ततः प्रयाते जनके केकयं मातुलं प्रभुः । राघवः प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। ७.३८.
After Janaka departed, Raghava, with joined palms, spoke these words to his maternal uncle, the lord of Kekaya.
इदं राज्यमहं चैव भरतश्च सलक्ष्मणः । आयत्तास्त्वं हि नो राजन्गतिश्च पुरुषर्षभ ।। ७.३८.
This kingdom, myself, Bharata, and Lakshmana are all dependent on you, O king, and our path as well, best of men.
राजा हि वृद्धः सन्तापं त्वदर्थमुपयास्यति । तस्माद्गमनमद्यैव रोचते तव पार्थिव ।। ७.३८.
The king is aged and will come to you out of concern for your sake; therefore, O ruler, it is fitting for you to depart today.
लक्ष्मणेनानुयात्रेण पृष्ठतो ऽनुगमिष्यते । धनमादाय विपुलं रत्नानि विविधानि च ।। ७.३८.
With Lakshmana accompanying you, you will follow behind, taking abundant wealth and various jewels.
युधाजित्तु तथेत्याह गमनं प्रति राघवम् । रत्नानि च धनं चैव त्वय्येवाक्षय्यमस्त्विति ।। ७.३८.
Yudhajit agreed to Raghava regarding the departure, saying, 'May the jewels and wealth remain inexhaustible with you.'
प्रदक्षिणं स राजानं कृत्वा केकयवर्धनः । रामेण हि कृतः पूर्वमभिवाद्य प्रदक्षिणम् ।। ७.३८.
Having circumambulated the king, the lord of Kekaya, after first being saluted and circumambulated by Rama, departed.
लक्ष्मणेन सहायेन प्रयातः केकयेश्वरः । हते ऽसुरे यथा वृत्रे विष्णुना सह वासवः ।। ७.३८.
Accompanied by Lakshmana, the lord of Kekaya departed, just as Indra departed with Vishnu after the demon Vritra was slain.
तं विसृज्य ततो रामो वयस्यमकुतोभयम् । प्रतर्दनं काशिपतिं परिष्वज्येदमब्रवीत् ।। ७.३८.
Then, having dismissed him, Rāma embraced his fearless friend, Pratardana, king of Kāśī, and spoke these words:
दर्शिता भवता प्रीतिर्दर्शितं सौहृदं परम् । उद्योगश्च कृतो राजन्भरतेन त्वया सह ।। ७.३८.
You have shown affection, you have shown the highest friendship, and, O king, you have made efforts together with Bharata.
तद्भवानद्य काशेय पुरीं वाराणसीं व्रज । रमणीयां त्वया गुप्तां सुप्रकाशां सुतोरणाम् ।। ७.३८.
Therefore, O prince of Kāśī, now return to your city Vārāṇasī, beautiful, well-guarded by you, splendid and with grand gateways.
एतावदुक्त्वा चोत्थाय काकुत्स्थः परमासनात् । पर्यष्वजत धर्मात्मा निरन्तरमुरोगतम् ।। ७.३८.
Having spoken thus, the descendant of Kakutstha rose from his exalted seat and embraced him closely, the righteous-souled one pressing him to his chest.
विसर्जयामास तदा कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनः । राघवेणाभ्यनुज्ञातः काशीशो ऽप्यकुतोभयः । वाराणसीं ययौ तूर्णं राघवेण विसर्जितः ।। ७.३८.
Then, the joy-increasing son of Kausalyā dismissed him; having been permitted by Rāghava, the fearless lord of Kāśī swiftly departed for Vārāṇasī, released by Rāghava.
विसृज्य तं काशिपतिं त्रिशतं पृथिवीपतीन् । प्रहसन्राघवो वाक्यमुवाच मधुराक्षरम् ।। ७.३८.
Having dismissed the king of Kāśī, Rāghava, smiling, addressed the three hundred kings with sweet words:
भवतां प्रीतिरव्यग्रा तेजसा परिरक्षिता । धर्मश्च नियतो नित्यं सत्यं च भवतां सदा ।। ७.३८.
Your affection is unwavering, protected by your power; your righteousness is constant, and truth is always with you.
युष्माकं चानुभावेन तेजसा च महात्मनाम् । हतो दुरात्मा दुर्बुद्धी रावणो राक्षसाधमः ।। ७.३८.
By your influence and the power of you great souls, the evil-minded, wicked Rāvaṇa, the lowest of Rākṣasas, was slain.
हेतुमात्रमहं तत्र भवतां तेजसा हतः । रावणः सगणो युद्धे सपुत्रामात्यबान्धवः ।। ७.३८.
I was merely the instrument there; by your power, Rāvaṇa was slain in battle, along with his followers, sons, ministers, and kinsmen.
भवन्तश्च समानीता भरतेन महात्मना । श्रुत्वा जनकराजस्य काननात्तनयां हृताम् ।। ७.३८.
And you were all brought together by the great-souled Bharata, when he heard that the daughter of King Janaka had been taken from the forest.
उद्युक्तानां च सर्वेषां पार्थिवानां महात्मनाम् । कालो व्यतीतः सुमहान्गमनं रोचयाम्यतः ।। ७.३८.
Now, the time for all you great kings, who were prepared, has passed; therefore, I wish for your departure.
प्रत्यूचुस्तं च राजानो हर्षेण महता वृताः । दिष्ट्यां त्वं विजयी राम स्वराज्ये ऽपि प्रतिष्ठितः ।। ७.३८.
The kings, filled with great joy, replied to him: 'By fortune, you are victorious, Rāma, and established in your own kingdom.'
दिष्ट्या प्रत्याहृता सीता दिष्ट्या शत्रुः पराजितः । एष नः परमः काम एषा नः पीतिरुत्तमा ।। ७.३८.
'By fortune, Sītā has been recovered; by fortune, the enemy has been defeated. This is our highest desire, this is our greatest joy.'
यत्त्वां विजयिनं राम पश्यामो हतशात्रवम् ।। ७.३८.
'That we see you, Rāma, victorious, with your enemy destroyed.'
एतत्त्वय्युपपन्नं च यदस्मांस्त्वं प्रशंससे । प्रशंसार्ह न जानीमः प्रशंसां वक्तुमीदृशीम् ।। ७.३८.
'It is fitting that you praise us in this way, but we do not know how to speak such praise, for you alone are worthy of praise.'
आपृच्छामो गमिष्यामो हृदिस्थो नः सदा भवान् । वर्तामहे महाबाहो प्रीत्यात्र महता वृताः । भवेच्च ते महाराज प्रीतिरस्मासु नित्यदा ।। ७.३८.
'We take our leave and will depart; you will always remain in our hearts. O mighty-armed one, we have spoken here with great affection; may you, O great king, always have affection for us.'
बाढमित्येव राजानो हर्षेण परमान्विताः । उचुः प्राञ्जलयः सर्वे राघवं गमनोत्सुकाः ।। ७.३८.
The kings, filled with supreme joy, replied, 'So be it,' and, with joined palms, all spoke to Rāghava, eager to depart.
पूजिताश्चैव रामेण जग्मुर्देशान्स्वकान्स्वकान् ।। ७.३८.
Having been honored by Rāma, they each returned to their own lands.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे ऽष्टात्रिंशः सर्गः
Thus ends the thirty-eighth chapter in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the holy Rāmāyaṇa, the first epic, composed by the sage Vālmīki.
ते प्रयाता महात्मानः पार्थिवास्ते प्रहृष्टवत् । गजवाजिसहस्रौघैः कम्पयन्तो वसुन्धराम् ।। ७.३९.
Those noble kings departed, filled with joy, shaking the earth with their armies of thousands of elephants and horses.
अक्षौहिण्यो हि तत्रासन्राघवार्थे समुद्यताः । भरतस्याज्ञया ऽनेकाः प्रहृष्टा बलवाहनाः ।। ७.३९.
Indeed, many divisions of troops assembled there, eager for Rāghava’s cause, joyfully mobilized by Bharata’s command.
ऊचुस्ते च महीपाला बलदर्पसमन्विताः । न रामरावणं युद्धे पश्यामः पुरतः स्थितम् ।। ७.३९.
The rulers of the earth, proud in their strength, declared: 'We do not see Rāma and Rāvaṇa standing before us in battle.'
भरतेन वयं पश्चात्समानीता निरर्थकम् । हता हि राक्षसाः क्षिप्रं पार्थिवैः स्युर्न संशयः ।। ७.३९.
'We have been brought here by Bharata without purpose; the rākṣasas would surely have been swiftly slain by the kings—there is no doubt.'