हस्ते गृहीत्वा कलशं जगाम ऋषिपुत्रकः स ऋषिर् न तु राजानं जानाति नृपतिर् द्विजम्
Taking the water pot in his hand, the sage’s son departed; the sage knows not the king, nor does the king recognize the twice-born.
उभौ सरभसौ तत्र द्विजो वारि समाविशत् सत्वरं कलशे न्युब्जे वारि गृह्णन्तम् आशुगैः
Both hurried there; the Brahmin entered the water swiftly, and quickly filled the pot with water.
द्विजं राजा द्विपं मत्वा विव्याध निशितैः शरैः वनद्विपो ऽपि भूपानाम् अवध्यस् तद् विदन्न् अपि
The king, mistaking the Brahmin for an elephant, struck him with sharp arrows; even a forest elephant, knowing the kings are inviolable, would not attack.
विव्याध तं नृपः कुर्यान् न किं किं विधिवञ्चितः स विद्धो मर्मदेशे तु दुःखितो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
The king struck him; what would one not do when deceived by fate? Wounded in a vital spot, he spoke in pain.
केनेदं दुःखदं कर्म कृतं सद्ब्राह्मणस्य मे मैत्रो ब्राह्मण इत्य् उक्तो नापराधो ऽस्ति कश्चन
Who has committed this painful deed against me, a virtuous Brahmin? I am Maitra, a Brahmin, as I have said; there is no fault in me whatsoever.
तद् एतद् वचनं श्रुत्वा मुनेर् आर्तस्य भूपतिः निश्चेष्टश् च निरुत्साहो शनैस् तं देशम् अभ्यगात्
Hearing these words of the suffering sage, the king became motionless and dispirited, and slowly approached that place.
तं तु दृष्ट्वा द्विजवरं ज्वलन्तम् इव तेजसा असाव् अप्य् अभवत् तत्र सशल्य इव मूर्च्छितः
Seeing the illustrious Brahmin shining with radiance, the king too became faint there, as if pierced by a dart.
आत्मानम् आत्मना कृत्वा स्थिरं राजाब्रवीद् इदम्
Composing himself, the king spoke these words.
को भवान् द्विजशार्दूल किमर्थम् इह चागतः वद पापकृते मह्यं वद मे निष्कृतिं पराम्
Who are you, O foremost of Brahmins? For what purpose have you come here? Tell me, for I have committed a sin; tell me the supreme atonement.
ब्रह्महा वर्णिभिः किंतु श्वपचैर् अपि जातुचित् न स्प्रष्टव्यो महाबुद्धे द्रष्टव्यो न कदाचन
A slayer of a Brahmin, even if eloquent, should never be touched, O wise one, not even by outcastes; he should never be seen at any time.
तद् राजवचनं श्रुत्वा मुनिपुत्रो ऽब्रवीद् वचः
Hearing the king’s words, the sage’s son spoke.
उत्क्रमिष्यन्ति मे प्राणा अतो वक्ष्यामि किंचन स्वच्छन्दवृत्तिताज्ञाने विद्धि पाकं च कर्मणाम्
My life will depart, so I will say something; know the ripening of actions comes from freedom of conduct and ignorance.
आत्मार्थं तु न शोचामि वृद्धौ तु पितरौ मम तयोः शुश्रूषकः कः स्याद् अन्धयोर् एकपुत्रयोः
I do not grieve for myself, but for my aged parents—who will care for them, both blind, with only one son?
विना मया महारण्ये कथं तौ जीवयिष्यतः ममाभाग्यम् अहो कीदृक् पितृशुश्रूषणे क्षतिः
Without me, how will they survive in the great forest? Alas, how unfortunate I am—my duty to serve my parents is broken.
जाता मे ऽद्य विना प्राणैर् हा विधे किं कृतं त्वया तथापि गच्छ तत्र त्वं गृहीतकलशस् त्वरन्
Today I am as good as dead—O Fate, what have you done? Still, go there quickly, carrying the water-pot.
ताभ्यां देह्य् उदपानं त्वं यथा तौ न मरिष्यतः
Give them water, so that they do not die.
इत्य् एवं ब्रुवतस् तस्य गताः प्राणा महावने विसृज्य सशरं चापम् आदाय कलशं नृपः
As he spoke thus, his life departed in the great forest; leaving behind his bow and arrows, the prince took up the water-pot.
तत्रागात् स तु वेगेन यत्र वृद्धौ महावने वृद्धौ चापि तदा रात्रौ ताव् अन्योन्यं समूचतुः
He hurried to where his aged parents were in the great forest; and that night, the two elders spoke to each other.
उद्विग्नः कुपितो वा स्याद् अथवा भक्षितः कथम् न प्राप्तश् चावयोर् यष्टिः किं कुर्मः का गतिर् भवेत्
Is he anxious, or angry, or perhaps eaten by a beast? Why has our son not returned to us? What shall we do, what hope remains?
न कोपि तादृशः पुत्रो विद्यते सचराचरे यः पित्रोर् अन्यथा वाक्यं न करोत्य् अपि निन्दितः
There is no such son anywhere, moving or unmoving, who would disobey his parents' words—even if reproached.
वज्राद् अपि कठोरं वा जीवितं तम् अपश्यतोः शीघ्रं न यान्ति यत् प्राणास् तदेकायत्तजीवयोः
Life is harder than a thunderbolt for those who, unable to see their son, do not quickly die, though their lives depend on him alone.
एवं बहुविधा वाचो वृद्धयोर् वदतोर् वने तदा दशरथो राजा शनैस् तं देशम् अभ्यगात्
As the two elders spoke many such words in the forest, King Dasharatha slowly approached that place.
पादसंचारशब्देन मेनाते सुतम् आगतम्
By the sound of footsteps, they guessed their son had arrived.
कुतो वत्स चिरात् प्राप्तस् त्वं दृष्टिस् त्वं परायणम् न ब्रूषे किंतु रुष्टो ऽसि वृद्धयोर् अन्धयोः सुतः
Child, why have you come after so long? You are our only support, our sight—why do you not speak? Are you angry, son of your blind parents?
सशल्य इव दुःखार्तः शोचन् दुष्कृतम् आत्मनः स भीत इव राजेन्द्रस् ताव् उवाचाथ नारद
Like one pierced by a dart, tormented by sorrow, grieving for his own misdeed, the king, fearful, then spoke to them, O Nārada.
उदपानं च कुरुतां तच् छ्रुत्वा नृपभाषितम् नायं वक्ता सुतो ऽस्माकं को भवांस् तत् पुरा वद
Hearing the king's words, 'Let us have water,' they said: 'This is not our son speaking—who are you? Tell us truly.'
पश्चात् पिबावः पानीयं ततो राजाब्रवीच् च तौ
'Let us drink water afterward,' the king then said to them.
तत्र तिष्ठति वां पुत्रो यत्र वारिसमाश्रयः
'Your son stands there, where the water is kept.'
तच् छ्रुत्वोचतुर् आर्तौ तौ सत्यं ब्रूहि न चान्यथा आचचक्षे ततो राजा सर्वम् एव यथातथम्
Hearing this, the two afflicted ones said, 'Speak the truth, do not deceive us.' Then the king told them everything, just as it was.
ततस् तु पतितौ वृद्धौ तत्रावां नय मा स्पृश ब्रह्मघ्नस्पर्शनं पापं न कदाचिद् विनश्यति
Then the two aged ones fell down and said, 'Lead us there. Do not touch us—the touch of a slayer of a Brahmin is a sin that never perishes.'