महामात्रवचः श्रुत्वा रामो दशरथं तदा। अभ्यभाषत वाक्यं तु विनयज्ञो विनीतवत्॥
Hearing the words of that worthy, Rāma conversant with modesty, humbly addressed Dasaratha, saying.
त्यक्तभोगस्य मे राजन् वने वन्येन जीवतः। किं कार्यमनुयात्रेण त्यक्तसङ्गस्य सर्वतः॥
What O king, have I, that am renouncing everything and am going to dwell in the forest subsisting on what the forest yields, to do with a following?
यो हि दत्त्वा द्विपश्रेष्ठं कक्ष्यायां कुरुते मनः। रज्जुस्नेहेन किं तस्य त्यजतः कुञ्जरोत्तमम्॥
Of what avail is a person's attachment for the tether of a goodly elephant, when the elephant itself is renounced by him?
तथा मम सतां श्रेष्ठ किं ध्वजिन्या जगत्पते। सर्वाण्येवानुजानामि चीराण्येवानयन्तु मे॥
Thus it is with me, O foremost of righteous ones. What shal! I do with the army, O lord of men? I will confer everything on Bharata. Let them bring me a venture of bark.
खनित्रपिटके चोभे समानयत गच्छत। चतुर्दश वने वासं वर्षाणि वसतो मम॥
And for me who will go to the forest and reside there for fourteen years, bring a hoe and a basket.
अथ चीराणि कैकेयी स्वयमाहृत्य राघवम्। उवाच परिधत्स्वेति जनौघे निरपत्रपा॥
Thereupon Kaikeyi herself brought a bark dress and that shameless one said to Rāghava in the presence of all, “Do you wear this.”
पुरुषव्याघ्रः कैकेय्याः : प्रतिगृह्य ते। सूक्ष्मवस्त्रमवक्षिप्य मुनिवस्त्राण्यवस्त ह॥
On this, that foremost of men taking those two pieces of bark from Kaikeyi, left his fine attire and put on the ascetic garb.
स चीरे लक्ष्मणश्चापि तत्रैव विहाय वसने शुभे। तापसाच्छादने चैव जग्राह पितुरग्रतः॥
And Lakşmaņa also, renouncing his choice raiment, put on the dress of an anchorite before his father.
अथात्मपरिधानार्थं सीता कौशेयवासिनी। सम्प्रेक्ष्य चीरं संत्रस्ता पृषती वागुरामिव ॥ सा व्यपत्रपमाणेव प्रगृह्य च सुदुर्मनाः। कैकेय्याः कुशचीरे ते जानकी शुभलक्षणा॥ अश्रुसम्पूर्णनेत्रा च धर्मज्ञा धर्मदर्शिनी। गन्धर्वराजप्रतिमं भर्तारमिदमब्रवीत्॥ कथं नु चीरं बध्नन्ति मुनयो वनवासिनः। इति ह्यकुशला सीता सा मुमोह मुहुर्मुहुः॥
Then Sītā clad in silk apparel, eyeing the ascetic covering meant for her, became agitated, like a doe at sight of a noose. And afflicted with shame, that one graced with auspicious marks, Jänakī, sorrowfully took from Kaikeyī the Kuća and bark; and with tears flooding her eyes, that one cognizant of virtue and having her gaze ever fixed upon it, thus addressed her lord resembling the king of the Gandharvas, “How do the ascetics dwelling in the woods put on their dress? Saying this, Sītā, ill at ease became embarrassed.
कृत्वा कण्ठे स्म सा चीरमेकमादाय पाणिना। तस्थौ ह्यकुशला तत्र व्रीडिता जनकात्मजा॥
Putting on one piece on her neck and holding the other in her hand, the daughter of Janaka, feeling uneasy, stood overpowered with shame.
तस्यास्तत् क्षिप्रमागत्य रामो धर्मभृतां वरः। चीरं बबन्ध सीतायाः कौशेयस्योपरि स्वयम्॥
Thereupon that best of righteous persons, Rāma, speedily coming up to her, fastened the monastic garb over Sītā's silk attire.
रामं प्रेक्ष्य तु सीताया बध्नन्तं चीरमुत्तमम्। अन्तःपुरचरा नार्यो मुमुचुर्वारि नेत्रजम् ॥
Beholding Rāma fastening that goodly garb on Sītā, the females of the inner apartment began to shed tears.
ऊचुश्च परमायत्ता रामं ज्वलिततेजसम्। वत्स नैवं नियुक्तेयं वनवासे मनस्विनी॥
And waxing exceedingly aggrieved, they spoke to Rāma flaming in effulgence:, Child, do not take this virtuous one to the forest.
पितुर्वाक्यानुरोधेन गतस्य विजनं वनम्। तावद् दर्शनमस्या नः सफलं भवतु प्रभो॥
So long as you will reside in the forest in accordance with the wishes of your father, we shall behold her; and by this means let our lives attain their object, o lord.
लक्ष्मणेन सहायेन वनं गच्छस्व पुत्रक। नेयमर्हति कल्याणी वस्तुं तापसवद् वने॥
O son, taking Lakşmaņa for your help, go you to the forest. This auspicious one does not deserve to live in the woods like an ascetic.
कुरु नो याचनां पुत्र सीता तिष्ठतु भामिनी। धर्मनित्यः स्वयं स्थातुं न हीदानीं त्वमिच्छसि ॥
O son, grant our prayer. Let the fair Sita remain. Ever steady in virtue, you do not yourself intend to stay here.
तासामेवंविधा वाचः शृण्वन् दशरथात्मजः। बबन्धैव तथा चीरं सीतया तुल्यशीलया॥ चीरे गृहीते तु तया सबाष्पो नृपतेर्गुरुः। निवार्य सीतां कैकेयीं वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Hearing these words, Dasaratha's son tied the dress on Sītā having a similar character with himself. When she had put on the upper and under garments, the preceptor of the king, Vasiştha, his voice choked with the vapour of sorrow, dissuading Sita, said to Kaikeyi.
अतिप्रवृत्ते दुर्मेधे कैकेयि कुलपांसनि। वञ्चयित्वा तु राजानं न प्रमाणेऽवतिष्ठसि॥
O you whose desires outrun your sense of honour, O you of perverted understanding, O befouler of your line, deceiving the monarch, you stay not within the pale of the promise.
न गन्तव्यं वनं देव्या सीतया शीलवर्जिते। अनुष्ठास्यति रामस्य सीता प्रकृतमासनम्॥
O you bereft of good behaviour, that noble lady, Sītā, should not go to the forest, Sītā will occupy Rāma's seat.
आत्मा हि दाराः सर्वेषां दारसंग्रहवर्तिनाम्। आत्मेयमिति रामस्य पालयिष्यति मेदिनीम्॥ पादपैः सह।
Of all those that marry, the wife is the (other) soul. Șītā will govern the earth, as she is Rāma's self.
अथ यास्यति वैदेही वनं रामेण संगता। वयमत्रानुयास्यामः पुरं चेदं गमिष्यति ॥ अन्तपालाश्च यास्यन्ति सदारो यत्र राघवः। सहोपजीव्यं राष्ट्रं च पुरं च सपरिच्छदम्॥
But if Vaidehī goes to the forest with Rāma, we will follow him, and the inhabitants of the city will also repair thither. And the warders of the inner apartment, and the people of the kingdom and the city taking with them their necessaries and servants will accompany Rāghava and his wife.
भरतश्च सशत्रुघ्नश्चीरवासा वनेचरः। वने वसन्तं काकुत्स्थमनुवत्स्यति पूर्वजम्॥
Bharata and Śatrughna wearing ascetic clothes and ranging the forest will live like their elder brother resident in the woods.
ततः शून्यां गतजनां वसुधां त्वमेका शाधि दुर्वृत्ता प्रजानामहिते स्थिता॥
Then alone you of vile ways and intent upon harming the people will govern this empty earth deserted by the inhabitants, along with the trees.
न हि तद् भविता राष्ट्रं यत्र रामो न भूपतिः। तद् वनं भविता राष्ट्रं यत्र रामो निवत्स्यति ॥
That can never be a kingdom where Rāma is not the monarch, and that forest where Rāma will reside will flourish into a monarchy.
न ह्यदत्तां महीं पित्रा भरतः शास्तुमिच्छति। त्वयि वा पुत्रवद् वस्तुं यदि जातो महीपतेः॥
Bharata never wishes to govern a kingdom that has not been conferred upon him by his father; nor, if he has really been begotten by the monarch, will he any further act by you as a son.
यद्यपि त्वं क्षितितलाद् गगनं चोत्पतिष्यसि। पितृवंशचरित्रज्ञः सोऽन्यथा न करिष्यति॥
Even if you leaving the earth fly to the air, that one cognizant of the character of his ancestry, will never act otherwise.
तत् त्वया पुत्रगर्धिन्या पुत्रस्य कृतमप्रियम्। लोके नहि स विद्येत यो न राममनुव्रतः॥
Therefore although intent on advancing your son, you have really brought about his injury. There exists not a person in the world that is not partial to Rāma.
द्रक्ष्यस्यद्यैव कैकेयि पशुव्यालमृगद्विजान्। गच्छतः सह रामेण पादपांश्च तदुन्मुखान्॥
O Kaikeyi, do you to-day behold beasts and snakes and birds journeying in the wake of Rāma, and even the trees stand with their heads turned towards him.
अथोत्तमान्याभरणानि देवि देहि स्नुषायै व्यपनीय चीरम्। न चीरमस्याः प्रविधीयतेति न्यवारयत् तद् वसनं वसिष्ठः॥
Do you, O noble lady, removing the ascetic guise, confer elegant ornaments on your daughter-in-law, for such a dress suits not this one, Saying this Vasistha prevented Kaikeyi.
स्त्वया वृतः केकयराजपुत्रि। विभूषितेयं प्रतिकर्मनित्या वसत्वरण्ये सह राघवेण॥
O daughter of king Kekaya, you have asked for the abode of Rāma in the woods, and decked out in ornaments let Sītā daily engaged in adorning herself, reside in the forest with Rāghava.
यानैश्च मुख्यैः परिचारकैश्च सुसंवृता गच्छतु राजपुत्री। र्नेयं वृता ते वरसम्प्रदाने॥
And let the daughter of the king go to the forest, surrounded by excellent cars and servants, and taking with her attires and other necessary things. When you demanded the (fulfilment of the) promise, you had not your eye on Sita.
तस्मिंस्तथा जल्पति विप्रमुख्ये गुरौ नृपस्याप्रतिमप्रभावे। नैव स्म सीता विनिवृत्तभावा प्रियस्य भर्तुः प्रतिकारकामा॥
When that foremost of Brāhmaṇas, that preceptor of the king possessed of unparalleled potency had said this, Sītā, desirous of serving her beloved lord, did not turn from the ascetic dress (presented by Kaikeyi.) preceptor of the king possessed of unparalleled potency had said this, Sītā, desirous of serving her beloved lord, did not turn from the ascetic dress (presented by Kaikeyi.)