वाक्यवज्रैरनुपमैर्निर्भिन्दन्निव चाशुभैः। कैकेय्याः सर्वमर्माणि सुमन्त्रः प्रत्यभाषत
With words like thunderbolts, unmatched and harsh, Sumantra spoke as if piercing all the vital points of Kaikeyī.
यस्यास्तव पतिस्त्यक्तो राजा दशरथः स्वयम्। भर्ता सर्वस्य जगतः स्थावरस्य चरस्य च
She for whom you, King Daśaratha, have abandoned your own wife—he who is the lord of all the world, both moving and unmoving.
नह्यकार्यतमं किंचित्तव देवीह विद्यते। पतिघ्नीं त्वामहं मन्ये कुलघ्नीमपि चान्ततः
There is no act here, O Queen, that is more grievous than yours; I consider you a husband-slayer, and ultimately, a destroyer of your lineage.
यन्महेन्द्रमिवाजय्यं दुष्प्रकम्प्यमिवाचलम्। महोदधिमिवाक्षोभ्यं संतापयसि कर्मभिः
By your deeds, you torment one who is like Indra, unconquerable; like a mountain, unshakable; like the great ocean, unperturbed.
मावमंस्था दशरथं भर्तारं वरदं पतिम्। भर्तुरिच्छा हि नारीणां पुत्रकोट्या विशिष्यते
Do not look down upon King Dasharatha, your husband and benefactor; for a husband's wish is for women more important than even a hundred million sons.
यथावयो हि राज्यानि प्राप्नुवन्ति नृपक्षये। इक्ष्वाकुकुलनाथेऽस्मिंस्तं लोपयितुमिच्छसि
Just as, upon the king's death, kingdoms pass according to age, so you wish to deprive the lord of the Ikshvaku line of his due.
राजा भवतु ते पुत्रो भरतः शास्तु मेदिनीम्। वयं तत्र गमिष्यामो यत्र रामो गमिष्यति
Let your son Bharata become king and rule the earth; we will go wherever Rama goes.
न च ते विषये कश्चिद् ब्राह्मणो वस्तुमर्हति। तादृशं त्वममर्यादमद्य कर्म करिष्यसि
No Brahmin should dwell in your realm; today you are about to commit such an unrighteous act.
नूनं सर्वे गमिष्यामो मार्गं रामनिषेवितम्। त्यक्ता या बान्धवैः सर्वैर्ब्राह्मणैः साधुभिः सदा
Surely, we will all follow the path that Rama takes, abandoned by all relatives, Brahmins, and the virtuous.
का प्रीती राज्यलाभेन तव देवि भविष्यति। तादृशं त्वममर्यादं कर्म कर्तुं चिकीर्षसि
What joy will you, O Queen, find in gaining the kingdom, when you are intent on committing such a disgraceful deed?
आश्चर्यमिव पश्यामि यस्यास्ते वृत्तमीदृशम्। आचरन्त्या न विवृता सद्यो भवति मेदिनी
I see it as a wonder that the earth does not split open at once for one whose conduct is like yours.
महाब्रह्मर्षिसृष्टा वा ज्वलन्तो भीमदर्शनाः। धिग्वाग्दण्डा न हिंसन्ति रामप्रव्राजने स्थिताम्
Even the terrible, blazing, awe-inspiring rods of the great Brahmarshis, created for cursing, do not harm one who stands firm on sending Rama to exile.
आम्रं छित्त्वा कुठारेण निम्बं परिचरेत् तु कः। यश्चैनं पयसा सिञ्चेन्नैवास्य मधुरो भवेत्
Who, after cutting down a mango tree with an axe, would tend a neem tree? Even if watered with milk, it will not become sweet.
आभिजात्यं हि ते मन्ये यथा मातुस्तथैव च। न हि निम्बात् स्रवेत् क्षौद्रं लोके निगदितं वचः
I think your lineage is just like your mother's; for it is said in the world that honey does not flow from a neem tree.
तव मातुरसद्ग्राहं विद्म पूर्वं यथा श्रुतम्। पितुस्ते वरदः कश्चिद् ददौ वरमनुत्तमम्
We know, as heard before, of your mother's evil nature; some benefactor once granted your father an excellent boon.
सर्वभूतरुतं तस्मात् संजज्ञे वसुधाधिपः। तेन तिर्यग्गतानां च भूतानां विदितं वचः
From that boon, your father, the lord of the earth, gained the ability to understand the speech of all beings, including animals.
ततो जृम्भस्य शयने विरुताद् भूरिवर्चसः। पितुस्ते विदितो भावः स तत्र बहुधाहसत्
Then, while lying on the bed of Jṛmbha, the illustrious one, your father, heard the sounds of many creatures and laughed repeatedly.
तत्र ते जननी क्रुद्धा मृत्युपाशमभीप्सती। हासं ते नृपते सौम्य जिज्ञासामीति चाब्रवीत्
There, your mother, angered and desiring the noose of death, said to your father, 'Tell me, I wish to know the reason for your laughter.'
नृपश्चोवाच तां देवीं हासं शंसामि ते यदि। ततो मे मरणं सद्यो भविष्यति न संशयः
The king replied to her, 'O Queen, if I reveal to you the reason for my laughter, then I will die at once—of this there is no doubt.'
माता ते पितरं देवि पुनः केकयमब्रवीत्। शंस मे जीव वा मा वा न मां त्वं प्रहसिष्यसि
Your mother again spoke to your father, O Queen of Kekaya: 'Tell me, whether you live or die, you must not deceive me.'
प्रियया च तथोक्तः स केकयः पृथिवीपतिः। तस्मै तं वरदायार्थं कथयामास तत्त्वतः
Thus addressed by his beloved, the king of Kekaya spoke to him truthfully about granting that boon.
ततः स वरदः साधू राजानं प्रत्यभाषत। म्रियतां ध्वंसतां वेयं मा शंसीस्त्वं महीपते
Then that boon-giver, approvingly, replied to the king: 'Let this not be spoken of, O lord of the earth, whether it leads to death or destruction.'
स तच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य प्रसन्नमनसो नृपः। मातरं ते निरस्याशु विजहार कुबेरवत्
Hearing those words, the king, his mind pleased, at once dismissed your mother and enjoyed himself like Kubera.
तथा त्वमपि राजानं दुर्जनाचरिते पथि। असद्ग्राहमिमं मोहात् कुरुषे पापदर्शिनी
In the same way, you too, on a path followed by the wicked, out of delusion, are seizing this false resolve, O you who see evil.
सत्यश्चात्र प्रवादोऽयं लौकिकः प्रतिभाति मा। पितॄन् समनुजायन्ते नरा मातरमङ्गनाः
And here, this common saying appears true to me: 'Men follow after their fathers, women after their mothers.'
नैवं भव गृहाणेदं यदाह वसुधाधिपः। भर्तुरिच्छामुपास्वेह जनस्यास्य गतिर्भव
Do not act thus; accept what the lord of the earth has said. Attend to your husband's wishes here, and be the refuge of these people.
मा त्वं प्रोत्साहिता पापैर्देवराजसमप्रभम्। भर्तारं लोकभर्तारमसद्धर्ममुपादध
Do not, urged by sinful people, cause your husband—equal to the king of the gods, the sustainer of the world—to take up unrighteousness.
नहि मिथ्या प्रतिज्ञातं करिष्यति तवानघः। श्रीमान् दशरथो राजा देवि राजीवलोचनः
For your sinless husband, the illustrious king Dasharatha, lotus-eyed, will not carry out a promise made falsely, O queen.
ज्येष्ठो वदान्यः कर्मण्यः स्वधर्मस्यापि रक्षिता। रक्षिता जीवलोकस्य बली रामोऽभिषिच्यताम्
Let Rama, the eldest, generous, accomplished, and protector even of his own duty and of all living beings, be consecrated as king.
परिवादो हि ते देवि महाँल्लोके चरिष्यति। यदि रामो वनं याति विहाय पितरं नृपम्
For, O queen, a great reproach will spread about you in the world if Rama goes to the forest, abandoning his royal father.