येषां दशरथो राजा ते जेतारो न चेतरे
Those who have King Daśaratha on their side are the victors, not the others.
इति श्रुत्वा जयायोभौ जग्मतुर् देवदानवौ तत्र वायुस् त्वरन् प्राप्तो राजानम् अवदत् तदा
Hearing this, both the gods and the Dānavas went forth to seek victory; then Vāyu, hastening, approached the king and spoke.
आगन्तव्यं त्वया राजन् देवदानवसंगरे यत्र राजा दशरथो जयस् तत्रेति विश्रुतम्
You must come, O king, to the battle between the gods and the Dānavas; wherever King Daśaratha is, victory is renowned to be there.
तस्मात् त्वं देवपक्षे स्या भवेयुर् जयिनः सुराः
Therefore, you should side with the gods, so that the gods may be victorious.
तद् वायुवचनं श्रुत्वा राजा दशरथो नृपः आगम्यते मया सत्यं गच्छ वायो यथासुखम्
Hearing Vāyu's words, King Daśaratha replied: 'I will certainly come; go, Vāyu, as you please.'
गते वायौ तदा दैत्या आजग्मुर् भूपतिं प्रति ते ऽप्य् ऊचुर् भगवन्न् अस्मत्साहाय्यं कर्तुम् अर्हसि
When Vāyu had departed, the Daityas then came to the king and said, 'O lord, you ought to assist us as well.'
राजन् दशरथ श्रीमन् विजयस् त्वयि संस्थितः तस्मात् त्वं वै दैत्यपतेः साहाय्यं कर्तुम् अर्हसि
O king, illustrious Daśaratha, victory rests with you; therefore, you ought to assist the lord of the Daityas.
ततः प्रोवाच नृपतिर् वायुना प्रार्थितः पुरा प्रतिज्ञातं मया तच् च यान्तु दैत्याश् च दानवाः
Then the king, who had once been entreated by Vāyu, spoke: 'I have already pledged this; let the Daityas and Dānavas depart.'
स तु राजा तथा चक्रे गत्वा चैव त्रिविष्टपम् युद्धं चक्रे तथा दैत्यैर् दानवैः सह राक्षसैः
That king acted accordingly, and, having gone to heaven, he fought a battle with the Daityas, Dānavas, and Rākṣasas.
पश्यत्सु देवसंघेषु नमुचेर् भ्रातरस् तदा विविधुर् निशितैर् बाणैर् अथाक्षं नृपतेस् तथा
While the assembly of gods looked on, the brothers of Namuci then shattered the king’s axle with sharp arrows.
भिन्नाक्षं तं रथं राजा न जानाति स संभ्रमात् राजान्तिके स्थिता सुभ्रूः कैकेय्याज्ञायि नारद
The king, in his confusion, did not realize that his chariot’s axle was broken; Kaikeyī, of beautiful brows, stood near the king, O Nārada.
न ज्ञापितं तया राज्ञे स्वयम् आलोक्य सुव्रता भग्नम् अक्षं समालक्ष्य चक्रे हस्तं तदा स्वकम्
She did not inform the king herself, but, seeing the broken axle, the virtuous lady placed her own hand there at once.
अक्षवन् मुनिशार्दूल तद् एतन् महद् अद्भुतम् रथेन रथिनां श्रेष्ठस् तया दत्तकरेण च
O best of sages, this was a great and wondrous deed: the foremost of charioteers prevailed in battle with a chariot whose axle was replaced by her hand.
जितवान् दैत्यदनुजान् देवैः प्राप्य वरान् बहून् ततो देवैर् अनुज्ञातस् त्व् अयोध्यां पुनर् अभ्यगात्
Having conquered the Daityas and Dānavas, and having received many boons from the gods, he was permitted by them and happily returned to Ayodhyā.
स तु मध्ये महाराजो मार्गे वीक्ष्य तदा प्रियाम् कैकेय्याः कर्म तद् दृष्ट्वा विस्मयं परमं गतः
Then, on the way, the great king saw his beloved, and, witnessing Kaikeyī’s deed, he was filled with utmost astonishment.
ततस् तस्यै वरान् प्रादात् त्रींस् तु नारद सा अपि अनुमान्य नृपप्रोक्तं कैकेयी वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
Thereupon he granted her three boons, O Nārada; and, after seeking the king’s permission, Kaikeyī spoke these words.
त्वयि तिष्ठन्तु राजेन्द्र त्वया दत्ता वरा अमी
Let these boons, O king of kings, remain with you until I desire them.
विभूषणानि राजेन्द्रो दत्त्वा स प्रियया सह रथेन विजयी राजा ययौ स्वनगरं सुखी
The king, having given ornaments to his beloved, returned victorious and happy to his own city with her in the chariot.
योषितां किम् अदेयं हि प्रियाणाम् उचितागमे स कदाचिद् दशरथो मृगयाशीलिभिर् वृतः
What is there that should not be given to beloved women at the proper time? Once, Daśaratha, surrounded by hunters, set out for the hunt.
अटन्न् अरण्ये शर्वर्यां वारिबन्धम् अथाकरोत् सप्तव्यसनहीनेन भवितव्यं तु भूभुजा
He wandered in the forest at night and constructed a water reservoir; a king must be free from the seven vices.
इति जानन्न् अपि च तच् चकार तु विधेर् वशात् गर्तं प्रविश्य पानार्थम् आगतान् निशितैः शरैः
Though he knew this, he acted thus under the sway of fate: entering a pit to drink, he shot those who had come with sharp arrows.
मृगान् हन्ति महाबाहुः शृणु कालविपर्ययम् गर्तं प्रविष्टे नृपतौ तस्मिन्न् एव नगोत्तमे
The mighty-armed king slew animals; hear now of the reversal of fate: while the king was in the pit, in that very excellent city—
वृद्धो वैश्रवणो नाम न शृणोति न पश्यति तस्य भार्या तथाभूता ताव् अब्रूतां तदा सुतम्
There was an old man named Vaiśravaṇa, who could neither hear nor see; his wife was likewise afflicted, and then they spoke to their son.
आवां तृषार्तौ रात्रिश् च कृष्णा चापि प्रवर्तते वृद्धानां जीवितं कृत्स्नं बालस् त्वम् असि पुत्रक
We two are tormented by thirst, and night has fallen; the life of the aged is wholly dependent—yet you are but a child, dear son.
अन्धानां बधिराणां च वृद्धानां धिक् च जीवितम् जराजर्जरदेहानां धिग् धिक् पुत्रक जीवितम्
Shame on the life of the blind, the deaf, and the aged; shame, shame, my son, on the life of those whose bodies are worn by old age.
तावत् पुंभिर् जीवितव्यं यावल् लक्ष्मीर् दृढं वपुः यावद् आज्ञाप्रतिहता तीर्थादाव् अन्यथा मृतिः
A man should live only as long as he possesses wealth, a strong body, and unimpeded authority; otherwise, death is preferable, especially at holy places.
इत्य् एतद् वचनं श्रुत्वा वृद्धयोर् गुरुवत्सलः पुत्रः प्रोवाच तद् दुःखं गिरा मधुरया हरन्
Hearing these words from the elders, the son, devoted to his teachers, spoke, removing their sorrow with gentle speech.
मयि जीवति किं नाम युवयोर् दुःखम् ईदृशम् न हरत्य् आत्मजः पित्रोर् यश् चरित्रैर् मनोरुजम्
While I live, how can such sorrow afflict you both? A son who does not dispel his parents’ mental distress through his conduct is unworthy.
तेन किं तनुजेनेह कुलोद्वेगविधायिना
What use is such a son here, who only brings distress to the family?
इत्य् उक्त्वा पितरौ नत्वा ताव् आश्वास्य महामनाः तरुस्कन्धे समारोप्य वृद्धौ च पितरौ तदा
Having spoken thus, bowing to his parents and comforting them, the noble-minded son then placed his aged parents upon the trunk of a tree.