केवलं पुष्पषण्डेषु नगरोपवनेषु च । उद्यानवनकुञ्जेषु सदैव परिशीलितः
He has only ever been accustomed to flower gardens, city groves, and the thickets of parks and woods.
विहर्तुम् एष जानाति सह राजकुमारकैः । कीर्णपुष्पोपकारासु स्वकास्व् अजिरभूमिषु
He knows how to play with the royal princes, in his own courtyards adorned with scattered flowers.
अद्य त्व् अतितरां ब्रह्मन् मम भाग्यविपर्ययात् । हिमेनेवाहतः पद्मस् सम्पन्नो हरितः कृशः
Today, O Brahman, by a reversal of my fortune, I am like a lotus struck by frost: once flourishing and green, now withered and frail.
नात्तुम् अन्नानि शक्नोति न विहर्तुं गृहावनौ । अन्तःखेदपरीतात्मा तूष्णीं तिष्ठति केवलम्
He cannot eat food, nor enjoy himself at home or outdoors; his heart is overwhelmed with inner distress, and he sits in silence, doing nothing.
सदारस् सहभृत्यो ऽहं तत्कृते मुनिनायक । शरदीव पयोवाहो नूनं निस्सहतां गतः
With my wife and attendants, O chief of sages, I too have become utterly helpless on his account, like a raincloud in autumn.
ईदृशो ऽसौ सुतो बाल आधिना विवशीकृतः । कथं ददामि तं तुभ्यं योद्धुं सह निशाचरैः
Such is my son, a mere boy, rendered powerless by sorrow—how can I give him to you to fight against the night-dwelling demons?
अपि बालाङ्गनासङ्गाद् अपि साधो सुधारसात् । राज्याद् अपि सुखायैष पुत्रस्नेहो महामते
O wise one, the love for a son brings happiness greater than that from the company of young women, from the taste of nectar, or even from sovereignty.
ये दुरन्ता महारम्भास् त्रिषु लोकेषु खेददाः । पुत्रस्नेहेन सन्तो ऽपि कुर्वते ते न संश्रयम्
Even those who are content do not undertake the most difficult and exhausting endeavors in the three worlds, but for the sake of love for a son, they do not hesitate.
असवो ऽथ धनं दारास् त्यज्यन्ते मानवैस् सुखम् । न पुत्रा मुनिशार्दूल स्वभावो ह्य् एष जन्तुषु
People may easily give up their lives, wealth, or wives, O best of sages, but not their sons—such is the nature of living beings.
राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्माणः कूटयुद्धविशारदाः । रामस् तान् योधयत्व् इत्थम् उक्तिर् एवातिदुस्सहा
The very thought that Rama should fight those demons—cruel in deed and skilled in deceitful warfare—is utterly unbearable.
विप्रयुक्तो हि रामेण मुहूर्तम् अपि नोत्सहे । जीवितुं जीविताकाङ्क्षी न रामं नेतुम् अर्हसि
Separated from Rāma, I cannot endure to live even for a moment, though I desire life; you should not take Rāma away.
नववर्षसहस्राणि मम यातानि कौशिक । दुःखेनोत्पादितास् त्व् एते चत्वारः पुत्रका मया
Nine thousand years have passed for me, O Kauśika, in suffering; and with difficulty I have begotten these four sons.
प्रधानभूतस् तेष्व् एषु रामः कमललोचनः । तं विना ते त्रयो ऽप्य् अन्ये धारयन्ति न जीवितम्
Among these, Rāma, lotus-eyed, is foremost; without him, the other three also cannot sustain life.
स एव रामो भवता नीयते राक्षसान् प्रति । यदि तत् पुत्रहीनं त्वं मृतम् एवाशु विद्धि माम्
It is this very Rāma whom you are taking to confront the rākṣasas; know that if I am deprived of my son, I will soon be as good as dead.
चतुर्णाम् आत्मजानां हि प्रीतिर् अत्र हि मे परा । ज्येष्ठं धर्ममयं तस्मान् न रामं नेतुम् अर्हसि
Indeed, my affection for these four sons is supreme; therefore, as the eldest is righteous, you should not take Rāma.
निशाचरबलं हन्तुं मुने यदि तवेप्सितम् । चतुरङ्गसमायुक्तं मया सह बलं नय
If, O sage, you desire to destroy the host of night-wandering demons, then take with you an army equipped in four divisions, along with me.
किंवीर्या राक्षसास् ते तु कस्य पुत्राः कथं च ते । कियत्प्रमाणाः के चैते इति वर्णय मे स्फुटम्
What is the strength of those rākṣasas? Whose sons are they, and what are they like? What is their size, and who are they? Describe them to me clearly.
कथं तेन प्रहर्तव्यं तेषां रामेण रक्षसाम् । मामकैर् वा बलैर् ब्रह्मन् मया वा कूटयोधिनाम्
How should those rākṣasas be struck by Rāma, or by my forces, or by me, O brāhmaṇa, since they are masters of deceitful warfare?
सर्वं मे शंस भगवन् यथा तेषां मया रणे । स्थातव्यं दुष्टसत्त्वानां वीर्योत्सिक्ता हि राक्षसाः
O venerable one, tell me everything—how I must stand firm in battle against those wicked beings, for the rākṣasas are indeed swollen with might.
श्रूयते हि महावीरो रावणो नाम राक्षसः । साक्षाद् वैश्रवणभ्राता पुत्रो विश्रवसो मुनेः
It is said that there is a mighty hero named Rāvaṇa, a rākṣasa, who is directly the brother of Vaiśravaṇa and the son of the sage Viśravas.
स चेत् तव मखे विघ्नं करोति किल दुर्मतिः । तत् सङ्ग्रामे न शक्तास् स्मो वयं तस्य दुरात्मनः
If that evil-minded one should indeed cause an obstacle in your sacrifice, then in battle we are not able to withstand that wicked soul.
काले काले पृथग् ब्रह्मन् भूरिवीर्यविभूतयः । भूतेष्व् अभ्युदयं यान्ति प्रलीयन्ते च कालतः
At different times, O brāhmaṇa, those endowed with great power and might arise among beings, and in time they also dissolve.
अद्यास्मिंस् ते वयं काले रावणादिषु शत्रुषु । न समर्थाः पुरस् स्थातुं नियतेर् एष निश्चयः
At this present time, against enemies like Rāvaṇa, we are not able to stand before them; this is the decree of fate.
तस्मात् प्रसादं धर्मज्ञ कुरु त्वं मम पुत्रके । मम चैवाल्पभाग्यस्य भवान् ह्य् असमदैवतम्
Therefore, knower of dharma, show favor to my son and to me, who am of little fortune, for you alone are our supreme deity.
देवदानवगन्धर्वा यक्षप्लवगपन्नगाः । न शक्ता रावणं योद्धुं किं पुनः पुरुषा युधि
Not even gods, dānavas, gandharvas, yakṣas, monkeys, or serpents are able to fight Rāvaṇa—what then can men do in battle?
महावीर्यवतां वीर्यम् आदत्ते स सुधाभुजाम् । तेन सार्धं न शक्तास् स्मस् संयुगे तस्य वा वरैः
He takes the strength of those possessing great valor and of the nectar-eaters; therefore, we are not able to contend with him in battle, even with boons.
अयम् अन्यतमः कालः पेलवीकृतसज्जनः । राघवो ऽपि गतो दैन्यं यत्र वार्द्धकजर्जरः
This is another period of time that has rendered good people feeble; even Rāghava has fallen into dejection, being worn down by old age.
अथ वा लवणं ब्रह्मन् यज्ञघ्नं तं मधोस् सुतम् । कथय त्वं सुरप्रख्य क्वेव मोक्ष्यामि पुत्रकम्
Or else, O Brahman, tell me about Lavaṇa, the slayer of sacrifices, the son of Madhu, renowned among the gods—where will I release my son?
अथ नेच्छसि चेद् ब्रह्मंस् तद् विधेयो ऽहम् एव ते । अन्यथा तु न पश्यामि शाश्वतं जयम् आत्मनः
But if you do not wish this, O Brahman, then I am indeed subject to your will; otherwise, I do not see any lasting victory for myself.
इत्य् उक्त्वा मृदुवचनं भयाकुलो ऽसाव् आलोले मुनिमतसंशये निमग्नः । नाज्ञासीत् कणम् अपि निश्चयं महात्मा प्रोद्वीचाव् इव जलधौ समुह्यमानः
Having spoken these gentle words, he, filled with fear and immersed in the wavering doubts of the sages, could not arrive at any decision, like a great soul tossed about in the waves of the ocean.