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.
रथमार्गानुसारेण न्यवर्तन्त मनस्विनः। किमिदं किं करिष्यामो दैवेनोपहता इति
Following the path of the chariot, those thoughtful ones turned back, saying, 'What is this? What shall we do, struck down by fate?'
तदा यथागतेनैव मार्गेण क्लान्तचेतसः। अयोध्यामगमन् सर्वे पुरीं व्यथितसज्जनाम्
Then, by the same route by which they had come, with weary hearts, they all returned to Ayodhyā, the city of troubled people.
आलोक्य नगरीं तां च क्षयव्याकुलमानसाः। आवर्तयन्त तेऽश्रूणि नयनैः शोकपीडितैः
Beholding that city, their minds agitated by loss, they shed tears from eyes afflicted by grief.
एषा रामेण नगरी रहिता नातिशोभते। आपगा गरुडेनेव ह्रदादुद्धृतपन्नगा
This city, bereft of Rāma, does not shine; like a river whose serpents have been snatched away by Garuḍa from its pool.
चन्द्रहीनमिवाकाशं तोयहीनमिवार्णवम्। अपश्यन् निहतानन्दं नगरं ते विचेतसः
Like the sky without the moon, like the ocean without water, they saw the city, bereft of joy, their minds bewildered.
ते तानि वेश्मानि महाधनानि दुःखेन दुःखोपहता विशन्तः। नैव प्रजग्मुः स्वजनं परं वा निरीक्ष्यमाणाः प्रविनष्टहर्षाः
Entering those mansions, rich and splendid, afflicted by sorrow and overwhelmed by grief, they could not recognize their own people or others, gazing about, their joy utterly vanished.
thumb| अष्टचत्वारिंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center तेषामेवम् विष्ण्णानाम्पीडितानामतीव च । बाष्पविप्लुतनेत्राणाम् सशोकानाम् मुमूर्षया ॥२-४८-
As they were thus distressed and deeply afflicted, their eyes filled with tears, overwhelmed by sorrow and the wish to die—
अनुगम्य निवृत्तानाम् रामम् नगर वासिनाम् । उद्गतानि इव सत्त्वानि बभूवुर् अमनस्विनाम् ॥२-४८-
After following Rāma and then returning, the city-dwellers seemed as if their spirits had departed, their minds lost.
स्वम् स्वम् निलयम् आगम्य पुत्र दारैः समावृताः । अश्रूणि मुमुचुः सर्वे बाष्पेण पिहित आननाः ॥२-४८-
Each returned to their own home, surrounded by children and spouses, and all shed tears, their faces veiled by weeping.
न च आहृष्यन् न च अमोदन् वणिजो न प्रसारयन् । न च अशोभन्त पण्यानि न अपचन् गृह मेधिनः ॥२-४८-
No one rejoiced, no one was gladdened; merchants did not display their wares, and goods did not appear attractive, nor did householders cook meals.