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.
शेष उवाच। प्रातर्नित्यं विधायासौ ब्राह्मणान्वेदवित्तमान् । हिरण्यदानैः संतर्प्य विधिवत्संसदं ययौ
Shesha said: In the morning, having performed his daily rites, he satisfied the Brahmins learned in the Vedas with gifts of gold, and then, according to custom, went to the assembly.
लोकाः सर्वे नमस्कर्तुं रघुनाथं महीपतिम् । पुत्रवत्स्वप्रजाः सर्वाः पालयंतं ययुः सभाम्
All the people went to bow to Raghunatha, the king, who protected all his subjects as his own children, and entered the assembly.
लक्ष्मणेनातपत्रं तु धृतं मूर्धनि भूपतेः । तदा भरतशत्रुघ्नौ चामरद्वंद्व धारिणौ
Lakshmana held the royal umbrella over the king's head; at that time, Bharata and Shatrughna held the pair of fly-whisks.
वसिष्ठप्रमुखास्तत्र मुनयः पर्युपासत । सुमंत्रप्रमुखास्तत्र मंत्रिणो न्यायकर्तृकाः
There, the sages led by Vasishtha attended; there also, the ministers led by Sumantra, who were upholders of justice.
एवं प्रवृत्ते समये षट्चारास्ते स्वलंकृताः । समाजग्मुर्नरपतिं नमस्कर्तुं सभास्थितम्
As this occasion unfolded, the six spies, adorned, approached the king, who was seated in the assembly, to bow to him.
तान्वक्तुकामान्संवीक्ष्य चारान्नृपतिसत्तमः । सभायामंतरावेश्म रहः प्राविशदुत्सुकः
Seeing the spies wishing to speak, the excellent king, eager, entered a private chamber within the assembly.
एकांते तांश्चरान्सर्वान्पप्रच्छ सुमतिर्नृपः । कथयंतु चरा मह्यं यथातथ्यमरिंदमाः
In a secluded place, the king Sumati questioned all the spies: 'Let the spies tell me the truth, O subduers of enemies.'
लोका ब्रुवंति मां कीदृग्भार्याया मम कीदृशम् । मंत्रिणां कीदृशं लोका वदंति चरितं कथम्
'What do people say about me, about my wife, and what do they say about my ministers? How do people speak of our conduct?'
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य चारा राममथाब्रुवन् । मेघगंभीरया वाचा पृच्छंतं रघुनायकम्
Hearing these words, the spies then spoke to Rama, who was asking, with voices deep as thunderclouds.
चारा ऊचुः। नाथ कीर्तिर्जनान्सर्वान्पावयत्यधुना भुवि । गृहेगृहे श्रुतास्माभिः पुरुषैः स्त्रीभिरीडिता
The spies said: 'Lord, your fame now purifies all people on earth; in every house, we have heard it praised by men and women.'