द्रक्ष्यस्यद्यैव कैकेयि पशुव्यालमृगद्विजान्। गच्छतः सह रामेण पादपांश्च तदुन्मुखान्
Today, Kaikeyī, you will see beasts, wild animals, birds, and trees all turning toward Rāma as he departs.
अथोत्तमान्याभरणानि देवि देहि स्नुषायै व्यपनीय चीरम्। न चीरमस्याः प्रविधीयतेति न्यवारयत् तद् वसनं वसिष्ठः
Then, O queen, give the finest ornaments to your daughter-in-law, removing the bark garment; but Vasiṣṭha forbade that garment, saying it should not be given to her.
एकस्य रामस्य वने निवास- स्त्वया वृतः केकयराजपुत्रि। विभूषितेयं प्रतिकर्मनित्या वसत्वरण्ये सह राघवेण
For the residence of Rāma alone in the forest has been chosen by you, daughter of the king of Kekaya; yet she, always adorned, will live in the forest with Rāghava.
यानैश्च मुख्यैः परिचारकैश्च सुसंवृता गच्छतु राजपुत्री। वस्त्रैश्च सर्वैः सहितैर्विधानै- र्नेयं वृता ते वरसम्प्रदाने
Let the princess go, well attended by the finest vehicles and servants, with all kinds of garments and arrangements; she is not bound by your grant of the boon.
thumb|अष्टात्रिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टात्रिंशः सर्गः ॥२-
Listen to the thirty-eighth chapter.
तस्यां चीरं वसानायां नाथवत्यामनाथवत्। प्रचुक्रोश जनः सर्वो धिक् त्वां दशरथं त्विति
As she, protected yet as if unprotected, put on the bark garment, all the people cried out, 'Shame on you, Daśaratha!'
तेन तत्र प्रणादेन दुःखितः स महीपतिः। चिच्छेद जीविते श्रद्धां धर्मे यशसि चात्मनः
Distressed by that outcry, the king lost faith in life, virtue, and his own honor.
स निःश्वस्योष्णमैक्ष्वाकस्तां भार्यामिदमब्रवीत्। कैकेयि कुशचीरेण न सीता गन्तुमर्हति
The Ikṣvāku king sighed deeply and spoke to his wife: 'Kaikeyī, Sītā should not go wearing a garment of kuśa grass.'
सुकुमारी च बाला च सततं च सुखोचिता। नेयं वनस्य योग्येति सत्यमाह गुरुर्मम
She is delicate, young, and always accustomed to comfort; my teacher has truly said she is not fit for the forest.
इयं हि कस्यापि करोति किंचित् तपस्विनी राजवरस्य पुत्री। या चीरमासाद्य जनस्य मध्ये स्थिता विसंज्ञा श्रमणीव काचित्
She does nothing for anyone, this ascetic daughter of the best king; standing in the midst of the people, wearing bark, she appears senseless, like some wandering mendicant.
चीराण्यपास्याज्जनकस्य कन्या नेयं प्रतिज्ञा मम दत्तपूर्वा। यथासुखं गच्छतु राजपुत्री वनं समग्रा सह सर्वरत्नैः
Let the daughter of Janaka cast off these garments of bark; I have never before made such a vow. Let the princess go to the forest as she wishes, taking all her ornaments and treasures.
अजीवनार्हेण मया नृशंसा कृता प्रतिज्ञा नियमेन तावत्। त्वया हि बाल्यात् प्रतिपन्नमेतत् तन्मा दहेद् वेणुमिवात्मपुष्पम्
By me, who am unworthy of life, a cruel vow has been made and strictly kept. But you, out of childishness, have accepted this; do not let it burn you up, like fire consumes a dry reed.
रामेण यदि ते पापे किंचित्कृतमशोभनम्। अपकारः क इह ते वैदेह्या दर्शितोऽधमे
If Rama has ever done you, O wicked one, any wrongful or improper act, what harm has this lowly Vaidehi shown you here?
मृगीवोत्फुल्लनयना मृदुशीला मनस्विनी। अपकारं कमिव ते करोति जनकात्मजा
With eyes wide like a startled deer, gentle in nature and noble in mind, what harm could Janaka's daughter ever do to you?
ननु पर्याप्तमेवं ते पापे रामविवासनम्। किमेभिः कृपणैर्भूयः पातकैरपि ते कृतैः
Surely, O wicked one, sending Rama into exile is enough for you. Why do you commit these further pitiful and sinful acts?
प्रतिज्ञातं मया तावत् त्वयोक्तं देवि शृण्वता। रामं यदभिषेकाय त्वमिहागतमब्रवीः
I have already promised, as you demanded, O queen, in the presence of all, when you came here and spoke about Rama's consecration.
तत्त्वेतत् समतिक्रम्य निरयं गन्तुमिच्छसि। मैथिलीमपि या हि त्वमीक्षसे चीरवासिनीम्
Now, by exceeding that, you wish to go to hell, since you even want to see Maithili dressed in bark-cloth.
एवं ब्रुवन्तं पितरं रामः सम्प्रस्थितो वनम्। अवाक्शिरसमासीनमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्
As his father spoke thus, Rama, ready to depart for the forest, with head bowed, addressed these words to him.
इयं धार्मिक कौसल्या मम माता यशस्विनी। वृद्धा चाक्षुद्रशीला च न च त्वां देव गर्हते
This is my mother Kausalya, righteous and renowned, aged and of noble character; and, my lord, she does not blame you.
मया विहीनां वरद प्रपन्नां शोकसागरम्। अदृष्टपूर्वव्यसनां भूयः सम्मन्तुमर्हसि
O giver of boons, you should honor her—now bereft of me, plunged into an ocean of grief, facing a sorrow she has never known before.
पुत्रशोकं यथा नर्च्छेत् त्वया पूज्येन पूजिता। मां हि संचिन्तयन्ती सा त्वयि जीवेत् तपस्विनी
You, who are to be revered, should care for her so that she does not perish from grief for her son; for thinking of me, that devoted woman would live only because of you.
इमां महेन्द्रोपम जातगर्धिनीं तथा विधातुं जननीं ममार्हसि। यथा वनस्थे मयि शोककर्शिता न जीवितं न्यस्य यमक्षयं व्रजेत्
You should support my mother, who is like Indra's consort and now stricken with sorrow, so that while I dwell in the forest, worn down by grief, she does not abandon her life and go to the abode of Yama.
thumb|एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अयोध्याकाण्डे एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ॥२-
Hear now the thirty-ninth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Ayodhyā section.
रामस्य तु वचः श्रुत्वा मुनिवेषधरं च तम्। समीक्ष्य सह भार्याभी राजा विगतचेतनः
But when he heard Rama's words and saw him dressed as an ascetic, the king, together with his wife, lost consciousness.
नैनं दुःखेन संतप्तः प्रत्यवैक्षत राघवम्। न चैनमभिसम्प्रेक्ष्य प्रत्यभाषत दुर्मनाः
Tormented by grief, the king did not look at Rāghava, nor, seeing him, did he speak to him, his mind overwhelmed.
स मुहूर्तमिवासंज्ञो दुःखितश्च महीपतिः। विललाप महाबाहू राममेवानुचिन्तयन्
For a moment, the great-armed king, overcome by sorrow, lost awareness, lamenting and thinking only of Rama.
मन्ये खलु मया पूर्वं विवत्सा बहवः कृताः। प्राणिनो हिंसिता वापि तन्मामिदमुपस्थितम्
Surely, I must have separated many calves from their mothers in the past, or harmed living beings; that is why this has come upon me.
न त्वेवानागते काले देहाच्च्यवति जीवितम्। कैकेय्या क्लिश्यमानस्य मृत्युर्मम न विद्यते
Yet, even though the time has not come, my life does not leave my body; though I am tormented by Kaikeyi, death does not come to me.
योऽहं पावकसंकाशं पश्यामि पुरतः स्थितम्। विहाय वसने सूक्ष्मे तापसाच्छादमात्मजम्
I, who see before me my son, shining like fire, standing there, having set aside his fine garments and taken on the ascetic's attire—
एकस्याः खलु कैकेय्याः कृतेऽयं खिद्यते जनः। स्वार्थे प्रयतमानायाः संश्रित्य निकृतिं त्विमाम्
—all these people are distressed because of that one Kaikeyi, who, striving for her own gain, has resorted to this deceit.