इति वाक्यं शिशूनां सा समाकर्ण्य सुदारुणम् । पपात भूतलोपस्थे दुःखयुक्ता रुरोद ह
Hearing these harsh words spoken by the children, she, overwhelmed by sorrow, fell to the ground and wept.
सीतोवाच। कथं नृपो दयाहीनो बालेन सह युध्यति । अधर्मकृतदुर्बुद्धिर्यो मद्बालं न्यपातयत्
Sita spoke: How can a king devoid of compassion fight against a child? He, acting unrighteously and with evil intent, has struck down my boy.
लव वीरभवान्कुत्र वर्ततेऽति बलान्वितः । कथं त्वं निष्कृपस्याहो राज्ञोऽहार्षीद्धयोत्तमम्
Where is Lava, endowed with heroic strength? How did you, alas, bring the excellent horse to the merciless king?
त्वं बालस्ते दुराक्रांताः सर्वशस्त्रविशारदाः । रथस्था विरथस्त्वं वै कथं युद्धं समं भवेत्
You are a child, while they are all experts in weapons and difficult to overcome. You were on foot, they in chariots—how could the battle have been equal?
ताताहं तु त्वया सार्द्धं रामत्यागासुखं जहौ । इदानीं रहिता युष्मत्कथं जीवामि कानने
My dear, together with you I abandoned the comfort of Rama's home; now, bereft of you, how shall I live in the forest?
एहि मां मुंच यज्ञाश्वं गच्छत्वेष महीपतिः । मद्दुःखं नाभिजानासि मम दुःखप्रमार्जकः
Come to me, release the sacrificial horse; let the king depart. He does not know my sorrow, nor is he the remover of my grief.
कुशो यद्यभविष्यत्स रणे वीरशिरोमणिः । अमोचयिष्यदधुना भवंतं भूपपार्श्वतः
If Kusha, the foremost among warriors, had been present in battle, he would have freed you from the king's side by now.
सोऽपि मद्दैवतो नास्ति समीपे किं करोम्यतः । दैवमेव ममाप्यत्र कारणं दुःखसंभवे
But even my own deity is not near me—what can I do now? Fate alone is the cause of my suffering here.
एवमादि बहुश्रीमत्येषा वै विललाप ह । पादांगुष्ठेन लिखती भूमिं नेत्रद्वयाश्रुभिः
Thus, in many ways, this noble lady lamented, tracing the earth with her toe, her two eyes streaming with tears.
बालान्प्रति जगादासौ पृथुकः स च भूपतिः । कथं मत्सुतमापात्य रणे कुत्र गमिष्यति
Addressing the children, the king Pṛthuka spoke: 'After striking down my son in battle, where will he go?'
इति वाक्यं वदत्येषा जानकी पतिदेवता । तावत्कुशस्तु संप्राप्त उज्जयिन्या महर्षिभिः
As Janaki, devoted to her husband, was speaking these words, at that very moment Kusha arrived at Ujjayini with the great sages.
माघासितचतुर्दश्यां महाकालं समर्च्य च । प्राप्य भूरिवरांस्तस्मादागमन्मातृसन्निधौ
On the fourteenth day of the bright fortnight of Magha, having worshipped Mahakala and received the best gifts from the land, he came into his mother's presence.
जानकीं विह्वलां दृष्ट्वा नेत्रोद्भूताश्रु विक्लवाम् । शोकविह्वलदीनांगीं बभाषे यावदुत्सुकः
Seeing Janaki distraught, her eyes filled with tears and her body weakened by grief, he, eager, spoke to her.
तदा स्वबाहुरवदत्स्फुरद्युद्धाभिशंसनः । हृदये चरणोत्साहो बभूवातिरथस्य हि
Then, with his own arm, he spoke, his words trembling with the promise of battle; in his heart arose the urge for heroic action.
स प्रत्युवाच जननीं दीनगद्गदभाषिणीम् । मातस्तव गतं दुःखं मयि पुत्र उपस्थिते
He replied to his mother, who spoke in a distressed and faltering voice: 'Mother, your sorrow has departed now that your son is present.'
मयि जीवति ते नेत्रादश्रूणि भुवि नो पतन् । प्रसूमुवाचाश्रुखिन्नां दीनगद्गदभाषिणीम्
While I live, your tears will not fall to the earth from your eyes; he spoke thus to his mother, distressed and tearful, in a faltering voice.
कुशो दुःखमितः सद्यो दुःखितां धीरमानसः । मम भ्राता लवः कुत्र वर्तते वैरिमर्दनः
Kusha, who measures sorrow, was immediately distressed in mind; he wondered, 'Where is my brother Lava, the destroyer of enemies, now?'
सदा मामागतं ज्ञात्वा प्रहर्षन्सन्निधावियात् । न दृश्यते कथं वीरः कुत्र रंतुं गतो बली
He would always come to me joyfully, knowing I had arrived; why is this hero not seen, where has the mighty one gone to sport?
केन वा सह बालत्वाद्गतो मां वै निरीक्षितुम् । किं त्वं रोदिषि मे मातर्लवः कुत्र स वर्तते
With whom, due to his youth, has he gone, perhaps to look at me? But mother, why do you weep? Where is that Lava now?
तन्मे कथय सर्वं यत्तव दुःखस्य कारणम् । तच्छ्रुत्वा पुत्रवाक्यं सा दुःखिता कुशमब्रवीत्
Tell me everything, what is the cause of your sorrow; hearing her son's words, she, afflicted, spoke to Kusha.
लवो धृतो नृपेणात्र केनचिद्धयरक्षिणा । बबंध बालको मेत्र हयं यागक्रियोचितम्
Lava was seized here by a king, a protector of horses; the boy tied up the horse meant for the sacrificial rite.
तद्रक्षकान्बहूञ्जिग्ये एकोऽनेकान्रिपून्बली । राजा तं मूर्च्छितं कृत्वा बबंध रणमूर्धनि
He, powerful, defeated many of the guards, though alone against many enemies; the king, making him unconscious, bound him on the battlefield.
बालका इति मामूचुः सहगंतार एव हि । ततोऽहं दुःखिता जाता निशम्य लवमाधृतम्
They, his companions, told me, 'He is a boy'; then I became distressed, hearing that Lava had been captured.
त्वं मोचय बलात्तस्मात्काले प्राप्तो नृपोत्तमात् । निशम्य मातुर्वचनं कुशः कोपसमन्वितः । जगाद तां दशन्नोष्ठं दंतैर्दंतान्विनिष्पिषन्
You must free him by force from that great king when the time comes; hearing his mother's words, Kusha, filled with anger, spoke to her, biting his lip and grinding his teeth.
कुश उवाच। मातर्जानीहि तं मुक्तं लवं पाशस्य बंधनात् । इदानीं हन्मि तं बाणैः समग्रबलवाहनम्
Kusha said: Mother, know that I will free Lava from the bonds of the noose; now I will slay that king with arrows, along with his entire force.
यदि देवोऽमरो वापि यदि शर्वः समागतः । तथापि मोचये तस्माद्बाणैर्निशितपर्वभिः
Even if he is a god, or an immortal, or if Shiva himself has come, still I will free him from there with arrows tipped with sharp points.
मा रोदिषि मातरिह वीराणां रणमूर्छितम् । कीर्तयेऽत्र भवत्येव पलायनमकीर्तये
Do not weep here, mother, for the fainting of heroes in battle; for you, I will bring fame here, and I will not bring disgrace by fleeing.
देहि मे कवचं दिव्यं धनुर्गुणसमन्वितम् । शिरस्त्राणं च मे मातः करवालं तथाशितम्
Give me the divine armor, the bow with its string, the helmet for my head, mother, and the sharpened sword as well.
इदानीं यामि समरे पातयामि बलं महत् । मोचयामि भ्रातरं स्वं रणमध्याद्विमूर्छितम्
Now I go to battle, I will strike down the great army, and I will free my brother, who has fallen unconscious in the midst of the fight.
न मोचयाम्यद्य पुत्रं तव मातर्महारणात् । तदा तौ मे भवत्पादौ संरुष्टौ भवतां क्षितौ
If today I do not free your son from the great battle, mother, then let your feet be covered with dust by me and my brother.