तत्रैव वार्षिकान्मासांस्तस्थौ लक्ष्मणसंयुतः । चिन्तयञ्जानकीं चित्ते दशाननहृतां प्रियाम्
There, together with Lakshmana, he stayed for the rainy months, constantly thinking in his heart of Janaki, his beloved taken by the ten-headed one.
लक्ष्मणं प्राह रामस्तु सीताविरहपीडितः । सौमित्रे कैकयसुता जाता पूर्णमनोरथा
Afflicted by separation from Sita, Rama said to Lakshmana, 'O Saumitri, the daughter of Kaikeyi has achieved her heart's desire.'
न प्राप्ता जानकी नूनं नाहं जीवामि तां विना । नागमिष्याम्ययोध्यायामृते जनकनन्दिनीम्
'Surely, if Janaki is not found, I will not live without her; I will not return to Ayodhya without the daughter of Janaka.'
गतं राज्यं वने वासो मृतस्तातो हृता प्रिया । पीडयन्मां स दुष्टात्मा दैवोऽग्रे किं करिष्यति
'The kingdom is lost, I dwell in the forest, my father is dead, and my beloved has been taken; that evil soul torments me—what will fate do next?'
दुर्ज्ञेयं भवितव्यं हि प्राणिनां भरतानुज । आवयोः का गतिस्तात भविष्यति सुदुःखदा
'O Bharata's younger brother, destiny is hard to know for living beings; what future awaits us, dear one, that will bring such great sorrow?'
प्राप्य जन्म मनोर्वंशे राजपुत्रावुभौ किल । वनेऽतिदुःखभोक्तारौ जातौ पूर्वकृतेन च
'Though born as princes in the illustrious line of Manu, both of us have come to suffer great hardship in the forest, all due to our past deeds.'
त्यक्त्वा त्वमपि भोगांस्तु मया सह विनिर्गतः । दैवयोगाच्च सौमित्रे भुंक्ष्व दुःखं दुरत्ययम्
You too have abandoned pleasures and departed with me; by the force of destiny, O Saumitri, endure this unbearable suffering.
न कोऽप्यस्मत्कुले पूर्वं मत्समो दुःखभाङ्नरः । अकिञ्चनोऽक्षमः क्लिष्टो न भूतो न भविष्यति
Never before in our lineage has there been a man as afflicted by suffering as I am—destitute, powerless, tormented—nor will there be.
किं करोम्यद्य सौमित्रे मग्नोऽस्मि दुःखसागरे । न चास्ति तरणोपायो ह्यसहायस्य मे किल
What can I do now, Saumitri? I am submerged in an ocean of sorrow, and for one without support like me, there is truly no means to cross.
न वित्तं न बलं वीर त्वमेकः सहचारकः । कोपं कस्मिन्करोम्यद्य भोगेस्मिन्स्वकृतेऽनुज
No wealth, no strength remains, O hero; you alone are my companion. Against whom should I direct my anger today, brother, when these sufferings are of my own making?
गतं हस्तगतं राज्यं क्षणादिन्द्रासनोपमम् । वने वासस्तु सम्प्राप्तः को वेद विधिनिर्मितम्
The kingdom, once firmly in hand and equal to Indra’s throne, is lost in a moment; now forest-dwelling has come—who knows what fate has ordained?
बालभावाच्च वैदेही चलिता चावयोः सह । नीता दैवेन दुष्टेन श्यामा दुःखतरां दशाम्
Because of her youthful nature, Vaidehī too was led astray with us; by the act of cruel fate, the dark-eyed one has been brought to an even more wretched state.
लङ्केशस्य गृहे श्यामा कथं दुःखं भविष्यति । पतिव्रता सुशीला च मयि प्रीतियुता भृशम्
How will the dark-complexioned one suffer in the house of the lord of Lanka? She is devoted to her husband, virtuous, and deeply attached to me.
न च लक्ष्मण वैदेही सा तस्य वशगा भवेत् । स्वैरिणीव वरारोहा कथं स्याज्जनकात्मजा
And, O Lakṣmaṇa, Vaidehī will not come under his control; how could Janaka’s daughter, so noble, act like a wanton woman?
त्यजेत्प्राणान्नियन्तृत्वे मैथिली भरतानुज । न रावणस्य वशगा भवेदिति सुनिश्चितम्
O Bharata’s younger brother, Maithilī would give up her life rather than submit to Rāvaṇa’s authority—of this I am certain.
मृता चेज्जानकी वीर प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्याम्यसंशयम् । मृता चेदसितापाङ्गीं किं मे देहेन लक्ष्मण
If Jānakī has died, O hero, I will surely abandon my life; if the dark-eyed one is dead, what use is this body to me, O Lakṣmaṇa?
एवं विलपमानं तं रामं कमललोचनम् । लक्ष्मणः प्राह धर्मात्मा सान्त्वयन्नृतया गिरा
As Rāma, lotus-eyed, lamented in this way, Lakṣmaṇa, righteous in soul, spoke to console him with truthful words.
धैर्यं कुरु महाबाहो त्यक्त्वा कातरतामिह । आनयिष्यामि वैदेहीं हत्वा तं राक्षसाधमम्
Take courage, mighty-armed one, and cast aside this despair; I will bring back Vaidehī after slaying that wicked Rākṣasa.
आपदि सम्पदि तुल्या धैर्याद्भवन्ति ते धीराः । अल्पधियस्तु निमग्नाः कष्टे भवन्ति विभवेऽपि
Those who are steadfast remain the same in adversity and prosperity through courage; but those of little understanding are overwhelmed by hardship, even in good fortune.
संयोगो विप्रयोगश्च दैवाधीनावुभावपि । शोकस्तु कीदृशस्तत्र देहेनात्मनि च क्वचित्
Union and separation are both subject to destiny; what kind of sorrow is there, then, for the body or the self at any time?
राज्याद्यथा वने वासो वैदेह्या हरणं यथा । तथा काले समीचीने संयोगोऽपि भविष्यति
Just as dwelling in the forest or the abduction of Vaidehī happened at the proper time, so too, at the right moment, reunion will surely come.
प्राप्तव्यं सुखदुःखानां भोगान्निर्वर्तनं क्वचित् । नान्यथा जानकीजाने तस्माच्छोकं त्यजाधुना
Pleasures and pains are to be experienced as they come; there is no other way, O knower of Jānakī—therefore, give up your grief now.
वानराः सन्ति भूयांसो गमिष्यन्ति चतुर्दिशम् । शुद्धिं जनकनन्दिन्या आनयिष्यन्ति ते किल
There are many monkeys, and they will go in all directions; they will surely bring you news of Janaka’s daughter’s purity.
ज्ञात्वा मार्गस्थितिं तत्र गत्वा कृत्वा पराक्रमम् । हत्वा तं पापकर्माणमानयिष्यामि मैथिलीम्
Once we know her whereabouts, I will go there, display my valor, slay that evil-doer, and bring back Maithilī.
ससैन्यं भरतं वाऽपि समाहूय सहानुजम् । हनिष्यामो वयं शत्रुं किं शोचसि वृथाग्रज
We shall summon Bharata with his army, or even with his younger brother, and together we will destroy the enemy; why do you grieve in vain, elder brother?
रघुणैकरथेनैव जिताः सर्वा दिशः पुरा । तद्वंशजः कथं शोकं कर्तुमर्हसि राघव
Once, with a single chariot, Raghu conquered all directions; as his descendant, Rāghava, how can you give in to sorrow?
एकोऽहं सकलाञ्जेतुं समर्थोऽस्मि सुरासुरान् । किं पुनः ससहायो वै रावणं कुलपांसनम्
Alone, I am capable of conquering all the gods and demons; what to say, then, when I have allies, of defeating Rāvaṇa, the disgrace of his lineage?
जनकं वा समानीय साहाय्ये रघुनन्दन । हनिष्यामि दुराचारं रावणं सुरकण्टकम्
Or, bringing Janaka to aid us, O joy of the Raghus, I will slay the wicked Rāvaṇa, the thorn of the gods.
सुखस्यानन्तरं दुःखं दुःखस्यानन्तरं सुखम् । चक्रनेमिरिवैकं यन्न भवेद्रघुनन्दन
After happiness comes sorrow, and after sorrow comes happiness; O joy of the Raghus, is there anything in this world that remains unchanged, like the rim of a wheel?
मनोऽतिकातरं यस्य सुखदुःखसमुद्भवे । स शोकसागरे मग्नो न सुखी स्यात्कदाचन
He whose mind is overly disturbed by the arising of happiness and sorrow is drowned in the ocean of grief and can never be happy.