यो महत्कर्मदुःसाध्यं कृतवान्सुलभं न तत् । समुद्रं यो निजग्राह सेतुं तत्र बबंध च
'He who accomplished the great and difficult deed, which is not easily done—he restrained the ocean and built a bridge upon it.'
रावणं यो रिपुं हत्वा लंकां संभज्य वानरैः । जानकीमाजहारात्र महदाचारमाचरत्
'He who, having slain his enemy Ravana, conquered Lanka with the monkeys, and brought back Janaki that night, performed a great and noble act.'
इति प्रोक्तं समाकर्ण्य वचः सुमधुराक्षरम् । पतिः स्मितं चकारेमां वाक्यं पुनरथाब्रवीत्
Hearing these words, spoken in sweet and melodious syllables, the husband smiled and then spoke these words again.
मुग्धेनेदं महत्कर्म रामचंद्रस्य भामिनी । दशाननवधादीनि समुद्र दमनानि च
'O beautiful one, this great deed of Ramachandra—slaying the ten-headed one and subduing the ocean—was done in innocence.'
लीलयायोऽवनिं प्राप्तो ब्रह्मादिप्रार्थितो महान् । करोति सच्चरित्राणि महापापहराणि च
He, the great one, descended to the earth by his own will, entreated by Brahma and the others; he performs deeds of true virtue and those that remove great sins.
मा जानीहि नरं रामं कौसल्यानंददायकम् । सृजत्यवति हंत्येतद्विश्वं लीलात्तमानुषः
Do not think of Rama, the bringer of joy to Kausalya, as a mere man; this entire world he creates, sustains, and destroys as a pastime, though appearing as a human.
धन्या वयं ये रामस्य पश्यामो मुखपंकजम् । ब्रह्मादिसुरदुर्दर्शं महत्पुण्यकृतो वयम्
Blessed are we who behold the lotus face of Rama, which is difficult even for Brahma and the other gods to see; we are truly meritorious.
अशृणोद्रामचंद्रस्य चरित्रं श्रुतिसौख्यदम् । इत्यादिवाक्यं शुश्राव चारो द्वारिस्थितो मुहुः
A spy, standing at the door, repeatedly heard such words as: 'He who listens to the story of Rama, which brings delight to the ear...'
अन्यो ह्यन्यं गृहं गत्वा तस्थौ श्रोतुं हरेर्यशः । तत्रापि रामभद्रस्य यशः शुश्राव शोभनम्
Another, going to a different house, stayed there to hear the fame of Hari; there too, he heard the splendid glory of Ramabhadra.
खेलंती स्वामिना सार्धं द्यूतेन सुमनोहरा । उवाच वाक्यं मधुरं नर्तयंतीव कंकणे
A woman, playing charmingly at dice with her husband, spoke sweet words, her bangles seeming to dance as she did so.
जितं मया कांत जवेन सर्वं । करिष्यसि त्वं किमु हारिमानसः । इत्यादि वाक्यं परिहासपूर्वकं । कृत्वा स्वकांतं परिषस्वजे मुदा
"I have won everything swiftly, my dear; what will you do now, O proud one?"—thus, jokingly, she embraced her beloved with delight.
उवाच कांतश्चार्वंगि जितमेव सुशोभने । रामं मे स्मरतो नित्यं न कुत्रापि पराजयः
Her beloved replied, "Indeed, O beautiful one, you have won; but as long as I remember Rama, I am never defeated anywhere."
इदानीं त्वां तु जेष्यामि रामं स्मृत्वा मनोहरम् । देवा यथा पुरा स्मृत्वा दितिजानजयन्क्षणात्
"Now I shall defeat you, remembering the enchanting Rama, just as the gods of old, recalling him, instantly conquered the sons of Diti."
एवमुक्त्वा पाशकानां परिवर्तनमाकरोत् । तावज्जयं प्रपेदेऽसौ हर्षितो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
Having spoken thus, he changed the dice; then, attaining victory, he joyfully spoke these words.
मम प्रोक्तमृतं जातं जिता त्वं नवयौवना । रामस्मारी कदाप्येव न भवेद्रिपुतो भयी
"My words have come true, O newly youthful one, you are defeated; one who remembers Rama is never fearful of an enemy."
इत्येवं तौ वदंतौ च परस्परमथोत्सुकौ । परिरभ्य दृढं प्रेम्णा ततश्चारो गतो गृहम्
Thus, as the two eagerly spoke to each other and embraced tightly with love, the spy then went home.
एवं पंचमहाचारा राज्ञः संश्रुत्य वै यशः । परस्परं प्रशंसंतो गेहं स्वं स्वं ययुर्मुदा
In this way, the five great spies, having heard the king's fame, praised each other and joyfully went to their own homes.
एकः षष्ठश्चरः कारुगेहानालोक्य तत्र ह । जगाम श्रोतुकामोऽसौ यशो राज्ञो महीपतेः
A sixth spy, seeing the house of a washerman, went there, desiring to hear the fame of the king, the lord of the earth.
रजकः क्रोधसंस्पृष्टो भार्यामन्यगृहोषिताम् । पदा संताडयामास धिक्कुर्वञ्छोणनेत्रवान्
The washerman, seized by anger, struck his wife—who had stayed in another man's house—with his foot, reproaching her, his eyes red.
गच्छ त्वं मद्गृहात्तस्य गेहं यत्रोषिता दिनम् । नाहं गृह्णामि भवतीं दुष्टां वचनलंघिनीम्
"Go from my house to the home where you spent the day; I will not accept you, wicked one, who has disregarded my words."
तदास्य माता प्रोवाच मा त्यजैनां गृहागताम् । अपराधेन रहितां दुष्टकर्मविवर्जिताम्
Then his mother said to him, "Do not abandon her who has come home, free from offense and devoid of wicked deeds."
मातरं प्रत्युवाचाथ रजकः क्रोधसंयुतः । नाहं रामइव प्रेष्ठां गृह्णाम्यन्यगृहोषिताम्
But the washerman, filled with anger, replied to his mother, "I am not Rama, to accept a beloved who has stayed in another's house."
स राजा यत्करोत्येव तत्सर्वं नीतिमद्भवेत् । अहं गृह्णामि नो भार्यां परवेश्मनि संस्थिताम्
Whatever that king does, all of it becomes righteous; I do not accept a wife who resides in another's house.
पुनःपुनरुवाचेदं नाहं रामो महीश्वरः । यः परस्य गृहे संस्थां जानकीं वै ररक्ष सः
Again and again he said: I am not Rama, the lord of the earth; he who protected Janaki while she was in another's house, that was him.
इति वाक्यं समाश्रुत्य चारः क्रोधपरिप्लुतः । खड्गं गृहीत्वा स्वकरे तं हंतुं विदधे मनः
Hearing these words, the spy, overwhelmed by anger, took up his sword in his hand and resolved to kill him.
स रामोक्तं च सस्मार न वध्यः कोपि मे जनः । इति ज्ञात्वा सरोषं तु संजहार महामनाः
He remembered Rama's command: 'No one is to be killed by me.' Knowing this, the great-minded one restrained his wrath.
तदा श्रुत्वा सुदुःखार्तः पंचचारा यतः स्थिताः । ततो गतः प्रकुपितो निःश्वसन्मुहुरुच्छ्वसन्
Then, hearing this, deeply distressed, the five spies who were stationed there departed, agitated, sighing again and again.
ते वै परस्परं तत्र मिलितास्तु समब्रुवन् । स्वश्रुतं रामचरितं सर्वलोकैकपूजितम्
There, those assembled together spoke among themselves: 'The story of Rama, which we have heard, is honored by all the worlds.'
ते तद्भाषितमाकर्ण्य परस्परममंत्रयन् । न वाच्यं रघुनाथाया वाच्यं दुष्टजनोदितम्
Hearing those words, they consulted among themselves: 'It should not be spoken to Raghunatha; what was uttered by the wicked should not be spoken.'
इति संमंत्र्य ते गेहं गत्वा सुषुपुरुत्सुकाः । प्राता राज्ञे प्रशंसाम इति बुद्ध्या व्यवस्थिताः
Thus deliberating, they went home and slept, anxious; in the morning, they resolved in their minds to praise the king.