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.'
विवस्वतो महान्वंशो भवता परमेष्ठिना । अलंकर्तुं गतं भूमौ कीर्तिर्विस्तारिता बहुः
The great lineage of Vivasvat has been adorned by you, O supreme one; your fame has spread widely upon the earth.
अनेके सगराद्याश्च कीर्तिमंतो महाबलाः । अभवंस्तादृशी कीर्तिस्तेषां नाभूद्यथा तव
Many, such as Sagara and others, were renowned and mighty; yet their fame was not as yours.
त्वया नाथेन सकलाः कृतार्थाश्च प्रजाः कृताः । यासां नाकालमरणं न च रागाद्युपद्रुतिः
By you as protector, all people have been fulfilled; for them there is neither untimely death nor afflictions such as passion.
यादृशश्चंद्रमालोके यादृशी जाह्नवी सरित् । तादृक्तव च सत्कीर्तिः प्रकाशयति भूतलम्
As the moon shines in the sky and as the river Jahnavi flows, so does your noble fame illumine the earth.
ब्रह्मादिका भवत्कीर्तिमाकर्ण्य त्रपिता भृशम् । नाथ सर्वत्र ते कीर्तिः पावयत्यधुना जनान्
Hearing your fame, O lord, even Brahma and the others are greatly abashed; now your renown purifies people everywhere.
वयं धन्यतमाः सर्वे ये चारास्तव भूपते । क्षणेक्षणे तव मुखं लोकयाम मनोहरम्
We are most fortunate, O king, and so are your spies, who behold your charming face moment by moment.
इत्यादिवाक्यं चाराणां पंचानां वीक्ष्य राघवः । षष्ठं पप्रच्छ चारं तं विलक्षणमुखांकितम्
Having heard such words from the five spies, Raghava then questioned the sixth spy, whose face was marked by unease.
राम उवाच। सत्यं वद महाबुद्धे यच्छ्रुतं लोकसंकरे । तादृक्प्रशंस मे सर्वमन्यथा पातकादिकृत्
Rama said: Speak the truth, O wise one, whatever you have heard among the people; praise me as is fitting, for otherwise you incur sin.
पुनः पुनश्च तं रामः पप्रच्छाशु सविस्तरम् । तथापि न ब्रवीत्येव रामं लौकिकभाषितम्
Again and again Rama quickly questioned him in detail, yet he did not speak to Rama in worldly language.
तदा रामः प्रत्यवोचच्चारं मुखविलक्षितम् । शपामि त्वां तु सत्येन शंस सर्वं यथातथम्
Then Rama addressed the spy, whose face was uneasy: I adjure you by truth—tell everything just as it is.
तदा रामं प्रत्युवाच चारो वाक्यं शनैः शनैः । अकथ्यमपि ते वाच्यं वाक्यं कारुजनोदितम्
Then the spy slowly replied to Rama: Even what should not be spoken must be told to you, as spoken by the people.
चार उवाच। स्वामिन्सर्वत्र ते कीर्तिर्दशाननवधादिका । अन्यत्र राक्षसगृहे स्थितायास्ते स्त्रिया अहो
The spy said: Master, your fame is everywhere, especially for slaying the ten-headed one; only in the house of the rakshasa-held woman is it otherwise.
कारुरेकस्तु रजको निशीथे महिलां स्वकाम् । अन्यगेहोषितां दृष्ट्वा धिक्कुर्वन्समताडयत्
There was a certain washerman named Karura who, at night, saw his wife—who had stayed in another's house—and, reproaching her, struck her.
तन्माता प्रत्युवाचेमां कथं ताडयसेऽनघाम् । गृहाण मा कृथा निंदां स्त्रियं मद्वाक्यमाचर
Her mother said to him: Why do you strike this blameless woman? Do not reproach your wife; heed my words.
तदावोचत्स रजको नाहं रामो महीपतिः । यद्राक्षसगृहेध्युष्टां सीतामंगीचकार सः
Then the washerman said: I am not Rama, the king, who accepted Sita though she had dwelt in the house of a rakshasa.
सर्वं राज्ञः कृतं कर्म नीतिमद्भवति प्रभो । अन्येषां पुण्यकर्तॄणामपि कृत्यमनीतिमत्
All that a king does, O lord, is righteous; but the deeds of others, even if virtuous, are deemed unrighteous.
पुनः पुनरुवाचासौ नाहं रामो महीपतिः । चुक्रुधे समये राजन्मया वाक्यं तव स्मृतम्
Again and again he said: I am not Rama, the king; I was angry at the time, O king, and your words came to my mind.
तदानीं शिर आच्छिद्य पातयामि महीतले। कृतः पुनर्विचारोमे क्व रामो रजकः क्व नु
At that time I thought to cut off my head and cast it upon the earth; again I reflected: where is Rama, and where is the washerman?
अयं दुष्टोऽनृतं वक्ति न हीदं तथ्यमुच्यते । आज्ञापयसि चेद्राम सांप्रतं मारयामि तम्
This wicked man speaks falsehood; what he says is not true. If you command it now, O Rāma, I will kill him.
अवाच्यमपि ते प्रोक्तं त्वदाग्रहत उन्नयम् । राजा प्रमाणमत्रेदं विचारयतु संगतम्
Even what should not be spoken has been said by me, compelled by your insistence. Let the king alone judge here what is appropriate.