कौसल्या बाष्पपूर्णेन मुखेन परिशुष्यता । सुमित्रामब्रवीद्दीना याश्ऺचान्या राजयोषित: ।। २.१०३.
Kausalyā, her face dried and filled with tears, spoke sorrowfully to Sumitrā and the other royal women.
इदं तेषामनाथानां क्लिष्टमक्लिष्टकर्मणाम् । वने प्राक्केवलं तीर्थं ये ते निर्विषयीकृता: ।। २.१०३.
This is the sacred place of those who, though blameless in action, are now deprived and afflicted, having been cast out from their kingdom to the forest.
इत: सुमित्रे पुत्रस्ते सदा जलमतन्द्रित: । स्वयं हरति सौमित्रिर्मम पुत्रस्य कारणात् ।। २.१०३.
From here, Sumitrā, your son always fetches water tirelessly for the sake of my son.
जघन्यमपि ते पुत्र: कृतवान्न तु गर्हित: । भ्रातुर्यदर्थसहितं सर्वं तद्विहितं गुणै: ।। २.१०३.
Even your youngest son has done nothing blameworthy; all that he does, he does with virtue for the sake of his brother.
अद्यायमपि ते पुत्र: क्लेशानामतथोचित: । नीचानर्थसमाचारं सज्जं कर्म प्रमुञ्चतु ।। २.१०३.
Even today, your son, though unaccustomed to hardship, should abandon any act that is base or unworthy, which brings suffering.
दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु सा ददर्श महीतले । पितुरिङ्गुदिपिण्याकं न्यस्तमायतलोचना ।। २.१०३.
There on the southern-pointed blades of darbha grass, she saw on the ground the ingudi seed cake left by her husband, with her wide eyes.
तं भूमौ पितुरार्तेन न्यस्तं रामेण वीक्ष्य सा । उवाच देवी कौसल्या सर्वा दशरथस्त्रिय: ।। २.१०३.
Seeing on the ground that which Rama, in his grief for his father, had placed, Queen Kausalyā spoke to all the wives of Daśaratha.
इदमिक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य राघवस्य महात्मन: । राघवेण पितुर्दत्तं पश्यतैतद्यथाविधि ।। २.१०३.
Behold this, offered by Rāghava to his great father, the lord of the Ikṣvāku line; see how it was given by Rāghava according to proper rites.
तस्य देवसमानस्य पार्थिवस्य महात्मन: । नैतदौपयिकं मन्ये भुक्तभोगस्य भोजनम् ।। २.१०३.
For that king, whose greatness is like the gods, I do not think this food is fitting, after he has enjoyed all pleasures.
चतुरन्तां महीं भुक्त्वा महेन्द्रसदृशो विभु: । कथमिङ्गुदिपिण्याकं स भुङ्क्ते वसुधाधिप: ।। २.१०३.
Having ruled the earth to its four ends, lordly as Mahendra, how does the ruler of the world now eat only ingudi fruit and pressed cakes?
अतो दु:खतरं लोके न किञ्चित् प्रतिभाति मा । यत्र राम: पितुर्दद्यादिङ्गुदीक्षोदमृद्धिमान् ।। २.१०३.
Nothing in this world appears to me more painful than this: that Rama, so prosperous, should offer his father only ingudi fruit and honey.
रामेणेङ्गुदिपिण्याकं पितुर्दत्तं समीक्ष्य मे । कथं दु:खेन हृदयं न स्फोटति सहस्रधा ।। २.१०३.
Seeing Rama give his father ingudi cakes, how does my heart not shatter into a thousand pieces from grief?
श्रुतिस्तु खल्वियं सत्या लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मा । यदन्न: पुरुषो भवति तदन्नास्तस्य देवता: ।। २.१०३.
Indeed, this worldly saying seems true to me: as is a person's food, so are the deities who preside over him.
एवमार्त्तां सपत्न्यस्ता जग्मुराश्वास्य तां तदा । ददृशुश्चाश्रमे रामं स्वर्गच्युतमिवामरम् ।। २.१०३.
Then, those co-wives, seeing her so afflicted, comforted her, and in the hermitage they beheld Rama, like a god fallen from heaven.
सर्वभोगै: परित्यक्तं रामं सम्प्रेक्ष्य मातर: । आर्त्ता मुमुचुरश्रूणि सस्वरं शोककर्शिता: ।। २.१०३.
Beholding Rama, who had renounced all enjoyments, the mothers, tormented by grief, shed tears aloud.
तासां राम: समुत्थाय जग्राह चरणान् शुभान् । मातऽणां मनुजव्याघ्र: सर्वासां सत्यसङ्गर: ।। २.१०३.
Rama, tiger among men and true to his word, rose and touched the blessed feet of all his mothers.
ता: पाणिभि: सुखस्पर्शैर्मृद्वङ्गुलितलै: शुभै: । प्रममार्जू रज: पृष्ठाद्रामस्यायतलोचना: ।। २.१०३.
With their soft, tender fingers, those women with wide eyes gently wiped the dust from Rama's back.
सौमित्रिरपि ता: सर्वा: मातऽ: सम्प्रेक्ष्य दु:खित: । अभ्यवादयतासक्तं शनै रामादनन्तरम् ।। २.१०३.
Saumitri too, seeing all the mothers distressed, respectfully greeted them in turn, after Rama, with deep feeling.
यथा रामे तथा तस्मिन् सर्वा ववृतिरे स्त्रिय: । वृत्तिं दशरथाज्जाते लक्ष्मणे शुभलक्षणे ।। २.१०३.
All the women showed the same affection for Lakshmana, born of Dasharatha and marked by auspicious signs, as they did for Rama.
सीतापि चरणांस्तासामुपसंगृह्य दु:खिता । श्वश्रूणामश्रुपूर्णाक्षी सा बभूवाग्रत: स्थिता ।। २.१०३.
Sita too, sorrowful, touched the feet of those women, her mothers-in-law, and stood before them, her eyes filled with tears.
तां परिष्वज्य दु:खार्त्तां माता दुहितरं यथा । वनवासकृशां दीनां कौसल्या वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। २.१०३.
Embracing her, distressed like a mother with her daughter, Kausalya spoke to Sita, who was emaciated and dejected from forest life.
विदेहराजस्य सुता स्नुषा दशरथस्य च । रामपत्नी कथं दु:खं सम्प्राप्ता निर्जने वने ।। २.१०३.
How has Sita, daughter of the king of Videha, daughter-in-law of Dasharatha, and wife of Rama, come to such suffering in this lonely forest?
पद्ममातपसन्तप्तं परिक्लिष्टमिवोत्पलम् । काञ्चनं रजसा ध्वस्तं क्लिष्टं चन्द्रमिवाम्बुदै: ।। २.१०३.
Seeing your face, scorched like a lotus by the sun, withered like a waterlily, gold dulled by dust, or the moon dimmed by clouds—
मुखं ते प्रेक्ष्य मां शोको दहत्यग्निरिवाश्रयम् भृशं मनसि वैदेहि व्यसनारणिसम्भव: ।। २.१०३.
O Vaidehi, seeing your face burns me with grief like fire consumes its fuel, and sorrow, born of misfortune, torments my heart.
ब्रुवन्त्यामेवमार्त्तायां जनन्यां भरताग्रज: । पादावासाद्य जग्राह वसिष्ठस्य च राघव: ।। २.१०३.
While his mother spoke thus in distress, Rama, the elder brother of Bharata, approached and touched the feet of Vasistha.
पुरोहितस्याग्निसमस्य वै तदा बृहस्पतेरिन्द्र इवामराधिप: । प्रगृह्य पादौ सुसमृद्धतेजस: सहैव तेनोपविवेश राघव: ।। २.१०३.
Then, like Indra approaching Brihaspati, Rama, radiant and prosperous, respectfully took the feet of the priest, equal to fire, and sat down with him.
ततो जघन्यं सहितै: समन्त्रिभि: पुरप्रधानैश्च सहैव सैनिकै: । जनेन धर्मज्ञतमेन धर्मवानुपोपविष्टो भरतस्तदाग्रजम् ।। २.१०३.
Then Bharata, who was devoted to righteousness, sat near his elder brother, accompanied by his ministers, the chief citizens, and soldiers, as well as by the people who understood dharma.
उपोपविष्टस्तु तथा स वीर्यवांस्तपस्विवेषेण समीक्ष्य राघवम् । श्रिया ज्वलन्तं भरत: कृताञ्जलिर्यथा महेन्द्र: प्रयत: प्रजापतिम् ।। २.१०३.
Seated thus, the mighty Bharata, with hands joined in reverence, gazed upon Rāghava, who shone with splendor like a sage, just as the devoted Indra would look upon Prajāpati.
किमेष वाक्यं भरतो ऽद्य राघवं प्रणम्य सत्कृत्य च साधु वक्ष्यति । इतीव तस्यार्यजनस्य तत्त्वतो बभूव कौतूहलमुत्तमं तदा ।। २.१०३.
What words will Bharata speak today, after bowing respectfully to Rāghava? Such was the great curiosity that arose among the noble assembly at that moment.
स राघव: सत्यधृतिश्च लक्ष्मणो महानुभवो भरतश्च धार्मिक: । वृता: सुहृद्भिश्च विरेजुरध्वरे यथा सदस्यै: सहितास्त्रयो ऽग्नय: ।। २.१०३.
There, Rāghava, steadfast in truth, Lakṣmaṇa of great prowess, and righteous Bharata, surrounded by their friends, shone in the assembly like three sacred fires with their priests.