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.
शेष उवाच। इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य महावज्रनिभाक्षरम् । निःश्वसन्मुहुरुच्छ्वासमाचरन्मूर्च्छितोऽपतत्
Śeṣa said: Hearing these words, weighty as thunderbolts, he sighed repeatedly and, overcome, fell down fainting.
तं मूर्च्छितं नृपं दृष्ट्वा चारा दुःखसमन्विताः । वीजयामासुर्वासोग्रैर्दुःखापनय हेतवे
Seeing the king unconscious, the guards, filled with sorrow, began to fan him with their garments to relieve his distress.
स लब्धसंज्ञो नृपतिर्मुहूर्तेन जगाद तान् । गच्छंतु भरतं शीघ्रं प्रेषयंतु च मां प्रति
Regaining consciousness after a moment, the king spoke to them: 'Go quickly to Bharata and send him to me at once.'
ते दुःखिताश्चरास्तूर्णं भरतस्य गृहं गताः । कथयामासु रामस्य संदेशं नयहारकाः
The sorrowful guards hurried to Bharata's house and conveyed Rāma's message as envoys of the king.
भरतो रामसंदेशं श्रुत्वा धीमान्ययौ सदः । रामं प्रति रहःसंस्थं श्रुत्वा तं त्वरया युतः
Hearing Rāma's message, wise Bharata went at once to the assembly, hastening to where Rāma was waiting in private.
आगत्य तं प्रतीहारं प्रत्युवाच महामनाः । कुत्रास्ते रामभद्रोऽसौ मम भ्राता कृपानिधिः
Arriving there, the great-minded Bharata said to the doorkeeper: 'Where is that blessed Rāma, my brother, the treasure of compassion?'
तन्निर्दिष्टं गृहं वीरो ययौ रत्नमनोहरम् । रामं विलोक्य विक्लांतं भयमाप स मानसे
Directed to the splendid, jewel-adorned house, the hero went and, seeing Rāma distressed, was seized by fear in his heart.
किं वासौ कुपितो रामः किं वा दुःखमिदं विभोः । तदा प्रोवाच नृपतिं निःश्वसंतं मुहुर्मुहुः
'Is Rāma angry, or is this some great sorrow of the lord?' Thinking thus, he addressed the king, who was sighing again and again.
स्वामिन्सुखसमाराध्यं वक्त्रं ते कथमानतम् । अश्रुभिर्लक्ष्यते राहुग्रस्तदेहः शशीव ते
'Master, your face, usually so easy to please, is now downcast and marked by tears, like the moon eclipsed by Rāhu.'
सर्वं मे कारणं तथ्यं ब्रूहि मां किं करोमि ते । त्यज दुःखं महाराज कथं दुःखस्य भाजनम्
'Tell me the true reason for all this; what can I do for you? Abandon your sorrow, O great king; why be a vessel of grief?'
एवं भ्रात्रा प्रोच्यमानो गद्गदस्वरया गिरा । प्रोवाच भ्रातरं वीरो रामचंद्रश्च धार्मिकः
Thus addressed by his brother in a voice choked with emotion, the heroic and righteous Rāmacandra spoke to him.
शृणु भ्रातर्वचो मह्यं मम दुःखस्य कारणम् । तन्मार्जनं कुरुष्वाद्य भ्रातः प्रातर्महामते
'Listen, brother, to my words and the cause of my sorrow. Remove it today, O wise one, tomorrow morning.'
वंशे वैवस्वते राजा न कश्चिदयशः क्षतः । मत्कीर्तिरद्य कलुषा गंगायमुनया गता
'In the lineage of Vaivasvata, no king has ever suffered disgrace. But today my fame is stained, carried away to the Gaṅgā and Yamunā.'
येषां यशो नृणां भूमौ तेषामेव सुजीवितम् । अपकीर्तिक्षतानां तु जीवितं मृतकैः समम्
'Only those whose honor remains on earth truly live; for those whose reputation is wounded, life is as good as death.'
येषां यशो भवेद्भूमौ तेषां लोकाः सनातनाः । अपकीर्त्युरगी दष्टास्तेषां भूयादधोगतिः
'Those whose fame endures on earth attain the eternal worlds; but those bitten by the serpent of infamy surely fall to ruin.'
अद्य मे कलुषा कीर्तिः स्वर्धुनी लोकविश्रुता । तच्छृणुष्व वचो मेऽद्य रजकेन यथोदितम्
'Today my reputation is stained, though once renowned as pure as the heavenly river. Now hear from me what the washerman has said.'
अस्मिन्पुरेऽद्य रजक उक्तवाञ्जानकीभवम् । किंचिद्वाच्यं ततो भ्रातः किं करोमि महीतले
Today in this city, a washerman has spoken about Sita; therefore, brother, tell me—what should I do on this earth?
किमात्मानं जहाम्यद्य किमेनां जानकीं स्त्रियम् । उभयोः किं मया कार्यं तत्तथ्यं ब्रूहि मे भवान्
Should I abandon my own life today, or should I forsake this woman Sita? What should I do regarding both? Speak the truth to me.
इत्युक्त्वा निर्गलद्बाष्पो वेपथु क्षुभितांगकः । पपात भूमौ विरजो धार्मिकाणां शिरोमणिः
Having spoken thus, with tears streaming, trembling and his body agitated, the pure and righteous jewel among the virtuous fell to the ground.
भ्रातरं पतितं दृष्ट्वा भरतो दुःखसंयुतः । संवीक्ष्य शनकै रामं प्राप्तसंज्ञं चकार सः
Seeing his brother fallen, Bharata, overcome with sorrow, gazed slowly at Rama and restored him to consciousness.