पुष्पाभया पुष्पसितं जरसा सह काननम् । समं गृहाद् गमिष्यामो हंसा इव तरोस् सरः
When old age comes, and the forest is covered with blossoms, we shall leave the house together, like swans departing from a tree to a lake.
अप्राप्तकालं नृपतेः प्रजापालनम् उज्झतः । राजयक्ष्मेव चन्द्रस्य महद् एनो न नश्यति
If a king abandons the protection of his people before the proper time, his great sin does not perish, just as the moon's disease does not vanish.
अप्राप्तकारिणं भूपं रोधयन्ति च वै प्रजाः । रोधयन्ति ह्य् अकार्येभ्यः प्रभुभृत्याः परस्परम्
The subjects indeed restrain a king who acts before the proper time; and masters and servants restrain each other from improper deeds.
अलम् उत्पलमालाक्षि विघ्नेनाभिमतस्य मे । विद्धि मां गतम् एवेतो दूरम् एकान्तकाननम्
Enough, O lotus-eyed one, of obstructing my intention; know that I have already gone far away to a solitary forest.
बाला त्वम् अनवद्याङ्गी नागन्तव्यं वनं त्वया । पुंसाम् अपि हि मृद्वङ्गि दुर्विषह्यो वनाश्रयः
You are young, with flawless limbs; you should not go to the forest. Even for men with tender bodies, dwelling in the forest is hard to endure.
न समर्था वनावासे योषितः कठिना अपि । का नाम पुष्पमञ्जर्यस् सोढुम् अर्कातपं क्षमाः
Women are not capable of living in the forest, even if they are strong. What flower cluster could bear the heat of the sun?
भवत्या पालयन्त्येह राज्यं स्थातव्यम् उत्तमे । कुटुम्बभारोद्वहनं पत्यौ याते व्रतं स्त्रियः
You should remain here, protecting the kingdom. When your husband departs, women must take up the burden of the household as their vow.
इत्य् उक्त्वा दयितां राजा ताम् इन्दुवदनां वशी । उत्तस्थौ स्नातुम् अखिलं दिनकार्यं चकार ह
Having spoken thus to his beloved, whose face was like the moon, the king, self-controlled, rose to bathe and performed all his daily duties.
अथोज्झितप्रजाचेष्टो रविर् अस्ताचलं ययौ । शिखिध्वजो वनम् इव समस्तजनदुर्गमम्
Then, abandoning the activities of his subjects, the sun went to the western mountain, just as Shikhidhvaja entered the forest, inaccessible to all people.
संहृत्य विततं रूपं तम् एवानुययौ प्रभा । नाथं भवननिष्क्रान्तं चूडालेवानुरागिणी
Gathering her widespread form, Prabhā followed her lord, who had left the palace, like Chūḍālī, full of love.
आययौ यामिनी श्यामा भुवनं भस्मधूसरम् । धृतव्योमापगं शर्वम् ईर्ष्ययेव यमस्वसा
The dark night arrived, making the world ashen and dusty, holding the celestial river in the sky, like Yama’s sister, out of jealousy.
दिक्षु सन्ध्याभ्रहस्तासु स्थितासु कृतकुण्डलम् । तमोलवालकाङ्कासु ज्योत्स्नाहासोदयाङ्कितम्
In the directions, where the hands of twilight clouds were adorned with earrings, in the locks of darkness, the marks of moonlight’s smile began to rise.
गच्छतोर् अपरं पारं दम्पत्योर् मैरवं वनम् । देवोद्यानमयं रन्तुं दिनश्रीदिननाथयोः
The royal couple, Day and its Lord, went to the other side, to the Maireya forest, a divine garden, to enjoy themselves.
आगच्छतोर् इमं पारं हृद्यं तीक्ष्णकरोज्झितम् । निशानिशानाथयोश् च दम्पत्योर् मैरवं पुनः
As Night and its Lord approached this side, charming yet pierced by the sharp rays, the royal couple again entered the Maireya forest.
तारागणो ऽपि ददृशे विशीर्णो व्योमकुट्टिमे । मुक्तो मङ्गललाजानां दिग्वधूभिर् इवाञ्जलिः
The host of stars appeared scattered across the sky's expanse, as if the celestial brides had released handfuls of auspicious rice.
चन्द्रानना तमश्श्यामा शीता कुमुदहासिनी । यामिनी यौवनं प्राप सरोजमुकुलस्तनी
Night, moon-faced, dark as darkness, cool, smiling like the white water-lily, attained her youth, her breasts like unopened lotus buds.
कृतसन्ध्यासमाचारस् सह चूडालयेष्टया । सुष्वाप शयने भूपो मैनाक इव सागरे
Having performed the evening rites, the king, with his beloved crowned consort, slept on his bed like Mount Mainaka in the ocean.
अथार्धरात्रसमये देशे निश्शब्दतां गते । घननिद्राशिलाकोशनिलीने सकले जने
Then, at midnight, when silence pervaded the land and all people were hidden in the stone-casket of deep sleep,
स तस्यां सम्प्रसुप्तायां शयने कोमलांशुके । भृशं निद्राविमूढायां भ्रमर्याम् इव पङ्कजे
As she lay fast asleep on the bed, wrapped in a soft garment, deeply overcome by sleep, like a bee in a lotus,
तत्याज दयितां सुप्ताम् अङ्काद् राजा शिखिध्वजः । स्वैरं स्वैरं मुखं राहो रविचन्द्रप्रभाम् इव
King Shikhidhvaja quietly left his beloved, who slept on his lap, just as Rahu stealthily leaves the radiant faces of the sun and moon.
उत्तस्थौ शयनाल् लीनवधूकाद् धवलांशुकात् । सलक्ष्मीकाद् विलोलोर्मेर् हरिः क्षीरार्णवाद् इव
He rose from the bed, leaving behind his beloved and the white garment, like Vishnu rising from the ocean of milk, leaving Lakshmi and the waves.
निर्जगामाङ्गनं मत्तसुप्तभृत्यजनं गृहात् । वनं सुप्तमृगव्यूहं केसरी कन्दराद् इव
He departed from the house, where the servants and women were intoxicated or asleep, like a lion leaving its cave for a forest where the herds of deer slumber.
खड्गमात्रसहायो ऽसौ पटद्वयपरावृतः । अर्धसुप्तद्वारपालं द्वारदेशम् अवाप च
With only his sword for company, wrapped in two cloths, he reached the doorway, where the gatekeeper was half-asleep.
वीरक्रमार्थं यामीति तत्रैव द्वारपव्रजम् । योजयित्वा जगामासौ पुरान् निर्गत्य पूर्णधीः
For the sake of heroic action, he said, 'I go for the night-watch,' and after arranging with the gatekeeper, he left the city, his mind fully resolved.
राज्यलक्ष्म्यै नमस् तुभ्यम् इत्य् उक्त्वा मण्डलाद् गतः । विवेशोग्राम् अरण्यानीम् एको नद इवार्णवम्
Saying, 'Salutations to you, goddess of royal fortune,' he departed from the circle of the city, and entered the wild forest alone, like a river entering the ocean.
घनान्धकारगुल्माढ्या क्षुद्रभूतौघकर्कशा । सारण्यानीनिशा सा च समं तेनातिवाहिता
That night in the forest, dense with thick darkness and harsh with crowds of small creatures, was passed by him.
प्रातश् शून्यम् अरण्यानीखं तीर्त्वा विततं दिनम् । समम् अर्केण कस्याञ्चिद् विशश्राम वनावनौ
In the morning, after crossing the empty expanse of the forest, he spent the day together with the sun, resting in a woodland grove.
भानाव् अदृश्यतां याते तत्र स्नानादिपूर्वकम् । किञ्चित् फलादिकं भुक्त्वा तां निनाय तमस्वतीम्
When the sun set, after bathing and other rituals, he ate some fruit and similar food, and spent the night there in darkness.
पुनः प्रातः पुराण्य् उच्चैर् मण्डलानि गिरीन् नदीः । बलाद् उल्लङ्घयाम् आस राम द्वादशशर्वरीः
Again, at dawn, for twelve nights, he forcefully crossed ancient mountain ranges, peaks, and rivers, O Rama.
ततो मन्दरशैलस्य तटस्थं जनदुर्गमम् । प्राप काननम् अत्यन्तदूरस्थजनतापुरम्
Then he reached a forest on the slopes of Mount Mandara, a place difficult for people to access, far from any settlement.