रुदन्तं प्राञ्जलिं दृष्ट्वा काङ्क्षन्तं मृत्युमात्मनः । मैथिली भृशसंविग्ना लक्ष्मणं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। ७.४७.
Seeing Lakṣmaṇa weeping, with folded hands, longing for death, Sītā, deeply disturbed, spoke to him these words.
किमिदं नावगच्छामि ब्रूहि तत्त्वेन लक्ष्मण । पश्यामि त्वां न च स्वस्थमपि क्षेमं महीपतेः ।। ७.४७.
What is this? I do not understand; tell me the truth, Lakṣmaṇa. I see you are not yourself, nor is there any well-being for the king.
शापितो ऽसि नरेन्द्रेण यत्त्वं सन्तापमागतः । तद्ब्रूयाः सन्निधौ मह्यमहमाज्ञापयामि ते ।। ७.४७.
You have been cursed by the king, and that is why you are so distressed. Tell me this in my presence; I command you.
वैदेह्या चोद्यमानस्तु लक्ष्मणो दीनचेतनः । अवाङ्मुखो बाष्पकलं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। ७.४७.
Urged by Vaidehī, Lakṣmaṇa, his mind dejected, with face turned downward and voice choked with tears, spoke these words.
श्रुत्वा परिषदो मध्ये ह्यपवादं सुदारुणम् । पुरे जनपदे चैव त्वत्कृते जनकात्मजे । रामः सन्तप्तहृदयो मा निवेद्य गृहं गतः ।। ७.४७.
Hearing, in the midst of the assembly and throughout the city and country, a most terrible reproach against you, O daughter of Janaka, Rāma, his heart tormented, returned home without informing you.
न तानि वचनीयानि मया देवि तवाग्रतः । यानि राज्ञा हृदि न्यस्तान्यमर्षात्पृष्ठतः कृतः ।। ७.४७.
O lady, I cannot speak before you the words which the king, out of anger, kept in his heart and commanded me in secret.
सा त्वं त्यक्ता नृपतिना निर्दोषा मम सन्निधौ । पौरापवादभीतेन ग्राह्यं देवि न ते ऽन्यथा ।। ७.४७.
You, though blameless, have been abandoned by the king in my presence, out of fear of public reproach; O lady, you must accept this, there is no other way.
आश्रमान्तेषु च मया त्यक्तव्या त्वं भविष्यसि । राज्ञः शासनमाज्ञाय तवेदं किल दौर्हृदम् ।। ७.४७.
At the edge of the hermitage, I am to leave you, as ordered by the king; this, O lady, is indeed your misfortune.
तदेतज्जाह्नवीतीरे ब्रह्मर्षीणां तपोवनम् । पुण्यं च रमणीयं च मा विषादं कृथाः शुभे ।। ७.४७.
Here, on the bank of the Jāhnavī, is the hermitage of the great sages, holy and beautiful; do not grieve, O noble lady.
राज्ञो दशरथस्येष्टः पितुर्मे मुनिपुङ्गवः । सखा परमको विप्रो वाल्मीकिः सुमहायशाः ।। ७.४७.
The illustrious sage Vālmīki, most renowned, is the dear friend and foremost of seers, cherished by King Daśaratha, my father.
पादच्छायामुपागम्य सुखमस्य महात्मनः । उपवासपरैकाग्रा वस त्वं जनकात्मजे ।। ७.४७.
Approach the shelter of that great soul's feet, O daughter of Janaka, and dwell there, devoted to fasting and single-mindedness.
पतिव्रतात्वमास्थाय रामं कृत्वा सदा हृदि । श्रेयस्ते परमं देवि तथा कृत्वा भविष्यति ।। ७.४७.
Abide in fidelity to your husband, keeping Rāma always in your heart; O lady, by doing so, your highest good will surely be attained.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तचत्वारिंशः सर्गः
Thus ends the forty-seventh sarga in the glorious Uttarakāṇḍa of the ancient and revered Rāmāyaṇa, composed by the sage Vālmīki.
लक्ष्मणस्य वचः श्रुत्वा दारुणं जनकात्मजा । परं विषादमागम्य वैदेही निपपात ह ।। ७.४८.
Hearing Lakṣmaṇa's harsh words, the daughter of Janaka, overwhelmed by grief, fell to the ground.
सा मुहूर्तमिवासञ्ज्ञा बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणा । लक्ष्मणं दीनया वाचा उवाच जनकात्मजा ।। ७.४८.
For a moment she lay unconscious, her eyes filled with tears; then, in a sorrowful voice, the daughter of Janaka spoke to Lakṣmaṇa.
मामिकेयं तनुर्नूनं सृष्टा दुःखाय लक्ष्मण । धात्रा यस्यास्तथा मे ऽद्य दुःखमूर्तिः प्रदृश्यते ।। ७.४८.
Surely, Lakṣmaṇa, this body of mine was created by the Creator for suffering, for today I am seen as the very embodiment of sorrow.
किं नु पापं कृतं पूर्वं को वा दारैर्वियोजितः । या ऽहं शुद्धसमाचारा त्यक्ता नृपतिना सती ।। ७.४८.
What sin did I commit in the past, or who was separated from his wife, that I, though pure in conduct and faithful, have been abandoned by the king?
पुरा ऽहमाश्रमे वासं रामपादानुवर्तिनी । अनुरुध्यापि सौमित्रे दुःखे च परिवर्तिनी ।। ७.४८.
Once, I dwelled in the hermitage, devoted to following Rama's feet, enduring hardship, O Saumitri, and remaining steadfast even in suffering.
सा कथं ह्याश्रमे सौम्य वत्स्यामि विजनीकृता । आख्यास्यामि च कस्याहं दुःखं दुःखपरायणा ।। ७.४८.
How then, gentle one, shall I live in the hermitage, cast into solitude? To whom shall I speak of my sorrow, I who am given over to grief?
किं नु वक्ष्यामि मुनिषु कर्म वा सत्कृतं च किम् । कस्मिंश्चित् कारणे त्यक्ता राघवेण महात्मना ।। ७.४८.
What shall I say to the sages, or what worthy deed can I recount, having been abandoned by the great-souled Raghava for some reason?
न खल्वद्यैव सौमित्रे जीवितं जाह्नवीजले । त्यजेयं राजवंशस्तु भर्तुर्मे परिहास्यते ।। ७.४८.
Indeed, Saumitri, I will not end my life today in the waters of the Jahnavi; for then the royal lineage of my husband would be brought to disgrace.
यथाज्ञं कुरु सोमित्रे त्यज मां दुःखभागिनीम् । निदेशे स्थीयतां राज्ञः शृणु चेदं वचो मम ।। ७.४८.
Do as you are commanded, Saumitri; abandon me, who am burdened with sorrow. Remain obedient to the king's order, and listen now to my words.
श्वश्रूणामविशेषेण प्राञ्जलिप्रग्रहेण च । शिरसा ऽ ऽवन्द्य चरणौ कुशलं ब्रूहि पार्थिवम् ।। ७.४८.
With joined palms, without distinction among my mothers-in-law, bowing your head at their feet, convey my well-wishes to the king.
शिरसा ऽभिनतो ब्रूयाः सर्वासामेव लक्ष्मण । वक्तव्यश्चापि नृपतिर्धर्मेषु सुसमाहितः ।। ७.४८.
Bow your head and speak on my behalf to all of them, O Lakshmana; and tell the king as well, who is firmly established in righteousness.
जानासि च यथा शुद्धा सीता तत्त्वेन राघव । भक्त्या च परया युक्ता हिता च तव नित्यशः ।। ७.४८.
You know well, O Raghava, how pure Sita is in truth, endowed with supreme devotion and always intent on your welfare.
अहं त्यक्ता त्वया वीर अयशोभीरुणा जने । यच्च ते वचनीयं स्यादपवादसमुत्थितम् । मया च परिहर्तव्यं त्वं हि मे परमा गतिः ।। ७.४८.
I have been abandoned by you, O hero, bringing dishonor among the people; and whatever words may arise from slander, I must avoid them. You are indeed my highest refuge.
वक्तव्यश्चेति नृपतिर्धमेण सुसमाहितः । यथा भ्रातृषु वर्तेथास्तथा पौरेषु नित्यदा ।। ७.४८.
Tell the king, thus, that he should always act toward his brothers and his citizens as he does in matters of righteousness.
परमो ह्येष धर्मस्ते तस्मात्कीर्तिरनुत्तमा ।। ७.४८.
This is your highest duty, and therefore your unsurpassed renown.
यत्तु पौरजनो राजन्धर्मेण समवाप्नुयात् । अहं तु नानुशोचामि स्वशरीरं नरर्षभ ।। ७.४८.
Whatever the citizens may obtain through righteousness, O king, I do not grieve for my own body, O best of men.
यथापवादं पौराणां तथैव रघुनन्दन । पतिर्हि देवता नार्याः पतिर्बन्धुः पतिर्गुरुः ।। ७.४८.
Just as the reproach of the citizens, so, O delight of the Raghus, the husband is a goddess to his wife, her relative, and her teacher.