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.'
वसिष्ठो विचार्य सहर्षं राजानमुवाच
Vasistha, having considered, joyfully spoke to the king.
गत्वा वनं निखिलदानववीरहंता शंभोरनेकविधपूजनमातनोति । सीतावियोगरुषितः कपिसेनया च तीर्त्वोदधिं दशमुखं च निहंति रामः
Going to the forest, Rama will destroy all the demons, perform many kinds of worship to Shiva, and, angered by Sita's abduction, will cross the ocean with the monkey army and slay the ten-headed one.
आगम्य राज्यं रघुनंदनोऽपि बहूनि वर्षाणि समातनोति । प्रशस्तकीर्तिर्निखिलेपि लोके शर्वेण देवेन चिरं न्यवात्सीत्
Returning to the kingdom, the descendant of Raghu will rule for many years; his renowned fame will spread throughout the world, and Shiva will dwell with him for a long time.
सुपुत्रयुक्तो बहुयज्ञयाजी परिवृढः सर्वगुणाधिकश्च
He will be blessed with good sons, perform many sacrifices, grow in greatness, and surpass all in virtues.
इति वसिष्ठवचनं श्रुत्वा दशरथो रामगुणाननुस्मरन्नित्युवाच श्रेयो मे मरणं रामस्य निर्गमने इति
Hearing Vasistha's words, Dasaratha, recalling Rama's virtues, always said, 'For me, it is better to die than to see Rama depart.'
अथ रामो मातरं पितरं गुरुं च वसिष्ठं पितृपत्नीर्नमस्कृत्य वनाय जगाम
Then Rama, having bowed to his mother, father, his teacher Vasistha, and his father's wives, set out for the forest.
अथोपवने दिनमेकं स्थित्वा जटाः कारयित्वा वल्कलं वासो धृत्वैकोपवीती कृतदंतशुद्धिरेकेनोपवीतेन जटां बद्ध्वा भस्मोद्धूलितसर्वांगो भसित निष्ठुरकायो मुक्ताफलदाममणिव्यत्यस्त रुद्राक्षमालामुरसि दधानोऽल्पभूषणाधिभूषित सीतासहायो लक्ष्मणानुचरो विवेश वनांतरम्
Then, after spending one day in a grove, Rama had his hair matted, donned bark garments, wore a single sacred thread, cleansed his teeth, tied his matted hair with a single thread, covered his whole body with ashes, his body rough with ash, adorned his chest with a string of pearls, gems, and rudraksha beads, and, lightly ornamented, entered the depths of the forest accompanied by Sita and attended by Lakshmana.
अथानेक राक्षसांस्तस्मिन्निजघान भवानिव निखिलं चकार सीतापहरणादिनिखिलमपि भवता यथातथा स्याथ सुग्रीवाश्रममृष्यमूकपर्वतं रामो जगाम निबिडच्छायाचूतवृक्षमासाद्य लक्ष्मणसहायः परिश्रयमकल्पयत् । वृक्षे तु धनुषी आरोप्यासीनलक्ष्मणांके शिरः कृत्वा हरिचर्मशय्याशयनोलक्षितांगीतिं शृण्वन्वृक्षफलं निरीक्षमाणो वानरमेकं मणिकुंडलं हेमपिंगलं सदृढबद्धमौंजीकौपीनमच्छोपवीतिनमतिचंचलं फलमादायात्मनिविक्षिपंतं पुष्पमंजरीश्च किरंतं गानमनुकुर्वंतं व्यजनेन रामं वीजयंतमारुह्य शाखामपि तथा वीजयंतमाबद्धचूतफलमात्रं रामो वीक्ष्य लक्ष्मणमभाषत
There, he slew many demons, just as Shiva did, and all that befell—Sita's abduction and the rest—happened as it did to Shiva. Then Rama went to Sugriva's hermitage on Mount Rishyamuka, and, finding a dense-shaded mango tree, he rested there with Lakshmana. Placing his bow on the tree, sitting with Lakshmana's head on his lap, lying on a bed of deer skin, listening to the song of birds, watching the fruits, he saw a monkey, with jeweled earrings, tawny-gold, firmly tied with a grass girdle, wearing a clean sacred thread, very restless, taking fruit and putting it in his mouth, scattering flower clusters, imitating songs, fanning Rama with a fan, climbing a branch and fanning him again, and with only mango fruit tied up. Seeing this, Rama spoke to Lakshmana.
लक्ष्मण कोऽयं कपिरिति
Lakṣmaṇa, who is this monkey?
लक्ष्मणोऽपि न जान इत्युवाच अथ रामः समाहूय कस्य त्वं किं नामत्येपृच्छत्
Lakṣmaṇa also said he did not know; then Rāma, having called him near, asked, 'Whose are you? What is your name?'