स चातिथिस्तथेत्युक्त्वा निषसाद
That guest, saying 'So be it,' sat down.
अथ राजा जलमादाय पादौ प्रक्षाल्य गंधपुष्पाक्षतैरभ्यर्च्य महाजं तस्मै निवेद्य भोजनाय प्रार्थयामास
Then the king, taking water, washed his feet, worshipped him with fragrance, flowers, and rice grains, offered him great hospitality, and invited him to dine.
स चापि तदन्नं षड्रसोपेतं सौवर्णभाजनगतमीक्षमाणइवेतस्ततो विलोकयामास
And he, seeing that food endowed with six tastes, placed in a golden vessel, gazed intently at it.
तस्मिन्नेवावसरे सीता पद्मकिंजल्कप्रभेषदरुणवसनं बिभ्रती नीलकुटिलकुंतलैश्चलद्भिर्यूनां मनांस्याकर्षयद्भिः प्रेक्षमाणदृष्टिभग्नकलैरिव स्त्रीणां चित्तमीदृशमिति दर्शयद्भिरिवोपशोभित-ललाटानंगचापसुभ्रूपद्मपत्रारुणविलोचना तिलप्रसूननासामृदुस्निग्धरो मशकपोलानंतरा रक्तोष्ठराक्तासनमाणिक्यनिभदाडिमीदशना जपाकुसुमारुणाधरातिशोभितचिबुकाशुक्ति-कर्णासमदीर्घकंठातिमांसलवक्षाः पीनोद्भिन्नकुचकुड्मलानेकहारोपशोभिता सुभगाका-। रानतिमांसलबाहुलता मुग्धायतसमानांगुलिशिखापद्मारुणपल्लवाविविधबहुरत्नांगुलिभूषणामुष्टिग्राह्यमध्यासु रोमराजिगंभीरनाभिः पृथुजघनाकरिकरोरुस्तूणीरजंघासुपादकमला-नूपुरादि पादविभूषणा पादांगुलीभूषिता विकसितसौगंधिकं विदधती भुंजानमारीचस्य पुरतश्चागता
At that very moment, Sita appeared, wearing garments as red as the radiance of lotus filaments, her dark, curling locks moving and captivating the minds of the young, her glances breaking the composure of women as if to show, 'Such is the heart of women.' Her forehead shone, her eyebrows curved like Cupid's bow, her eyes red as lotus petals, her nose delicate as a sesame flower, her cheeks soft and smooth, the space between them glowing, her lips red as bimba fruit, her teeth like pomegranate seeds, her chin adorned and beautiful as a conch, her neck graceful, her chest full and well-formed, her breasts prominent and adorned with many necklaces, her arms plump, her fingers slender and rosy as lotus buds, adorned with various jeweled rings, her waist slender, her navel deep, her hips broad, her thighs like elephant trunks, her legs shapely, her feet adorned with anklets and ornaments, her toes decorated, exuding the fragrance of a blossoming blue lotus, and she approached, eating black pepper, before him.
वीक्ष्यासावचिंतयदेनां कथमपहरामि कथमालिंगामि कथमन्यत्किंचित्करोमीत्येवमवसरमलभमानस्तूष्णीमेव विनिर्गतः
Seeing her, he thought: 'How can I steal her? How can I embrace her? How can I do anything else?' But, finding no opportunity, he silently departed.
अथ देवा धनुःसज्जीकरणाय यतमाना अहंपूर्विकया विद्यमाना अन्योन्यतिरस्कारेण महेंद्रः प्राप धनुरुत्तमं प्रांतद्वयात्परं नावनमयितुं शशाक
Then the gods, striving to string the bow, each tried to surpass the others, but Mahendra, though first, obtained the excellent bow yet could not bend it even at the ends.
अथ सूर्यो धनुरादाय नमयन्नेव निपपात
Then Surya, taking up the bow and attempting to bend it, fell down.
वायुर्बलवतां श्रेष्ठो जग्राहाजगवमथ स्वेनैव करेणोत्कर्षयन्नधः पपात धनुश्च वायोरुपरि पपात अहसंस्तदा सर्वे
Vayu, best among the strong, seized the bow and tried to draw it with his own hand, but fell downward, and the bow fell upon Vayu; at that, all laughed.
एतस्मिन्नंतरे तुरगवरमारुह्य बाणासुरः सहस्रबाहुरनेकानेकशिरोभिर्दैत्यैः परिवृतः प्रह्लादसमेतो विदेहपुरीमाजगाम
Meanwhile, mounting the best horse, Bana the asura, thousand-armed, surrounded by many demons with countless heads, together with Prahlada, arrived at the city of Videha.
अथ स्वविभूषणोद्भासितां दिशं कुर्वन्स्वतेजसापयशसो देवताः कुर्वन्नानाविधगीतं शृण्वन्द्व्यंगुलमात्रेण शक्तो विरराम
Then, making the directions shine with his own ornaments and glory, hearing various songs of the gods, he stopped, able to do so with just two fingers' effort.
प्रह्लादोबलिश्चैवधावातेऽथविरेमतुः
Prahlada and Bali then ran forward and tried in turn.
अथ राक्षसेषु तूष्णींभूतेषु राजानोऽतिबलिनः समागता ज्याबंधाशक्ता अपसृत्य तस्थुः
Then, when the rakshasas fell silent, the mighty kings gathered, but, unable to string the bow, withdrew and stood aside.
अथ ब्राह्मणाः समागताः
Then the brahmins assembled.
अथ विश्वामित्रो धनुरादाय एकांगुलपर्यंतं सज्यं कृत्वा विरराम निवृत्ताश्चापरे
Then Visvamitra, taking up the bow, strung it up to one finger's length and stopped, while the others withdrew.
अथ दिनमात्रे धनुषि तूष्णींभूतेषु राघवः सहानुजैरागत्य धनुर्निरीक्ष्यास्पृशत्
Then, as the bow remained untouched for a whole day, Raghava arrived with his brothers, looked at the bow, and touched it.
अथ राजकुमाराः शतशः समागताः सर्वाभरणभूषिता धनुर्दृष्ट्वापस्पृशुर्न चालनक्षमाः
Then hundreds of royal princes, adorned with all ornaments, gathered, saw the bow, touched it, but were unable to move it.
अथ दाशरथिप्रमुखाःकुमाराः समागताः
Then the princes led by the son of Dasaratha assembled.
अथ वेत्रझर्झरपाणयः समागमन्सर्वानेवापसारयामासुः
Then those holding staffs and fly-whisks assembled and cleared everyone away.
अथ रामो लक्ष्मरणहस्तं गृहीत्वा सर्वाभरणभूषितो धनुरासाद्य स्पृष्ट्वा नत्वा प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य धनुरादायोद्दधार
Then Rama, adorned with all ornaments, taking Lakshmana's hand, approached the bow, touched it, bowed, circumambulated it, took up the bow, and lifted it.
तदादानसमये सर्व एवैत्य सहासमूचुः अत्र भग्ना महारथा इति
At the moment he took it up, all present laughed together and said, 'Here, even great chariot-warriors have been broken.'
अथ स रामो धनुर्ज्यास्थानमवनमय्य धनुषि जानुं कृत्वा सज्यमेककरेणोत्पादयन्कोट्यामनामयत्
Then Rama, bending down to place the bowstring on the bow, set his knee upon it and, holding it with one hand, drew the string and bent the bow with its tip.
अथसज्जीकृतं दृष्ट्वा सर्व एव नासाग्रन्यस्तांगुलयोऽभवन्
When all saw that the bow had been strung, they placed their fingers upon the tips of their noses in astonishment.
रामोऽपि ज्यामन्वनादयत् । तेन नादेन सर्वेषां मनांसि क्षुभितान्यासन्
Rama also made the bowstring resound; at that sound, the minds of all were shaken.
रामेणसज्यितं धनुरिति सर्वत्र वादः संजातः
Everywhere, people began to say, 'The bow has been strung by Rama.'
जनकोऽपि सीतां रामाय ददौ राजभिश्च युद्धं कृत्वा तान्निर्ज्जित्य स्वपुरीमागात्
Janaka then gave Sita to Rama, and after defeating the other kings in battle, he returned to his own city.
अथैकदा दशरथो रामं यौवराज्येभिषिच्य सुखी बभूव सर्वप्रजारंजनाच्च रामो राजानुमत इति सर्वप्रजावादोऽभूत्
Then, at one time, Dasaratha, having anointed Rama as crown prince, was delighted, and because Rama had the king's approval, there was talk among all the people that Rama would be king.
अथ कैकयदेशाधिपतितनया सुवेषा रामं राजानमसहमाना राजानमुवाच मम वरदानावसर इति राजाचिंतयत्किं देयमिति
Then the beautifully adorned daughter of the king of the land of Kaikeya, unable to bear Rama as king, spoke to the king, saying, 'Now is the time for my promised boon.' The king wondered what should be given.
देव्युवाच-। चतुर्दशवर्षाणि रामो वनं विशतु पालयतु राज्यं भरतः
The queen said: 'Let Rama go to the forest for fourteen years, and let Bharata rule the kingdom.'
राजानृतवचनदोषभयात्कथंकथमपि स्वीचकार
Fearing the fault of breaking his word, the king somehow agreed.
अथ वसिष्ठं भावितयावोचत रामो वनाय निर्गच्छति अस्य किंवा भवेदिति विचार्य शुभाशुभं ब्रूहि
Then, with a troubled mind, he spoke to Vasistha: 'Rama is going to the forest. What will come of this? Consider and tell me what is auspicious or inauspicious.'