दत्त्वा तु सह वैहेह्या ब्राह्मणेभ्यो धनं बहु। जग्मतुः पितरं द्रष्टुं सीतया सह राघवौ॥
Having distributed much wealth to the Brāhmaṇas, the Rāghavas set out with $ītā for the purpose of seeing their father.
ततो गृहीते प्रेष्याभ्यामशोभेतां तदायुधे। मालादामभिरासक्ते सीतया समलंकृते॥
The two looked beautiful with a couple of handmaids (following them), taking the weapons that had been decked by Sītā with flowery wreaths.
ततः प्रासादहाणि विमानशिखराणि च। अभिरुह्य जनः श्रीमानुदासीनो व्यलोकयत्॥
Then crowds of elegantly-attired citizens, mounting on the terraces of three-storied and seven-storied houses, looked on the scene with hearts filled with sorrow.
न हि रथ्याः सुशक्यन्ते गन्तुं बहुजनाकुलाः। आरुह्य तस्मात् प्रासादाद् दीनाः पश्यन्ति राघवम्॥
Unable to thread the streets because of a vast concourse, they ascending the terraces of the buildings, eyed Rāghava with woebegone eyes.
पदाति सानुजं दृष्ट्वा ससीतं च जनास्तदा। ऊचुर्बहुजना वाचः शोकोपहतचेतसः॥
And deprived of their senses by grief, the multitudes,* beholding Rāma proceeding on foot in company with Sītā and his younger brother, said. *Another reading i.e., Beholding Rāma without his umbrella and walking a foot.
यं यान्तमनुयाति स्म चतुरङ्गबलं महत्। तमेकं सीतया सार्धमनुयाति स्म लक्ष्मणः॥
He that used to be followed by the vast body of the four-fold forces, proceeds now along with Sita, followed by Laksmana alone.
ऐश्वर्यस्य रसज्ञः सन् कामानां चाकरो महान्। नेच्छत्येवानृतं कर्तुं वचनं धर्मगौरवात्॥
Knowing every kind of enjoyment, that magnanimous one who has tasted of every luxury, for maintaining the dignity of morality, does not wish to falsify (his father's) word.
या न शक्या पुरा द्रष्टुं भूतैराकाशगैरपि। तामद्य सीतां पश्यन्ति राजमार्गगता जनाः॥
And that Sītā whom formerly the very rangers of the sky could not see, is to-day beheld by the passers-by.
अङ्गरागोचितां सीतां रक्तचन्दनसेविनीम्। 'वर्षमुष्णं च शीतं च नेष्यत्याशु विवर्णताम्॥
Now summer's heat and winter's cold and the rains of the wet season wil speedily stain Sītā, whose person is worthy of being dyed, and who used to daub her limbs with red sandal paste.
अद्य नूनं दशरथः सत्त्वमाविश्य भाषते। नहि राजा प्रियं पुत्रं विवासयितुमर्हति॥
Surely to-day Dasaratha speaks thus, possessed by some evil spirit; for the king ought by no means to banish his beloved son.
निर्गुणस्यापि पुत्रस्य कथं स्याद् विनिवासनम्। किं पुनर्यस्य लोकोऽयं जितो वृत्तेन केवलम्॥
Who ever exiles his son, albeit he be worthless? And what is to be said concerning a son that has fast secured all men's hearts by his behaviour?
आनृशंस्यमनुक्रोशः श्रुतं शीलं दमः शमः। राघवं शोभयन्त्येते षड्गुणाः पुरुषर्षभम्॥
Universal benevolence, kindness, learning, goodness, the restraint of the senses, and the control of the faculties, these six qualities adorn that best of men, Rāghava.
तस्मात् तस्योपघातेन प्रजाः परमपीडिताः। औदकानीव सत्त्वानि ग्रीष्मे सलिलसंक्षयात्॥
Therefore the subjects will be afflicted in consequence of his separation, even as aquatic animals are, when summer dries up the waters of a tank.
पीडया पीडितं सर्वं जगदस्य जगत्पतेः। मूलस्येवोपघातेन वृक्षः पुष्पफलोपगः॥
The entire earth is distressed on account of the distress of this lord of the earth, even like a tree bearing blossoms and fruits, when its roots have been severed.
मूलं ह्येष मनुष्याणां धर्मसारो महाद्युतिः। पुष्पं फलं च पत्रं च शाखाश्चास्येतरे जनाः॥
Surely this highly effulgent one with virtue for his chief good, is the root of humanity, and the latter represents its flowers, fruits, foliage, and boughs.
ते लक्ष्मण इव क्षिप्रं सपल्यः सहबान्धवाः। गच्छन्तमनुगच्छामो येन गच्छति राघवः॥
Therefore, accompanied by our wives and friends will we like Lakşmaņa follow the departing Rāghava by the same way that he takes.
उद्यानानि परित्यज्य क्षेत्राणि च गृहाणि च। एकदुःखसुखा राममनुगच्छाम धार्मिकम्॥
And leaving aside our gardens and fields and abodes, will we, making the righteous Rāma's happiness and misery our own, follow him.
समुद्धृतनिधानानि परिध्वस्ताजिराणि च। उपात्तधनधान्यानि हृतसाराणि सर्वशः॥ रजसाभ्यवकीर्णानि परित्यक्तानि दैवतैः। मूषकैः परिधावद्भिरुद्विलैरावृतानि च॥ अपेतोदकधूमानि हीनसम्मार्जनानि च। प्रणष्टबलिकर्मेज्यामन्त्रहोमजपानि च॥ दुष्कालेनेव भग्नानि भिन्नभाजनवन्ति च। अस्मत्यक्तानि कैकेयी वेश्मानि प्रतिपद्यताम्॥
Let Kaikeyi possess herself of our deserted mansions, deprived of their buried treasures, with their un-swept courtyards robbed of kine and wealth, and shorn of all substance, filled with dust, and abandoned by the deities, mansions where rats will run from hole to hole, which will neither emit smoke nor contain water, which will not be swept by broomsticks, from which sacrifices, and the slaughter of sacrificial beasts, and the offering of oblations, and the recitation of sacred texts, and Japa, will be absent, and around which will be strewn broken carthenware, as they are on occasions of political commotion's or the occurrence of natural calamities.
वनं नगरमेवास्तु येन गच्छति राघवः। अस्माभिश्च परित्यक्तं पुरं सम्पद्यतां वनम्॥
Let the forest to which Rāghava repairs resemble a city, and let this city renounced by as be converted into a wilderness.
बिलानि दंष्ट्रिणः सर्वे सानूनि मृगपक्षिणः। त्यजन्त्वस्मद्भयाद्रीता गजाः सिंहा वनान्यपि॥
Inspired by the fear of us, serpents will leave their holes, and beats and birds the caves of mountains, and elephants and lions the forest.
अस्मत्त्यक्तं प्रपद्यन्तु सेव्यमानं त्यजन्तु च। तृणमांसफलादानं देशं व्यालमृगद्विजम्॥ प्रपद्यतां हि कैकेयी सपुत्रा सह बान्धवैः। राघवेण वयं सर्वे वने वत्स्याम निर्वृताः॥
Let them occupy the tracts left behind by us, and let them renounce such abounding in serpents, beasts, and birds, as yield grass, meat, and fruits. Let Kaikeyi (reign in this realm) along with her sons sons and adherents; we, renouncing homes, will dwell in the forest with Raghava.
इत्येवं विविधा वाचो नानाजनसमीरिताः। शुश्राव राघवः श्रुत्वा न विचक्रेऽस्य मानसम्॥ स तु वेश्म पुनर्मातुः कैलासशिखरप्रभम्। अभिचक्राम धर्मात्मा मत्तमातङ्गविक्रमः॥
Rāghava heard various words uttered thus by the populace; and having heard them he did not suffer his mind to be agitated. And that righteous one of the prowess of a mad elephant, form a distance began to make for the residence of his father resembiing in brightness a summit of the Kailasa mountain.
विनीतवीरपुरुषं प्रविश्य तु नृपालयम्। ददर्शावस्थितं दीनं सुमन्त्रमविदूरतः॥
Entering the king's mansion, he drawing nigh found the heroic Sumantra seated in dejected mood.
मनार्तरूपः प्रसहनिवाथ। जगाम रामः पितरं दिदृक्षुः पितुर्निदेशं विधिवच्चिकीर्षुः॥
Seeing that well-wisher of his thus depressed, Rāma endeavouring by all means to do his father's bidding, cheerfully went on, desirous of beholding his sire.
तत्पूर्वमैक्ष्वाकसुतो महात्मा रामो गमिष्यन् नृपमार्तरूपम्। व्यतिष्ठत प्रेक्ष्य तदा सुमन्त्रं पितुर्महात्मा प्रतिहारणार्थम्॥
And with the view of meeting the aggrieved king before repairing to the forest, the magnanimous son of the Ikşvāku race, seeing Sumantra, stayed there, so that that nobleminded one might inform his father of his visit.
पितुर्निदेशेन तु धर्मवत्सलो वनप्रवेशे कृतबुद्धिनिश्चयः। निवेदयस्वागमनं नृपाय मे॥
And making up his mind to go to the woods in accordance with the command of his father, Rāghava seeing Sumantra, said to him; “Do you inform the king of my arrival. to