अथ ब्राह्मणाः समागताः
Then the brāhmaṇas assembled.
अथ विश्वामित्रो धनुरादाय एकांगुलपर्यंतं सज्यं कृत्वा विरराम निवृत्ताश्चापरे
Then Viśvāmitra, taking up the bow, strung it up to the length of one finger, and rested; the others also withdrew.
अथ दिनमात्रे धनुषि तूष्णींभूतेषु राघवः सहानुजैरागत्य धनुर्निरीक्ष्यास्पृशत्
Then, when the bow had been silent for a day, Rāghava, together with his brothers, arrived, examined the bow, and touched it.
अथ राजकुमाराः शतशः समागताः सर्वाभरणभूषिता धनुर्दृष्ट्वापस्पृशुर्न चालनक्षमाः
Then hundreds of royal princes assembled, adorned with all ornaments; seeing the bow, they touched it, but were unable to move it.
अथ दाशरथिप्रमुखाःकुमाराः समागताः
Then the princes led by the sons of Daśaratha assembled.
अथ वेत्रझर्झरपाणयः समागमन्सर्वानेवापसारयामासुः
Then those with vetra and jharjhara in their hands assembled and drove everyone away.
अथ रामो लक्ष्मरणहस्तं गृहीत्वा सर्वाभरणभूषितो धनुरासाद्य स्पृष्ट्वा नत्वा प्रदक्षिणीकृत्य धनुरादायोद्दधार
Then Rāma, adorned with all ornaments, taking Lakṣmaṇa's hand, approached the bow, touched it, bowed, circumambulated it, took up the bow, and lifted it.
तदादानसमये सर्व एवैत्य सहासमूचुः अत्र भग्ना महारथा इति
At the moment of taking it up, everyone came together and laughed, saying, 'Here the great charioteers have been defeated.'
अथ स रामो धनुर्ज्यास्थानमवनमय्य धनुषि जानुं कृत्वा सज्यमेककरेणोत्पादयन्कोट्यामनामयत्
Then Rāma, placing the bowstring's position on the bow, set his knee on the bow, strung it with one hand, and bent it with the tip.
अथसज्जीकृतं दृष्ट्वा सर्व एव नासाग्रन्यस्तांगुलयोऽभवन्
Then, seeing it strung, everyone placed their fingers on the tip of their noses.
रामोऽपि ज्यामन्वनादयत् । तेन नादेन सर्वेषां मनांसि क्षुभितान्यासन्
Rāma also made the bowstring resound; with that sound, the minds of all were disturbed.
रामेणसज्यितं धनुरिति सर्वत्र वादः संजातः
Everywhere arose the discussion, 'The bow has been strung by Rāma.'
जनकोऽपि सीतां रामाय ददौ राजभिश्च युद्धं कृत्वा तान्निर्ज्जित्य स्वपुरीमागात्
Janaka gave Sītā to Rāma, and after fighting with the kings and defeating them, returned to his own city.
अथैकदा दशरथो रामं यौवराज्येभिषिच्य सुखी बभूव सर्वप्रजारंजनाच्च रामो राजानुमत इति सर्वप्रजावादोऽभूत्
Then, once, Daśaratha anointed Rāma as crown prince, became happy, and because Rāma pleased all the people, there was the saying among all, 'Rāma is approved by the king.'
अथ कैकयदेशाधिपतितनया सुवेषा रामं राजानमसहमाना राजानमुवाच मम वरदानावसर इति राजाचिंतयत्किं देयमिति
Then, the beautifully adorned daughter of the king of Kaikaya, unable to tolerate Rama being made king, spoke to the king, saying, 'Now is the time for my boon.' The king wondered, 'What should I give?'
देव्युवाच-। चतुर्दशवर्षाणि रामो वनं विशतु पालयतु राज्यं भरतः
The queen said: 'Let Rama go to the forest for fourteen years; let Bharata rule the kingdom.'
राजानृतवचनदोषभयात्कथंकथमपि स्वीचकार
Fearing the fault of breaking his word, the king somehow accepted her demand.
अथ वसिष्ठं भावितयावोचत रामो वनाय निर्गच्छति अस्य किंवा भवेदिति विचार्य शुभाशुभं ब्रूहि
Then, with a troubled mind, he spoke to Vasistha: 'Rama is going to the forest. What will happen as a result? Consider well and tell me what is auspicious or inauspicious.'
वसिष्ठो विचार्य सहर्षं राजानमुवाच
Vasistha, having considered, joyfully spoke to the king:
गत्वा वनं निखिलदानववीरहंता शंभोरनेकविधपूजनमातनोति । सीतावियोगरुषितः कपिसेनया च तीर्त्वोदधिं दशमुखं च निहंति रामः
Going to the forest, Rama will destroy all the demons; he will perform many kinds of worship to Shiva. Anguished by separation from Sita, and accompanied by the army of monkeys, he will cross the ocean and slay the ten-headed one.
आगम्य राज्यं रघुनंदनोऽपि बहूनि वर्षाणि समातनोति । प्रशस्तकीर्तिर्निखिलेपि लोके शर्वेण देवेन चिरं न्यवात्सीत्
After returning to the kingdom, the descendant of Raghu will rule for many years. His renowned fame will spread throughout the world, and Lord Shiva will dwell with him for a long time.
सुपुत्रयुक्तो बहुयज्ञयाजी परिवृढः सर्वगुणाधिकश्च
He will be blessed with good sons, perform many great sacrifices, grow in prosperity, and surpass all in virtues.
इति वसिष्ठवचनं श्रुत्वा दशरथो रामगुणाननुस्मरन्नित्युवाच श्रेयो मे मरणं रामस्य निर्गमने इति
Hearing Vasistha's words, Dasharatha, constantly recalling Rama's virtues, said, 'For me, it is better to die than to see Rama depart.'
अथ रामो मातरं पितरं गुरुं च वसिष्ठं पितृपत्नीर्नमस्कृत्य वनाय जगाम
Then Rama, after bowing to his mother, father, teacher Vasistha, and his father's wives, departed for the forest.
अथोपवने दिनमेकं स्थित्वा जटाः कारयित्वा वल्कलं वासो धृत्वैकोपवीती कृतदंतशुद्धिरेकेनोपवीतेन जटां बद्ध्वा भस्मोद्धूलितसर्वांगो भसित निष्ठुरकायो मुक्ताफलदाममणिव्यत्यस्त रुद्राक्षमालामुरसि दधानोऽल्पभूषणाधिभूषित सीतासहायो लक्ष्मणानुचरो विवेश वनांतरम्
Then, after staying one day in a grove, he had his hair matted, donned bark garments, wore a single sacred thread, purified his teeth, tied up his hair with a single thread, covered his whole body with ashes, his body rough with ash, adorned with only a few ornaments, a string of pearls, gems, and rudraksha beads on his chest, accompanied by Sita and followed by Lakshmana, he entered deep into the forest.
अथानेक राक्षसांस्तस्मिन्निजघान भवानिव निखिलं चकार सीतापहरणादिनिखिलमपि भवता यथातथा स्याथ सुग्रीवाश्रममृष्यमूकपर्वतं रामो जगाम निबिडच्छायाचूतवृक्षमासाद्य लक्ष्मणसहायः परिश्रयमकल्पयत् । वृक्षे तु धनुषी आरोप्यासीनलक्ष्मणांके शिरः कृत्वा हरिचर्मशय्याशयनोलक्षितांगीतिं शृण्वन्वृक्षफलं निरीक्षमाणो वानरमेकं मणिकुंडलं हेमपिंगलं सदृढबद्धमौंजीकौपीनमच्छोपवीतिनमतिचंचलं फलमादायात्मनिविक्षिपंतं पुष्पमंजरीश्च किरंतं गानमनुकुर्वंतं व्यजनेन रामं वीजयंतमारुह्य शाखामपि तथा वीजयंतमाबद्धचूतफलमात्रं रामो वीक्ष्य लक्ष्मणमभाषत
There, he slew many demons, just as Shiva did, and all the events such as Sita's abduction occurred as before. Then Rama went to Sugriva's hermitage on Mount Rishyamuka, found a dense-shaded mango tree, and, with Lakshmana, arranged a resting place. Placing his bow on the tree, resting his head on Lakshmana's lap, lying on a bed of deerskin, listening to the song of birds, watching the fruits, he saw a monkey with jeweled earrings, golden-brown, firmly tied with a munja girdle, pure-threaded, very restless, taking fruit and putting it in his mouth, scattering flower clusters, imitating songs, fanning Rama with a fan, climbing the branch and fanning him, and only taking mango fruit. Seeing this, Rama spoke to Lakshmana.
लक्ष्मण कोऽयं कपिरिति
Lakshmana, who is this monkey?
लक्ष्मणोऽपि न जान इत्युवाच अथ रामः समाहूय कस्य त्वं किं नामत्येपृच्छत्
Lakshmana also did not know and said so. Then Rama called out and asked, 'Whose are you? What is your name?'
स च सुग्रीवस्य हनूमानित्युवाच
He replied, 'I am Hanuman, servant of Sugriva.'
रामं नत्वा सुग्रीवमेत्य नत्वा देवनारायणइवापरः पुरुषो युवा मेघश्यामो जटी आजानुबाहुरतियशस्वी सूर्यसंकाशेन सहापरेण नरेण इहास्ते
After bowing to Rama, Hanuman approached Sugriva and bowed to him. He said, 'Here is another person, like the god Narayana, a young man, dark as a rain cloud, with matted hair, arms reaching to his knees, exceedingly famous, accompanied by another man shining like the sun.'