गुल्मैराच्छाद्य चात्मानं निगूढं सा स्थिता तदा । एकान्ते तु तदा सीतां ज्ञात्वा राघवनन्दनः ॥ २,१०.
Concealing herself among the bushes, she remained hidden; then, Rāghava's son, knowing Sītā was alone, at that moment—
विमृश्य सुचिरं कालमिदं किमिति सत्वरम् । किञ्चित्क्वचिद्गता साध्वी त्रपायाः कारणेन हि ॥ २,१०.
After pondering for a long time, he wondered why this was so; the virtuous lady had gone somewhere for a reason related to modesty.
किं वा न भोजयन्विप्रान्सी तामन्वेषयाम्यहम् । विमृशन्नेवमेवं स स्वयं विप्रानभोजयत् ॥ २,१०.
Why should I not feed the Brahmins? I myself seek her out, pondering thus, and so he himself did not feed the Brahmins.
गतेषु द्विजमुख्येषु प्रियां रामोऽब्रवीदिदम् । कथं तलासु लीना त्वं मुनीन्दृष्ट्वा समागतान् ॥ २,१०.
When the foremost Brahmins had departed, Rama spoke these words to his beloved: 'How did you hide in the lower regions when you saw the assembled sages?'
तत्सर्वं मम तन्वङ्गि कारणं वद मा चिरम् । एवमुक्ता तदा भर्त्रा सीता साधोमुखी स्थिता । मुञ्चन्ती चाश्रुसंघातं राघवं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २,१०.
Tell me, slender-waisted one, the reason for all this without delay. Thus addressed by her husband, Sita, her face turned downward in modesty, shedding a stream of tears, spoke to Raghava these words.
सीतोवाच । शृणु त्वं नाथ यद्दृष्टमाश्चर्यमिह यादृशम् ॥ २,१०.
Sita said: 'Listen, my lord, to the wondrous thing I saw here.'
पिता तव मया दृष्टो ब्राह्मणाग्रे तु राघवः । सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तोद्वौ चान्यौ च तथाविधौ ॥ २,१०.
Your father, O Raghava, I saw before the Brahmins, adorned with all ornaments, and two others like him as well.
दृष्ट्वा त्वत्पितरञ्चाहमपक्रान्ता तवान्तिकात् । वल्कलाजिनसंवीता कथं राज्ञः पुरः प्रभो ॥ २,१०.
Seeing your father, I withdrew from your presence, clothed in bark and deer skin—how could I, so attired, appear before the king, O lord?
भवामि रिपुवीरघ्न सत्यमेतदुहाहृतम् । स्वहस्तेन कथं देयं राज्ञे वा भोजनं मया ॥ २,१०.
O destroyer of enemy heroes, this is the truth as I have experienced it. How could I, with my own hand, offer food to the king?
दासानामपि ये दासा नोपभुञ्जन्ति कर्हिचित् । तृणपात्रे कथं तस्मै अन्नं दातुं हि शक्रुयाम् ॥ २,१०.
Even the servants of servants never partake in such a manner; how could I give food to him in a vessel of grass?
याहं राज्ञा पुरा दृष्टा सर्वाभरणभूषिता । सा स्वेदमलदिग्धाङ्गी कथं यास्यामि भूपतिम् । अपकृष्टास्मि तेनाहं त्रपया रघुनन्दन । श्रीभागवानुवाच ॥ २,१०.
I, who was once seen by the king adorned with all ornaments, how could I, now smeared with sweat and dirt, approach the lord of the earth? Because of this, O delight of the Raghu line, I was overcome with shame and withdrew. The Blessed Lord said:
इति श्रुत्वा प्रियावाक्यं रामो विस्मितमानसः ॥ २,१०.
Hearing these loving words, Rama was filled with wonder.
आश्चर्यमिति तज्ज्ञात्वा तदा स्वस्थानमागमत् । सीतया पितरो दृष्टा यथा तत्ते निवेदितम् ॥ २,१०.
Recognizing this as a marvel, he then returned to his own place. Sita saw the ancestors as she described to you.
अपरं श्राद्धमाहात्म्यं किञ्चिच्छृणु समासतः । अमावस्यादिने प्राप्ते गृहद्वारे समास्थिताः ॥ २,१०.
Now hear briefly another greatness of the Śrāddha rite: On the day of the new moon, the ancestors, having become wind-like, stand at the door of the house.
वायुभूताः प्रवाञ्छन्ति श्राद्धं पितृगणा नृणाम् । यावदस्तमयं भानोः क्षुत्पिपासासमाकुलाः ॥ २,१०.
Having become like the wind, the hosts of ancestors eagerly desire the Śrāddha of men, afflicted by hunger and thirst until the sun sets.
ततश्चास्तं गते सूर्ये निराशा दुःखसंयुताः । निःश्वसन्तश्चिरं यान्ति गर्हयन्तस्तु वंशजम् ॥ २,१०.
Then, when the sun has set, hopeless and joined with suffering, sighing for a long time, they depart, reproaching their own descendant.
तस्माच्छ्राद्धं प्रयत्नेन अमायां कर्तुमर्हति । यदि श्राद्धं प्रकुर्वन्ति पुत्राद्यास्तस्य बान्धवाः ॥ २,१०.
Therefore, one should diligently perform Śrāddha on the new moon; if his sons or other relatives perform Śrāddha, then—
उद्धृता ये गयाश्राद्धे ब्रह्मलोकञ्च तैः सह । भजन्ते क्षुत्पिपासा वा न तेषां जायते क्वचित् ॥ २,१०.
Those who are uplifted by the Gayā Śrāddha, together with them, attain the world of Brahma; for them, hunger and thirst never arise anywhere.
तस्माच्छ्राद्धं प्रयत्नेन सम्यक्कुर्याद्विचक्षणः । तस्माच्छ्राद्धं चरेद्भक्त्या शाकैरपि यथाविधि ॥ २,१०.
Therefore, the wise should carefully and properly perform Śrāddha; thus, one should perform Śrāddha with devotion, even with vegetables, according to rule.
कुर्वीत समये श्राद्धं कुले कश्चिन्न सीदति । आयुः पुत्रान्यशः स्वर्गं कीर्तिं पुष्टिं बलं श्रियम् ॥ २,१०.
If Śrāddha is performed at the proper time, no one in the family falls into misfortune; one obtains long life, sons, fame, heaven, glory, nourishment, strength, and prosperity.
पशून्सौख्यं धनं धान्यं प्राप्नुयात्पितृपूजनात् । देवकार्यादपि सदा पितृकार्यं विशिष्यते ॥ २,१०.
By honoring the ancestors, one obtains cattle, happiness, wealth, and grain; the rites for the ancestors are always superior even to those for the gods.
देवताभ्यः पितॄणां हि पूर्वमाप्यायनं शुभम् । ये यजन्ति पितॄन्देवान्ब्राह्मणांश्च हुताशनम् ॥ २,१०.
Indeed, the first and auspicious replenishment is for the ancestors before the gods; those who worship the ancestors, the gods, the Brahmins, and the sacred fire—
सर्वभूतान्तरात्मानं मामेव हि यजन्ति ते । स्मार्तेन विधिना श्राद्धं कृत्वा स्वविभवोचितम् ॥ २,१०.
They worship Me alone, the inner Self of all beings, by performing the śrāddha according to the prescribed rite and to the best of their ability.
आब्राह्मस्तम्बपर्यन्तं जगत्प्रीणाति मानवः । अन्नप्रकिरणं यत्तु मनुष्यैः क्रियते भुवि ॥ २,१०.
Whatever scattering of food is performed on earth by humans gladdens the world from Brahmā down to the blade of grass.
तेन तृप्तिमुपायान्ति ये पिशाचत्वमागताः । यच्चाम्बुः स्नानवस्त्रेभ्यो भूमौ पतति खेचर ॥ २,१०.
By that, those who have become spirits (piśācas) attain satisfaction; and whatever water from bathing or washing falls to the ground, O sky-roaming one,
तेन ये तरुतां प्राप्तास्तेषां तृप्तिः प्रजायते । यानि गन्धाम्बूनि चैव पतन्ति धरणीतले ॥ २,१०.
By that, those who have taken birth as trees find satisfaction; and whatever fragrant waters fall upon the surface of the earth,
तेन चाप्यायनं तेषां ये देवत्वमुपागताः । ये चापि स्वकुलाद्बाह्याः क्रियायोग्या ह्यसंस्कृताः ॥ २,१०.
By that, replenishment comes also to those who have attained divinity; and those who are outside their own lineage, unfit for rites, and uninitiated—
विपन्नास्ते तु विकिरसंमार्जनजलाशिनः । भुक्त्वा चाचमनं यच्च जलं यच्चाह्नि सेवितम् ॥ २,१०.
Those who have fallen, who subsist on scattered offerings, sweepings, and water, and whatever water is left after eating and sipping, and whatever is consumed during the day—
ब्राह्मणानां तथैवान्यत्तेन तृप्तिं प्रयान्ति वै । पिशाचत्वमनुप्राप्ताः कृमिकीटत्वमेव ये ॥ २,१०.
By that, Brahmins and others, even those who have become spirits or taken birth as worms and insects, attain satisfaction.
उद्धृतेष्वन्नपिण्डेषु भुवि ये चान्नकाङ्क्षिणः । तैरेवाप्यायनं तेषां ये मनुष्यत्वमागताः ॥ २,१०.
When rice-balls are offered and there are those on earth who desire food, by those very offerings, those who have attained human birth are replenished.