, Sarga 45"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/uttara-kanda/sarga-45"
lang: "en"
---

# Uttara Kanda, Sarga 45

> तेषां समुपविष्टानां सर्वेषां दीनचेतसाम्।  
> उवाच वाक्यं काकुत्स्थो मुखेन परिशुष्यता॥ १॥

The scion of Kakutstha bearing an emaciated face, spoke thus to them (his brothers), who had taken their seats with dejected minds. (1)

> सर्वे शृणुत भद्रं वो मा कुरुध्वं मनोऽन्यथा।  
> पौराणां मम सीतायां यादृशी वर्तते कथा॥ २॥

“Listen to me, all of you, may all be well with you, intend not to do otherwise as I narrate the tale that circulates among my citizens with regard to Sītā. (2)

> पौरापवादः सुमहांस्तथा जनपदस्य च।  
> वर्तते मयि बीभत्सा सा मे मर्माणि कृन्तति॥ ३॥

“The ill-report that circulates among. my fellow-citizens and countrymen is indeed of great significance. That calumny of mine verily eats up my vitals. (3)

> अहं किल कुले जात इक्ष्वाकूणां महात्मनाम्।  
> सीतापि सत्कुले जाता जनकानां महात्मनाम्॥ ४॥

“I am born in the line of great IKṣwākus and Sītā too comes from the noble family of the high-souled Janakas. (4)

> जानासि त्वं यथा सौम्य दण्डके विजने वने।  
> रावणेन हृता सीता स च विध्वंसितो मया॥ ५॥

“You surely know, O good ones, how Sītā was taken away by Rāvaṇa from the lonely forest and how I vanquished him. (5)

> तत्र मे बुद्धिरुत्पन्ना जनकस्य सुतां प्रति।  
> अत्रोषितामिमां सीतामानयेयं कथं पुरीम्॥ ६॥

“So, on that account it dawned on me then that I could on no account bring Sītā to this city, who had dwelt in Laṅkā with Rāvaṇa. (6)

> प्रत्ययार्थं ततः सीता विवेश ज्वलनं तदा।  
> प्रत्यक्षं तव सौमित्रे देवानां हव्यवाहनः॥ ७॥

“To convince me Sītā at that time entered the fire : before you, O Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā)! Fire-god, the bearer of oblations to gods, (7)

> अपापां मैथिलीमाह वायुश्चाकाशगोचरः।  
> चन्द्रादित्यौ च शंसेते सुराणां संनिधौ पुरा॥ ८॥  
> ऋषीणां चैव सर्वेषामपापां जनकात्मजाम्।  
> एवं शुद्धसमाचारा देवगन्धर्वसंनिधौ॥ ९॥  
> लङ्काद्वीपे महेन्द्रेण मम हस्ते निवेशिता।  
> अन्तरात्मा च मे वेत्ति सीतां शुद्धां यशस्विनीम्॥ १०॥

“declared that Sītā was free from sins, so also Vāyu, who dwells in the sky, so also proclaimed the two—sun and moon before the gods, Sītā free from sins before all the Ṛṣis. In Laṅkā Sītā, Pure of conduct, has been handed over to me by Mahendra (the lord of gods), in the presence of the gods and the Gandharvas and my inner concience bears testimony to her purity and nobility. (8—10)

> ततो गृहीत्वा वैदेहीमयोध्यामहमागतः।  
> अयं तु मे महान् वादः शोकश्च हृदि वर्तते॥ ११॥  
> पौरापवादः सुमहांस्तथा जनपदस्य च।  
> अकीर्तिर्यस्य गीयेत लोके भूतस्य कस्यचित्॥ १२॥

“Then having accepted Sītā, I have come to Ayodhyā, but (this is) now the people censure me, and it pains my heart. The censure is indeed great as it circulates among the citizens and the countrymen. After all the person whose infamy is a subject of common talk in the public, (11-12)

> पतत्येवाधमाँल्लोकान् यावच्छब्दः प्रकीर्त्यते।  
> अकीर्तिर्निन्द्यते देवैः कीर्तिर्लोकेषु पूज्यते॥ १३॥

“as long as the word of infamy circulates, so long one does fall in the lower regions (hell). Infamy is abhorred even by the gods and fame gains credence in the world. (13)

> कीर्त्यर्थं तु समारम्भः सर्वेषां सुमहात्मनाम्।  
> अप्यहं जीवितं जह्यां युष्मान् वा पुरुषर्षभाः॥ १४॥  
> अपवादभयाद् भीतः किं पुनर्जनकात्मजाम्।  
> तस्माद् भवन्तः पश्यन्तु पतितं शोकसागरे॥ १५॥

“Indeed, all great souls endeavour for fame, O heroes among men, afraid of ill-report, I can even give up my life or all of you together, O bull among men; how much it is incumbent to leave Sītā. All of you see me submerged in the ocean of sorrow. (14-15)

> नहि पश्याम्यहं भूतं किंचिद् दुःखमतोऽधिकम्।  
> श्वस्त्वं प्रभाते सौमित्रे सुमन्त्राधिष्ठितं रथम्॥ १६॥  
> आरुह्य सीतामारोप्य विषयान्ते समुत्सृज।  
> गङ्गायास्तु परे पारे वाल्मीकेस्तु महात्मनः॥ १७॥  
> आश्रमो दिव्यसंकाशस्तमसातीरमाश्रितः।  
> तत्रैतां विजने देशे विसृज्य रघुनन्दन॥ १८॥  
> शीघ्रमागच्छ सौमित्रे कुरुष्व वचनं मम।  
> न चास्मि प्रतिवक्तव्यः सीतां प्रति कथंचन॥ १९॥

“I do not see any greater misfortune than this, O Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā) ascending the chariot driven by Sumantra, and made sitting Sītā therein leave her beyond the confines of the kingdom. On the other side of the Gaṅgā, the hermitage of the great sage Vālmīki, which looks like celestial abode on the river Tamasā. There in that hermitage, O Lakṣmaṇa, (a scion of Raghu) leaving her (Sītā), come here soon. Do what I say, and remember: I am not to be told with regard to leaving Sītā. (16—19)

> तस्मात् त्वं गच्छ सौमित्रे नात्र कार्या विचारणा।  
> अप्रीतिर्हि परा मह्यं त्वयैतत् प्रतिवारिते॥ २०॥  
> शापिता हि मया यूयं पादाभ्यां जीवितेन च।  
> ये मां वाक्यान्तरे ब्रूयुरनुनेतुं कथंचन॥ २१॥  
> अहिता नाम ते नित्यं मदभीष्टविघातनात्।  
> मानयन्तु भवन्तो मां यदि मच्छासने स्थिताः॥ २२॥  
> इतोऽद्य नीयतां सीतां कुरुष्व वचनं मम।  
> पूर्वमुक्तोऽहमनया गङ्गातीरेऽहमाश्रमान्॥ २३॥  
> पश्येयमिति तस्याश्च कामः संवर्त्यतामयम्।  
> एवमुक्त्वा तु काकुत्स्थो बाष्पेण पिहितेक्षणः॥ २४॥  
> संविवेश स धर्मात्मा भ्रातृभिः परिवारितः।  
> शोकसंविग्नहृदयो निशश्वास यथा द्विपः॥ २५॥

“Therefore, O Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā), go soon and carry out my behest. Any resistance on your part will cause me extreme displeasure. I swear to you by my feet and also my life that whosoever speaks out to pacify me in any manner while I speak, shall always be inimical to me as he will shatter all that I desire. If you are prone to be at my command, then show respect to me, take away Sītā from here, this very day, do what I say, ‘I wish to behold the hermitage on the bank of the Gaṅgā’, thus she had told me formerly, now fulfil this desire of her. Thus saying the descendant of Kakutstha, Śrī Rāma, the noble one with His eyes closed, taking leave of His brothers entered His own apartment with his heart agitated by sorrow, deeply sighed as an elephant. (20—25)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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