प्रणम्याथ नृपं भूपा निर्ययुर् नृपमन्दिरात् । शक्रचापीकृता रत्नैर् अम्भोधेर् इव वीचयः
Then, after bowing to the king, the lords departed from the royal palace, like waves adorned with jewels leaving the ocean, forming a rainbow.
सामन्ता मन्त्रिणश् चैव वसिष्ठम् अथ भूमिपम् । प्रणम्य जग्मुस् स्नानाय नयविज्ञानकोविदाः
The vassals and ministers, experts in the science of governance, after bowing to Vasiṣṭha and the king, went to bathe.
वामदेवादयश् चान्ये विश्वामित्रादयस् तथा । वसिष्ठं पुरतः कृत्वा तस्थुर् आमज्जनोन्मुखाः
Others, such as Vāmadeva and Viśvāmitra, placing Vasiṣṭha at the front, stood ready for the sacred bath.
राजा दशरथस् तत्र पूजयित्वा मुनिव्रजम् । तद्विसृष्टो जगामाथ स्वकार्यार्थम् अरिन्दमः
There, King Daśaratha, having honored the assembly of sages, was dismissed by them and then went to attend to his own duties, O destroyer of foes.
वनं वनास्पदा जग्मुर् व्योम व्योमनिवासिनः । नगरं नागराश् चैव प्रातर् आगमनाय ते
The forest-dwellers went to the forest, the sky-dwellers to the sky, and the city-dwellers to the city, all intending to return in the morning.
महीपतिवसिष्ठाभ्यां प्रणयात् प्रार्थितः प्रभुः । वसिष्ठसद्मनि निशां विश्वामित्रो ऽत्यवाहयत्
At the request of the king and Vasiṣṭha, out of affection, the sage Viśvāmitra spent the night at Vasiṣṭha’s residence.
वसिष्ठस् सह विप्रेन्द्रैः पार्थिवैर् मुनिभिस् तथा । उपास्यमानो रामाद्यैस् सर्वैर् दशरथात्मजैः
Vasiṣṭha, attended by the foremost brahmins, kings, and sages, was served by Rāma and all the sons of Daśaratha.
जगाम स्वाश्रमं श्रीमान् सर्वलोकनमस्कृतः । अनुयातस् सुरौघेन ब्रह्मलोकम् इवाब्जजः
The illustrious sage, honored by all the worlds, went to his own hermitage, followed by a host of gods, like Brahma returning to Brahmaloka.
तस्मात् प्रदेशाद् रामादीन् मुनिर् दशरथात्मजान् । सर्वान् विसर्जयाम् आस पादोपान्ते नतान् असौ
From that place, the sage dismissed Rama and the other sons of Dasaratha, who had bowed at his feet, sending them all away.
नभश्चरान् अवनिचराञ् जलेचरान् विसर्ज्य स स्तुतगुणगोचरांश् चरान् । यथाक्रमं स्वगृह उदारसन्मुनौ चकार ता द्विजजनवासरक्रियाः
He sent away those who move in the sky, on earth, and in water—those who dwell in the praise of his virtues—and, in due order, performed the daily rites for the twice-born at his noble hermitage.
ते समेत्य गृहं वीरा राजपुत्राश् शशित्विषः । चक्रुस् सर्वम् अशेषेण स्वसद्मसु दिनक्रमम्
Those heroic princes, radiant as the moon, returned to their homes and fully carried out all their daily duties there.
वसिष्ठो राघवश् चैव राजानो मुनयो द्विजाः । इति चक्रुस् स्वकार्याणि तदा स्वगृहवीथिषु
Vasistha, Raghava, the kings, sages, and brahmins each attended to their own affairs then, in the streets of their own homes.
सस्नुः कमलकल्हारकुमुदोत्पलहारिषु । जलाशयेषु चक्राह्वहंससारसराविषु
They bathed in lakes adorned with lotuses, water lilies, and blue lilies, and in ponds frequented by chakravaka ducks, swans, and cranes.
गोभूतिलहिरण्यानि शयनान्य् आसनानि च । ददुर् दानानि विप्रेभ्यो भोजनान्य् अंशुकानि च
They gave cows, land, gold, beds, and seats as gifts to the brahmins, along with food and garments.
हेमरत्नविचित्रेषु स्वेषु चामरसद्मसु । आनर्चुर् अच्युतेशानहुताशार्कादिकान् सुरान्
In their own palaces, adorned with gold and jewels, they worshipped the gods—Acyuta, Isa, Agni, Surya, and others.
पुत्रपौत्रसुहृद्भृत्यबन्धुमित्रगणैस् सह । तत आस्वादयाम् आसुर् भोजनान्य् उचितानि ते
Together with their sons, grandsons, friends, servants, relatives, and companions, they then enjoyed appropriate meals.
एतस्मिन् समये चास्मिन् नगरे दिवसो ऽभवत् । तनुर् अष्टांशशेषत्वान् मृद्वातपमनोहरः
At that time, in that city, the day was pleasant, with only an eighth part of its duration left, gentle and delightful with a soft breeze.
सायन्तनविधिं ते ते तत्कालोचितयेच्छया । अनयन् बन्धुभिस् सार्धं यावद् अस्तं ययौ रविः
They spent the evening according to the custom of the time, along with their relatives, until the sun set.
सन्ध्यां ववन्दिरे सुष्ठु जेपुश् चैवाघमर्षणम् । पेठुस् स्तोत्राणि पुण्यानि जगुर् गाथा मनोरमाः
They reverently performed the evening worship, recited the Aghamarṣaṇa hymn, sang auspicious praises, and chanted charming songs.
ततश् चाभ्युदिते श्यामाकामिनीशोकहारिणि । क्षीरोदाद् इव माहेन्द्र्यां चन्द्रे ऽवश्यायदायिनि
Then, as the moon—remover of the sorrow of dark-eyed women—rose, spreading dew like the celestial moon from the ocean of milk,
शनैर् आस्तीर्णपुष्पेषु कीर्णकर्पूरमुष्टिषु । दीर्घेन्दुबिम्बरम्येषु तस्थुस् तल्पेषु राघवाः
Slowly, on beds strewn with flowers and scattered with handfuls of camphor, delightful as the broad disc of the full moon, the Raghavas took their places.
अथ रामाद् ऋते ऽन्येषां तत्र तद्व्यवहारिणी । व्यतीयाय शनैश् श्यामा मुहूर्त इव सुन्दरी
Then, except for Rama, the others there, engaged in their usual activities, gradually passed the beautiful night, as if it were but a moment.
तस्थौ रामस् तु ताम् एव वासिष्ठीं वचनावलीम् । चिन्तयन् मधुरोदारां प्राक्पीतां करभो यथा
But Rama remained, reflecting on those sweet and noble words of Vasistha, just as an elephant savors the sugarcane it has tasted before.
किम् इदं नाम संसारभ्रमणं किम् इमे जनाः । भूतानीह विचित्राणि किम् आयान्ति प्रयान्ति किम्
What is this so-called wandering in worldly existence? Who are these people? What are these various beings here—do they come and go, and why?
मनसः कीदृशं रूपं कथं चैतत् प्रसृज्यते । मायेयं सा किमुत्था स्यात् कथं चेयं निवर्तते
What is the true nature of the mind, and how does it spread forth? Is this all merely illusion, and if so, how does it arise and how does it cease?
निवृत्तया च वा कस् स्याद् गुणो दोषो ऽथ वा भवेत् । कथम् आत्मनि चैवायं तते सङ्कोच आगतः
When this has ceased, for whom would there be virtue or fault? And how has this limitation arisen in the Self itself?
किम् उक्तं स्याद् भगवता मुनिना मनसः क्षये । किम् इन्द्रियजये प्रोक्तं किम् उक्तम् अथ चात्मनि
What has the venerable sage declared about the dissolution of the mind? What has been said regarding mastery over the senses, and what has been stated concerning the Self?
जीवश् चित्तं मनो मायेत्येवमादिभिर् आततैः । रूपैर् आत्मैव संसारं तनोतीमम् असन्मयैः
By such terms as 'living being,' 'mind-stuff,' 'mind,' and 'illusion,' it is the Self alone that projects this worldly existence in these various unreal forms.
एभिर् एव मनोमात्रतन्तुबद्धैः क्षयं गतैः । दुःखोपशान्तिर् एतानि सुचिकित्स्यानि नः कथम्
When these, bound only by the threads of mind, come to an end, suffering is pacified; how can these, so difficult to treat, be cured for us?
भोगाभ्रमालावलनाद् धीबलाकाम् इमां कथम् । पृथक् करोमि पयसो धारां हंस इवाम्भसः
How can I, by the strength of discernment, separate this chain of enjoyments, which clings like a garland of clouds, as a swan separates a stream of water from milk?