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.
संज्ञां प्राप्तं तु संवीक्ष्य रामचंद्रं सुदुःखितम् । उवाच दुःखनाशाय वाक्यं तु सुमनोहरम्
Observing Rama regain consciousness, though deeply distressed, he spoke words most pleasing, meant to dispel his grief.
कोऽयं वै रजकः किंतु वाच्यं वाक्यं यथाब्रवीत् । जिह्वाच्छेदं करिष्यामि जानकीवाच्यकारिणः
Who is this washerman, and what exactly did he say? I will cut out the tongue of the one who uttered slander against Sita.
तदा रामोऽब्रवीद्वाक्यं रजकस्य मुखोद्गतम् । श्रुतं चारेण तत्सर्वं भरताय महात्मने
Then Rama spoke the words that came from the mouth of the washerman, all of which had been heard by the spy and reported to the noble Bharata.
तच्छ्रुत्वा भरतः प्राह भ्रातरं दुःखशोकिनम् । जानकीवह्निशुद्धाभूल्लंकायां वीरपूजिता
Hearing this, Bharata addressed his grief-stricken brother: 'Sita was purified by fire in Lanka and honored by heroes.'
ब्रह्माब्रवीदियं शुद्धा पिता दशरथस्तव । कथं सा रजकोक्तित्वाद्धातव्या लोकपूजिता
'Brahma declared her pure, as did your father Dasharatha. How can she, revered by the world, be abandoned because of a washerman's words?'
ब्रह्मादिसंस्तुता कीर्तिस्तवलोकान्पुनाति हि । सा कथं रजकोक्त्या वै कलुषाद्य भविष्यति
'Her fame, praised by Brahma and others, sanctifies the worlds. How can she now become tainted because of a washerman's statement?'
तस्मात्त्यज महादुःखं सीतावाच्यसमुद्भवम् । कुरु राज्यं तया सार्धमंतर्वत्न्या सुभाग्यया
'Therefore, give up the great sorrow arising from slander against Sita. Rule the kingdom together with her, your most fortunate wife.'
त्वं कथं स्वशरीरं तु हातुमिच्छसि शोभनम् । वयं हताः स्म सर्वेऽद्य त्वां विना दुःखनाशकम्
'How can you wish to abandon your own noble body? Without you, we are all as good as dead, for you are the destroyer of our sorrow.'
क्षणं सीता न जीवेत त्वां विना सुमहोदया । तस्मात्पतिव्रता साकं भुनक्तु विपुलां श्रियम्
'Sita, of great fortune, would not live even a moment without you. Therefore, let her, devoted to her husband, enjoy abundant prosperity with you.'
इति वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य भरतस्य च धार्मिकः । पुनरेव जगादेमं वाक्यं वाक्यविदां वरः
Hearing these words of Bharata, the righteous one, Rama, best among speakers, again spoke these words: