लंकायां च प्रतिष्ठाप्य धर्मयुक्तं बिभीषणम् । सीतयासहितो रामः पुष्पकं समुपाश्रितः
Establishing Bibhishana, who was righteous, in Lanka, Rama, together with Sita, boarded the Pushpaka.
सुग्रीवहनुमत्सीतालक्ष्मणैः संयुतस्तदा । बिभीषणोऽपि सचिवैरन्वगाद्विरहोत्सुकः
Then, accompanied by Sugriva, Hanuman, Sita, and Lakshmana, Bibhishana, eager from separation, followed with his ministers.
लंकां स पश्यन्बहुधा भग्नप्राकारतोरणाम् । दृष्ट्वाऽशोकवनं तत्र सीतास्थानं मुमूर्च्छ ह
He beheld Lanka in many ways, with its ramparts and gateways shattered; seeing the Ashoka grove, the place of Sita, he fainted.
शिंशपांस्तत्र वृक्षांश्च पुष्पितान्कोरकैर्युतान् । राक्षसीभिः समाकीर्णान्मृताभिर्हनुमद्भयात्
There he saw the flowering shimshapa trees and others, laden with buds, surrounded by rakshasis who had died from fear of Hanuman.
इत्थं सर्वं विलोक्याशु रामः प्रायात्पुरीं प्रति । ब्रह्मादिदेवैः सहितः स्वीयस्वीयविमानकैः
Having swiftly observed all this, Rama proceeded towards the city, accompanied by Brahma and other gods in their respective aerial vehicles.
देवदुंदुभिनिर्घोषाञ्छृण्वञ्छ्रोत्रसुखावहान् । तथैवाप्सरसां नृत्यैः पूज्यमानो रघूत्तमः
Hearing the pleasing sounds of divine drums, and being honored by the dances of the apsaras, the best of the Raghu dynasty proceeded.
सीतायै दर्शयन्मार्गे तीर्थान्याश्रमवंति च । मुनींश्च मुनिपुत्रांश्च मुनिपत्नीः पतिव्रताः
Showing Sita along the way the holy places and hermitages, as well as sages, their sons, and the sage wives devoted to their husbands.
यत्रयत्र कृतावासाः पूर्वं रामेण धीमता । तान्सर्वान्दर्शयामास लक्ष्मणेन समन्वितः
Wherever dwellings had previously been established by the wise Rama, he showed them all, accompanied by Lakshmana.
इत्येवं दर्शयंस्तस्यै रामोऽद्राक्षीत्स्वकां पुरीम् । तस्याः पुनः समीपे तु नंदिग्रामं ददर्श ह
Thus showing her in this way, Rāma beheld his own city; and near to it, he saw the village of Nandigrāma.
यत्र वै भरतो राजा पालयन्धर्ममास्थितः । भ्रातुर्वियोगजनितं दुःखचिह्नं वहन्बहु
There, indeed, Bharata the king, established in righteousness, was ruling, bearing many marks of sorrow born from separation from his brother.
गर्तशायी ब्रह्मचारी जटावल्कलसंयुतः । कृशांगयष्टिर्दुःखार्तः कुर्वन्रामकथां मुहुः
Sleeping on the ground, observing celibacy, clad in matted hair and bark garments, emaciated and afflicted by grief, he repeatedly recited the stories of Rāma.
यवान्नमपि नो भुंक्ते जलं पिबति नो मुहुः । उद्यंतं सवितारं यो नमस्कृत्य ब्रवीति च
He does not eat even barley food, nor does he drink water often; saluting the rising sun, he says:
जगन्नेत्रसुरस्वामिन्हर मे दुष्कृतं महत् । मदर्थे रामचंद्रोऽपि जगत्पूज्यो वनं ययौ
O eye of the world, lord of the gods, remove my great sin; for my sake, even Rāmacandra, worshipped by the world, went to the forest.
सीतया सुकुमारांग्या सेव्यमानोऽटवीं गतः । या सीता पुष्पपर्यंके वृंतमासाद्य दुःखिता
Attended by Sītā, whose limbs are delicate, he entered the forest; Sītā, who, having reached a bed of flowers, became afflicted with sorrow.
या सीता रविसंतापं कदापि प्राप नो सती । मदर्थे जानकी सा च प्रत्यरण्यं भ्रमत्यहो
Sītā, who never before experienced the heat of the sun, now, for my sake, wanders through the wilds—alas, Jānakī herself!
या सीता राजवृंदैश्च न दृष्टा नयनैः कदा । सा सीता दृश्यते नूनं किरातैः कालरूपिभिः
Sītā, whom even the eyes of royal assemblies never beheld, now, surely, is seen by hunters, figures of death.
या सीता मधुरं त्वन्नं भोजिता न बुभुक्षति । सा सीताद्य वनस्थानि फलानि प्रार्थयत्यहो
Sītā, who, having eaten sweet food, never felt hunger, now, alas, desires the fruits found in the forest.
इत्येवमन्वहं सूर्यमुपस्थाय वदत्यदः । प्रातःप्रातर्महाराजो भरतो रामवल्लभः
Thus, every day, after approaching the sun, the great king Bharata, devoted to Rāma, speaks these words morning after morning.
यश्चोच्यमानः सचिवैः समदुःखसुखैर्बुधैः । नीतिज्ञैः शास्त्रनिपुणैरिति प्रोवाच तान्नृपः
And when addressed by ministers, wise in happiness and sorrow, skilled in policy and learned in the scriptures, the king replied to them thus:
अमात्या दुर्भगं मां किं प्रब्रूत पुरुषाधमम् । मदर्थे मेऽग्रजो रामो वनं प्राप्यावसीदति
O ministers, why do you speak to me, the most unfortunate and lowest of men? For my sake, my elder brother Rāma, having entered the forest, suffers.
दुर्भगस्य मम प्रस्वाः पापमार्जनमादरात् । करोमि रामचंद्रांघ्रिं स्मारं स्मारं सुमंत्रिणः
The sleep of one so unfortunate as I is but a diligent cleansing of sin; remembering again and again the feet of Rāmacandra, O Sumant, I perform it.
धन्या सुमित्रा सुतरां वीरसूः स्वपतिप्रिया । यस्यास्तनूजो रामस्य चरणौ सेवतेऽन्वहम्
Truly blessed is Sumitrā, mother of a hero, devoted to her husband, whose son daily serves the feet of Rāma.
यत्र ग्रामे स्थितो नूनं भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः । विलापं प्रकरोत्युच्चैस्तं ग्रामं स ददर्श ह
In that village, surely, Bharata, devoted to his brother, dwells, uttering loud lamentations; that village he beheld.
शेष उवाच। अथ तद्दर्शनोत्कण्ठा विह्वलीकृतचेतसा । पुनः पुनः स्मृतो भ्राता भरतो धार्मिकाग्रणीः
Śeṣa said: Then, with his heart agitated by longing for that meeting, again and again Bharata, foremost in righteousness, remembered his brother.
उवाच च हनूमंतं बलवंतं समीरजम् । प्रस्फुरद्दशनव्याज चन्द्रकांतिहतांधकः
And he spoke to Hanumān, the mighty son of the Wind, whose teeth flashed, dispelling darkness like moonstone under moonlight:
शृणु वीर हनूमंस्त्वं मद्गिरं भ्रातृनोदिताम् । चिरंतनवियोगेन गद्गदीकृतविह्वलाम्
Hear, O hero Hanumān, my words spoken by my brother, trembling and choked with emotion from long separation.
गच्छ तं भ्रातरं वीर समीरणतनूद्भव । मद्वियोगकृशां यष्टिं वपुषो बिभ्रतं हठात्
Go to that brother, O hero born of the wind, who bears a body grown thin from separation from me, like a frail staff.
यो वल्कलं परीधत्ते जटां धत्ते शिरोरुहे । फलानां भक्षणमपि न कुर्याद्विरहातुरः
He wears bark garments, his hair matted upon his head, and, afflicted by separation, does not even partake of fruits.
परस्त्री यस्य मातेव लोष्टवत्कांचनं पुनः । प्रजाः पुत्रानिवोद्रक्षेद्बांधवो मम धर्मवित्
For whom another's wife is like a mother, and gold is like clay; who protects his subjects as his own sons—he is my kinsman, wise in dharma.
मद्वियोगजदुःखाग्निज्वालादग्धकलेवरम् । मदागमनसंदेश पयोवृष्ट्याशु सिंचतम्
His body, scorched by the flames of sorrow from my absence, should be swiftly sprinkled with the rain of joy from the news of my return.