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.
इन्द्रेण व्यसनं प्राप्तं पुरा वै रघुनन्दन । नहुषः स्थापितो देवैः सर्वैर्मघवतः पदे
Once, O joy of the Raghus, even Indra was struck by misfortune; Nahusha was installed by all the gods in the place of Maghavat.
स्थितः पङ्कजमध्ये च बहुवर्षगणानपि । अज्ञातवासं मघवा भीतस्त्यक्त्वा निजं पदम्
Maghavat, abandoning his own position out of fear, dwelled unknown for many years in the midst of a lotus.
पुनः प्राप्तं निजस्थानं काले विपरिवर्तिते । नहुषः पतितो भूमौ शापादजगराकृतिः
When time had turned, he regained his own place; Nahusha, due to a curse, fell to the earth in the form of a serpent.
इन्द्राणीं कामयानस्तु ब्राह्मणानवमन्य च । अगस्तिकोपात्सञ्जातः सर्पदेहो महीपतिः
Desiring Indrani and disrespecting the Brahmins, the king was transformed into a serpent's body by the wrath of Agastya.
तस्माच्छोको न कर्तव्यो व्यसने सति राघव । उद्यमे चित्तमास्थाय स्थातव्यं वै विपश्चिता
Therefore, O Rāghava, one should not grieve in adversity; the wise must set their mind on effort and stand firm.
सर्वज्ञोऽसि महाभाग समर्थोऽसि जगत्पते । किं प्राकृत इवात्यर्थं कुरुषे शोकमात्मनि
You are all-knowing, O greatly fortunate one, and capable, O lord of the world; why do you, like an ordinary man, indulge in such excessive grief?
व्यास उवाच इति लक्ष्मणवाक्येन बोधितो रघुनन्दनः । त्यक्त्वा शोकं तथात्यर्थं बभूव विगतज्वरः
Vyāsa said: Thus, instructed by Lakṣmaṇa's words, Rāghava abandoned his deep sorrow and became free from distress.
रामाय देवीवरदानम् व्यास उवाच एवं तौ संविदं कृत्वा यावत्तूष्णीं बभूवतुः । आजगाम तदाऽऽकाशान्नारदो भगवानृषिः
Vyāsa said: After the two had thus conversed and become silent, at that moment the venerable sage Nārada descended from the sky.
रणयन्महतीं वीणां स्वरग्रामविभूषिताम् । गायन्बृहद्रथं साम तदा तमुपतस्थिवान्
Playing a great vīṇā adorned with melodious notes, singing the Brhadratha Sāma, he approached them.
दृष्ट्वा तं राम उत्थाय ददावथ वृषं शुभम् । आसनं चार्घ्यपाद्यञ्च कृतवानमितद्युतिः
Seeing him, Rāma rose and offered him a fine bull, as well as a seat, water for washing the feet, and arghya, his splendor undiminished.
पूजां परमिकां कृत्वा कृताञ्जलिरुपस्थितः । उपविष्टः समीपे तु कृताज्ञो मुनिना हरिः
Having performed the highest worship, Rāma stood before the sage with joined palms; then, Hari, having expressed his gratitude, sat nearby the sage.
उपविष्टं तदा रामं सानुजं दुःखमानसम् । पप्रच्छ नारदः प्रीत्या कुशलं मुनिसत्तमः
Then Nārada, the best of sages, seeing Rāma seated with his brother and troubled in mind, affectionately inquired about his welfare.
कथं राघव शोकार्तो यथा वै प्राकृतो नरः । हृतां सीतां च जानामि रावणेन दुरात्मना
How can Rāghava, afflicted by grief like an ordinary man, know that Sītā has been taken by the wicked Rāvaṇa?
सुरसद्मगतश्चाहं श्रुतवाञ्जनकात्मजाम् । पौलस्त्येन हृतां मोहान्मरणं स्वमजानता
I, dwelling in the abode of the gods, have heard that the daughter of Janaka was abducted by the descendant of Pulastya, who, blinded by delusion, was unaware of his own impending death.
तव जन्म च काकुत्स्थ पौलस्त्यनिधनाय वै । मैथिलीहरणं जातमेतदर्थं नराधिप
Your birth, O Kākutstha, was indeed for the destruction of the Pulastya lineage; the abduction of Maithilī happened for this very purpose, O king among men.
पूर्वजन्मनि वैदेही मुनिपुत्री तपस्विनी । रावणेन वने दृष्टा तपस्यन्ती शुचिस्मिता
In a previous birth, Vaidehī was the daughter of a sage, devoted to austerity; Rāvaṇa saw her in the forest, engaged in penance, radiant with a pure smile.
प्रार्थिता रावणेनासौ भव भार्येति राघव । तिरस्कृतस्तयाऽसौ वै जग्राह कबरं बलात्
Rāvaṇa desired her, saying, 'Become my wife,' O Rāghava; rejected by her, he forcibly seized her hair.
शशाप तत्क्षणं राम रावणं तापसी भृशम् । कुपिता त्यक्तुमिच्छन्ती देहं संस्पर्शदूषितम्
At that very moment, O Rāma, the ascetic woman, angered and wishing to abandon her body tainted by his touch, cursed Rāvaṇa severely.
दुरात्मंस्तव नाशार्थं भविष्यामि धरातले । अयोनिजा वरा नारी त्यक्त्वा देहं जहावपि
For the destruction of that wicked one, I shall be born on earth as a woman not born from a womb; having abandoned her body, she departed.
सेयं रमांशसम्भूता गृहीता तेन रक्षसा । विनाशार्थं कुलस्यैव व्याली स्रगिव सम्भ्रमात्
She, born from a portion of Ramā, was seized by that demon; for the destruction of his lineage, she entered like a garland, trembling with agitation.