अस्मद्व्यपेक्षान् सौमित्रे निर्व्यपेक्षान् गृहेष्वपि। वृक्षमूलेषु संसक्तान् पश्य लक्ष्मण साम्प्रतम्
O Saumitri, see now those citizens, who, disregarding their own households, have attached themselves beneath the trees, caring only for us.
यथैते नियमं पौराः कुर्वन्त्यस्मन्निवर्तने। अपि प्राणान् न्यसिष्यन्ति न तु त्यक्ष्यन्ति निश्चयम्
Just as these townspeople observe their vow in not turning back from us, so too, they would sooner give up their lives than abandon their resolve.
यावदेव तु संसुप्तास्तावदेव वयं लघु। रथमारुह्य गच्छामः पन्थानमकुतोभयम्
Only while they are still asleep can we swiftly ascend the chariot and travel the path without fear.
अतो भूयोऽपि नेदानीमिक्ष्वाकुपुरवासिनः। स्वपेयुरनुरक्ता मा वृक्षमूलेषु संश्रिताः
Let the devoted citizens of Ikshvaku’s city not continue to sleep now, seeking shelter beneath the trees.
पौरा ह्यात्मकृताद् दुःखाद् विप्रमोच्या नृपात्मजैः। न तु खल्वात्मना योज्या दुःखेन पुरवासिनः
Indeed, the townspeople must be freed from the sorrow caused by their own actions by the princes, but they should not be made to suffer further by us.
अब्रवील्लक्ष्मणो रामं साक्षाद् धर्ममिव स्थितम्। रोचते मे तथा प्राज्ञ क्षिप्रमारुह्यतामिति
Lakshmana then spoke to Rama, standing there like righteousness itself: 'I agree, wise one; let us quickly ascend the chariot.'
अथ रामोऽब्रवीत् सूतं शीघ्रं संयुज्यतां रथः। गमिष्यामि ततोऽरण्यं गच्छ शीघ्रमितः प्रभो
Then Rama said to the charioteer, 'Quickly yoke the chariot; I will go to the forest. Drive swiftly from here, O Sumantra.'
सूतस्ततः संत्वरितः स्यन्दनं तैर्हयोत्तमैः। योजयित्वा तु रामस्य प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्यवेदयत्
The charioteer, hastening, yoked the chariot with those excellent horses, and with joined palms, reported to Rama.
अयं युक्तो महाबाहो रथस्ते रथिनां वर। त्वरयाऽऽरोह भद्रं ते ससीतः सहलक्ष्मणः
'Here is your chariot, mighty-armed prince, best among warriors, yoked and ready. Ascend quickly, with Sita and Lakshmana. May all be well with you.'
तं स्यन्दनमधिष्ठाय राघवः सपरिच्छदः। शीघ्रगामाकुलावर्तां तमसामतरन्नदीम्
Mounting the chariot with his attendants, Raghava crossed the Tamasa river, swift-flowing and swirling, together with Sita and Lakshmana.
स संतीर्य महाबाहुः श्रीमान् शिवमकण्टकम्। प्रापद्यत महामार्गमभयं भयदर्शिनाम्
Having crossed, the illustrious, mighty-armed one reached the great, safe road, free from thorns, which is fearful to those who fear.
मोहनार्थं तु पौराणां सूतं रामोऽब्रवीद् वचः। उदङ्मुखः प्रयाहि त्वं रथमारुह्य सारथे
Then, to mislead the citizens, Rama spoke to the charioteer: 'Turn the chariot northward, O charioteer, and proceed.'
मुहूर्तं त्वरितं गत्वा निवर्तय रथं पुनः। यथा न विद्युः पौरा मां तथा कुरु समाहितः
'After driving swiftly for a while, turn the chariot back again, so that the citizens may not know my path; do this with care.'
रामस्य तु वचः श्रुत्वा तथा चक्रे च सारथिः। प्रत्यागम्य च रामस्य स्यन्दनं प्रत्यवेदयत्
Hearing Rama’s words, the charioteer did so, and returning, reported the chariot to Rama.
तौ सम्प्रयुक्तं तु रथं समास्थितौ तदा ससीतौ रघुवंशवर्धनौ। प्रचोदयामास ततस्तुरंगमान् स सारथिर्येन पथा तपोवनम्
Then those two scions of Raghu, with Sita, mounted the yoked chariot, and the charioteer urged the horses along the path to the hermitage.
ततः समास्थाय रथं महारथः ससारथिर्दाशरथिर्वनं ययौ। उदङ्मुखं तं तु रथं चकार प्रयाणमाङ्गल्यनिमित्तदर्शनात्
Then the mighty Dasarathi, with the charioteer, set out for the forest, having made the chariot face north, seeing auspicious omens for the journey.
thumb|सप्तचत्वारिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अयोध्याकाण्डे सप्तचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ॥२-
Hear now the forty-seventh sarga in the glorious Valmiki Ramayana, Ayodhya Kanda.
प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां पौरास्ते राघवं विना। शोकोपहतनिश्चेष्टा बभूवुर्हतचेतसः
When the night had passed, those citizens, bereft of Rama, became motionless with grief, their hearts broken.
शोकजाश्रुपरिद्यूना वीक्षमाणास्ततस्ततः। आलोकमपि रामस्य न पश्यन्ति स्म दुःखिताः
Overwhelmed by tears born of sorrow, gazing again and again, those afflicted ones could not even catch sight of Rāma.
ते विषादार्तवदना रहितास्तेन धीमता। कृपणाः करुणा वाचो वदन्ति स्म मनीषिणः
Their faces stricken with grief, deprived of that wise one, the compassionate and learned spoke words of lamentation.
धिगस्तु खलु निद्रां तां ययापहतचेतसः। नाद्य पश्यामहे रामं पृथूरस्कं महाभुजम्
Fie upon that sleep which steals away the mind! Today we cannot see Rāma, broad-chested and mighty-armed.
कथं रामो महाबाहुः स तथावितथक्रियः। भक्तं जनमभित्यज्य प्रवासं तापसो गतः
How has Rāma, great-armed and ever true to his word, abandoned his devoted people and gone away as an ascetic?
यो नः सदा पालयति पिता पुत्रानिवौरसान्। कथं रघूणां स श्रेष्ठस्त्यक्त्वा नो विपिनं गतः
He who always protected us like a father his own sons—how has that foremost of the Raghu lineage left us and gone to the forest?
इहैव निधनं याम महाप्रस्थानमेव वा। रामेण रहितानां नो किमर्थं जीवितं हितम्
Let us meet our end here itself, or undertake the great departure; what purpose is there in living, deprived of Rāma?
सन्ति शुष्काणि काष्ठानि प्रभूतानि महान्ति च। तैः प्रज्वाल्य चितां सर्वे प्रविशामोऽथवा वयम्
There are dry woods in abundance, large and plentiful; let us all kindle a funeral pyre with them and enter it, or else—
किं वक्ष्यामो महाबाहुरनसूयः प्रियंवदः। नीतः स राघवोऽस्माभिरिति वक्तुं कथं क्षमम्
What shall we say to the mighty-armed, unresentful, sweet-spoken one? How can we bear to say, 'Rāghava was led away by us'?
सा नूनं नगरी दीना दृष्ट्वास्मान् राघवं विना। भविष्यति निरानन्दा सस्त्रीबालवयोऽधिका
Surely that city will be forlorn, seeing us without Rāghava; it will become joyless, filled with women, children, and the aged.
निर्यातास्तेन वीरेण सह नित्यं महात्मना। विहीनास्तेन च पुनः कथं द्रक्ष्याम तां पुरीम्
Having departed with that heroic, noble-souled one, and now bereft of him, how shall we again behold that city?
इतीव बहुधा वाचो बाहुमुद्यम्य ते जनाः। विलपन्ति स्म दुःखार्ता हृतवत्सा इवाग्र्यगाः
Thus, raising their arms, those people uttered many such words, lamenting in distress like cows bereft of their calves.
ततो मार्गानुसारेण गत्वा किंचित् ततः क्षणम्। मार्गनाशाद् विषादेन महता समभिप्लुताः
Then, following the path, after proceeding a little further, they were overwhelmed by great despair due to losing the way.