पपात पादयोस्तस्या वेपमानाखिलांगकः । उत्थापितस्तया देव्या प्रीतिविह्वलया स च
He fell at her feet, his whole body trembling; and she, the gracious queen, overwhelmed with affection, raised him up.
किमर्थमागतः सौम्य वनं मुनिजनप्रियम् । आस्ते स कुशली देवः कौसल्याशुक्तिमौक्तिकः
For what reason, gentle one, have you come to this forest, beloved of sages? Does the king, the pearl from Kausalyā's shell, fare well?
अरोषो मयि कश्चित्स कीर्त्या केवलयादृतः । कीर्त्यते सर्वलोकैश्च कल्याणगुणसागरः
Has he any anger toward me, or is he honored only for his fame? He, the ocean of auspicious virtues, is praised by all the worlds.
अकीर्तिभीतिमापन्नस्त्यक्तुं मां त्वां नियुक्तवान् । यदि ततश्च लोकेषु कीर्तिस्तस्यामलाभवत्
Out of fear of infamy, he ordered you to abandon me; and thus, his fame in the worlds remains spotless.
मृत्वापि पतिसत्कीर्तिं कुर्वंत्या मे हि सुस्थिरा । पतिसामीप्यमेवाशु भूयादेव हि देवर
Even after death, a steadfast wife brings honor to her husband; may I swiftly attain nearness to my husband, O noble brother-in-law.
त्यक्तयापि मया तेन नासौ त्यक्तो मनागपि । फलं हि साधनायत्तं हेतुः फलवशो न तु
Though I was abandoned by him, I have not abandoned him in the least; for the fruit depends on effort, not on the outcome itself.
कौसल्याशल्यशून्यासौ कृपापूर्णा सदा मयि । आस्ते कुशलिनी यस्याः पुत्रस्त्रैलोक्यपालकः
Kausalyā, free from sorrow and ever full of compassion for me, prospers, whose son is the protector of the three worlds.
सर्वे कुशलिनः संति भरताद्याश्च बांधवाः । सुमित्रा च महाभागा यस्याः प्राणादहं प्रिया
All are well—Bharata and the other kinsmen, and the illustrious Sumitrā, to whom I am dearer than life.
मद्वत्किं त्वमपि त्यक्तः सर्वलोकेषु कीर्तये । राज्ञः किं दुस्त्यजं तस्य स्वात्मापि यस्य न प्रियः
Like me, have you too been abandoned for the sake of fame in all the worlds? What is hard for the king to give up, for whom even his own self is not dear?
इत्येवं बहुधा पृष्टस्तया रामानुजः सताम् । उवाच कुशली देवः कुशलं त्वयि पृच्छति
Thus questioned in many ways by her, Rāma's brother replied, 'The lord is well and inquires after your welfare.'
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च याश्चान्या राजयोषितः । पप्रच्छुः कुशलं देवि प्रीत्या त्वामाशिषा सह
Kausalyā, Sumitrā, and the other royal ladies, O goddess, have affectionately asked after your well-being, together with their blessings.
कुशलप्रश्नपूर्वं हि तव पादाभिवंदनम् । निवेदयामि शत्रुघ्न भरताभ्यां कृतं शुभे
First offering you salutations at your feet, I convey the greetings and well-wishes made to you by Śatrughna and Bharata, O blessed one.
गुरुभिर्गुरुपत्नीभिः सर्वाभिरपि ते शुभे । दत्ताशीः कुशलप्रश्नः कृतश्च त्वयि जानकि
By the elders and their wives, O blessed one, you have been given blessings and asked after with concern, O Jānakī.
आकारयति देवस्त्वां निर्व्यलीकेन चात्मवान् । अलभ्यान्यरतिस्त्वत्तोऽन्यत्र सर्वत्र भामिनि
The lord calls you, openly and sincerely; apart from you, O radiant one, he finds no delight anywhere.
शून्या एव दिशः सर्वास्त्वां विना जनकात्मजे । पश्यन्रोदिति नाथो नो रोदयन्नितरानपि
All directions are empty without you, daughter of Janaka; the lord weeps as he looks for you, and does not make others weep.
यत्र देवि स्थितासि त्वं नित्यं स्मरति राघवः । अशून्यं तु तमेवासौ मन्यमानो विदेहजे
Wherever you dwell, O goddess, Rāghava remembers you always; he considers only that place, O daughter of Videha, as not empty.
धन्योऽयमाश्रमो जातो वाल्मीकेर्यत्र जानकी । कालं क्षपति वार्ताभिर्मदीयाभिर्वदन्निति
Blessed is this hermitage of Vālmīki, where Jānakī resides; he passes the time speaking of my affairs, saying thus.
उक्तवान्यद्रुदन्किंचित्स्वामी नस्त्वयि तच्छृणु । व्यक्तीभवति वक्तुर्यद्धृद्गतं तदसंशयम्
The master has spoken something else in grief about you; listen to that. Whatever is in the speaker's heart becomes clear, without doubt.
लोका वदंति मामेव सर्वेषामीश्वरेश्वरम् । अहं त्वदृष्टमेवैषां स्वतंत्रं कारणं ब्रुवे
People say I alone am the lord of all lords; but I declare that only what is unseen by you is the cause of their independence.
अदृष्टमेव कार्येषु सर्वेशोऽप्यनुगच्छति । ईशनीयाः कुतो नैतदन्वीयुः सुखदुःखयोः
Even the lord of all follows only the unseen in actions; how then could those who are to be ruled not follow it in happiness and sorrow?
धनुर्भंगे मतिभ्रंशे कैकय्या मरणे पितुः । अरण्यगमने तत्र हरणे तव वारिधेः
In the breaking of the bow, the loss of wisdom, the death of the father by Kaikeyī, the journey to the forest, and your abduction by the ocean-dweller—
तरणे रक्षसां भर्तुर्मारणेऽपि रणेरणे । सहायीभवने मह्यमृक्षवानररक्षसाम्
In crossing the ocean, in the slaying of the lord of the demons in battle, in the gaining of allies for me among bears, monkeys, and demons—
लाभे तव प्रतिज्ञायाः सत्यत्वे च सतीमणे । पुनः स्वबंधुसंबंधे राज्यप्राप्तौ च भामिनि
In the fulfillment of your vow, O jewel among women, in its truth, in the restoration of kinship, and in the attainment of the kingdom, O beautiful one—
पुनः प्रियावियोगे च कारणं यदवारणम् । प्रसीदति तदेवाद्य संयोगे पुनरावयोः
Again, in the separation from the beloved, whatever is the cause of that, it is that which today brings about our reunion.
वेदोऽन्यथा कृतो येन लोकोत्पत्ति लयौ यतः । लोकाननुगतस्तस्मात्कारणं प्रथमं त्वहम्
By whom the Veda was made otherwise, from whom the creation and dissolution of the worlds arise; since the worlds follow me, I am the first cause.
अदृष्टमनुवर्तंते लोकाः संप्रतिबोधकाः । भोगेन जीर्यतेऽदृष्टं तत्तद्भुक्तं त्वया वने
People follow the unseen, which is the awakener; the unseen is worn away by enjoyment, and whatever you experienced in the forest has been consumed.
स्नेहोऽकारणकः सीते वर्धमानो मम त्वयि । लोकादृष्टे तिरस्कृत्य त्वामाह्वयत आदरात्
Love for you, O Sītā, is causeless and grows within me; disregarding the world's unseen, I call you with reverence.
शङ्कितेनापि दोषेण स्नेहनैर्मल्यमज्जनम् । भवतीति स वै शुद्ध आस्वाद्यो विबुधैः सदा
Even with suspicion of fault, the purity of love is cleansed; thus it is always pure and delightful to the wise.
स्नेहशुद्धिरियं भद्रे कृता मे त्वयि नान्यथा । मंतव्यं रक्षितोऽप्येष लोकः शिष्टानुवर्तिना
This purity of love, O gentle one, has been made by me for you, not otherwise; it should be considered that even this world is preserved by those who follow the virtuous.
आवयोर्निंदया देवि सर्वावस्था सुशुद्धये । लोको नश्येद्धि संमूढश्चरितैर्महतामयम्
By the reproach of us both, O goddess, in every circumstance, purity is attained; otherwise, the world would perish, confused by the actions of the great.