महर्षिर्यो वसिष्ठस्तु यः पितुर्नः पुरोहितः। अह्ना पुत्रशतं जज्ञे तथैवास्य पुनर्हतम्
The great sage Vasishta, who was our father's priest, begot a hundred sons in a single day, and all of them were likewise lost.
या चेयं जगतो माता सर्वलोकनमस्कृता। अस्याश्च चलनं भूमेर्दृश्यते कोसलेश्वर
Even this earth, mother of the world, revered by all beings, O lord of Kosala, is seen to tremble.
यौ धर्मौ जगतो नेत्रौ यत्र सर्वं प्रतिष्ठितम्। आदित्यचन्द्रौ ग्रहणमभ्युपेतौ महाबलौ
The two upholders of righteousness, the eyes of the world, upon whom all rests—the mighty Sun and Moon—have suffered eclipses.
सुमहान्त्यपि भूतानि देवाश्च पुरुषर्षभ। न दैवस्य प्रमुञ्चन्ति सर्वभूतानि देहिनः
Even the greatest beings and the gods, O best of men, do not escape fate; all embodied beings are subject to destiny.
शक्रादिष्वपि देवेषु वर्तमानौ नयानयौ। श्रूयेते नरशार्दूल न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि
Even among the gods, like Indra and others, both good and bad fortune are heard of, O tiger among men; you should not grieve.
मृतायामपि वैदेह्यां नष्टायामपि राघव। शोचितुं नार्हसे वीर यथान्यः प्राकृतस्तथा
Even if Vaidehi were dead, even if she were lost, O Raghava, you, O hero, should not grieve as an ordinary man would.
त्वद्विधा नहि शोचन्ति सततं सर्वदर्शनाः। सुमहत्स्वपि कृच्छ्रेषु रामानिर्विण्णदर्शनाः
Men like you, who see all things, do not constantly grieve, O Rama, even in the greatest hardships, for their vision is unwavering.
तत्त्वतो हि नरश्रेष्ठ बुद्ध्या समनुचिन्तय। बुद्ध्या युक्ता महाप्राज्ञा विजानन्ति शुभाशुभे
Therefore, best of men, reflect with your intellect on the truth; those endowed with wisdom discern good and evil by reason.
अदृष्टगुणदोषाणामध्रुवाणां तु कर्मणाम्। नान्तरेण क्रियां तेषां फलमिष्टं च वर्तते
For actions whose merits and faults are unseen and whose results are uncertain, their desired fruits do not arise without effort.
मामेवं हि पुरा वीर त्वमेव बहुशोक्तवान्। अनुशिष्याद्धि को नु त्वामपि साक्षाद् बृहस्पतिः
Indeed, O hero, you have often spoken thus to me before; who could instruct you—even Brihaspati himself?
बुद्धिश्च ते महाप्राज्ञ देवैरपि दुरन्वया। शोकेनाभिप्रसुप्तं ते ज्ञानं सम्बोधयाम्यहम्
Your intellect, O great wise one, is difficult even for the gods to grasp; but as your knowledge is overcome by grief, I am awakening it.
दिव्यं च मानुषं चैवमात्मनश्च पराक्रमम्। इक्ष्वाकुवृषभावेक्ष्य यतस्व द्विषतां वधे
Beholding your divine and human prowess, and your own valor, O bull among the Ikṣvākus, strive for the destruction of your enemies.
किं ते सर्वविनाशेन कृतेन पुरुषर्षभ। तमेव तु रिपुं पापं विज्ञायोद्धर्तुमर्हसि
What is the use, O best of men, in destroying all? You should recognize and eliminate only that wicked enemy.
thumb|सप्तषष्ठितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे अरण्यकाण्डे सप्तषष्ठितमः सर्गः ॥३-
In the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Aranya Kanda, the sixty-seventh sarga (chapter).
पूर्वजोऽप्युक्तमात्रस्तु लक्ष्मणेन सुभाषितम्। सारग्राही महासारं प्रतिजग्राह राघवः
Hearing Lakṣmaṇa’s well-spoken words, the eldest, Rāghava, who discerns the essence, accepted his profound counsel.
स निगृह्य महाबाहुः प्रवृद्धं रोषमात्मनः। अवष्टभ्य धनुश्चित्रं रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्
That mighty-armed one, restraining his swelling anger, grasped his splendid bow and spoke to Lakṣmaṇa.
किं करिष्यावहे वत्स क्व वा गच्छाव लक्ष्मण। केनोपायेन पश्यावः सीतामिह विचिन्तय
What shall we do, dear child? Where shall we go, Lakṣmaṇa? By what means shall we find Sītā here? Consider this.
तं तथा परितापार्तं लक्ष्मणो वाक्यमब्रवीत्। इदमेव जनस्थानं त्वमन्वेषितुमर्हसि
To him, thus tormented by grief, Lakṣmaṇa spoke these words: You should search this very Janasthāna.
राक्षसैर्बहुभिः कीर्णं नानाद्रुमलतायुतम्। सन्तीह गिरिदुर्गाणि निर्दराः कन्दराणि च
It is filled with many Rākṣasas and entwined with various trees and creepers; here are mountain strongholds, ravines, and caves.
गुहाश्च विविधा घोरा नानामृगगणाकुलाः। आवासाः किंनराणां च गन्धर्वभवनानि च
There are also many dreadful caves, teeming with various wild beasts, dwellings of Kinnaras, and abodes of Gandharvas.
तानि युक्तो मया सार्धं समन्वेषितुमर्हसि। त्वद्विधा बुद्धिसम्पन्ना महात्मानो नरर्षभाः
You ought to search those places thoroughly with me; great souls like you, endowed with wisdom, O best of men, do so.
आपत्सु न प्रकम्पन्ते वायुवेगैरिवाचलाः। इत्युक्तस्तद् वनं सर्वं विचचार सलक्ष्मणः
In calamities, they do not waver, like mountains unshaken by the force of the wind. Thus addressed, he searched the entire forest with Lakṣmaṇa.
क्रुद्धो रामः शरं घोरं संधाय धनुषि क्षुरम्। ततः पर्वतकूटाभं महाभागं द्विजोत्तमम्
Enraged, Rāma fitted a terrible, razor-sharp arrow to his bow; then he saw the illustrious king of birds, resembling a mountain peak, fallen to the ground.
ददर्श पतितं भूमौ क्षतजार्द्रं जटायुषम्। तं दृष्ट्वा गिरिशृङ्गाभं रामो लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत्
He saw Jaṭāyu, drenched in blood, lying on the earth like a mountain summit; seeing him, Rāma spoke to Lakṣmaṇa.
अनेन सीता वैदेही भक्षिता नात्र संशयः। गृध्ररूपमिदं व्यक्तं रक्षो भ्रमति काननम्
By this one, Sītā, the daughter of Videha, has been devoured—there is no doubt. Clearly, this vulture-shaped demon roams the forest.
भक्षयित्वा विशालाक्षीमास्ते सीतां यथासुखम्। एनं वधिष्ये दीप्ताग्रैः शरैर्घोरैरजिह्मगैः
Having eaten the wide-eyed Sītā, he now rests at ease; I will slay him with blazing, deadly, straight-flying arrows.
इत्युक्त्वाभ्यपतद् द्रष्टुं संधाय धनुषि क्षुरम्। क्रुद्धो रामः समुद्रान्तां चालयन्निव मेदिनीम्
So saying, Rāma, furious as if shaking the earth to its ocean-boundaries, rushed forward to see, fitting a razor-sharp arrow to his bow.
तं दीनदीनया वाचा सफेनं रुधिरं वमन्। अभ्यभाषत पक्षी स रामं दशरथात्मजम्
That bird, vomiting frothy blood, spoke to Rāma, son of Daśaratha, in a voice faint and piteous.
यामोषधीमिवायुष्मन्नन्वेषसि महावने। सा देवी मम च प्राणा रावणेनोभयं हृतम्
O long-lived one, as you search for the goddess in this great forest, both she and my life have been taken by Rāvaṇa.
त्वया विरहिता देवी लक्ष्मणेन च राघव। ह्रियमाणा मया दृष्टा रावणेन बलीयसा
O Rāghava, with you and Lakṣmaṇa absent, I saw the lady seized by the mighty Rāvaṇa.