Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 119

अनसूया तु धर्मज्ञा श्रुत्वा तां महतीं कथाम्। पर्यष्वजत बाहुभ्यां शिरस्याघ्राय मैथिलीम्।।2.119.1।।

anasūyā tu dharmajñā śrutvā tāṃ mahatīṃ kathām| paryaṣvajata bāhubhyāṃ śirasyāghrāya maithilīm

Then righteous Anasuya, having heard the great story of Sita, kissed her on the forehead and embraced her with both the arms.

व्यक्ताक्षरपदं चित्रं भाषितं मधुरं त्वया। यथा स्वयंवरं वृत्तं तत्सर्वं हि श्रुतं मया।।2.119.2।। रमेऽहं कथया ते तु दृढं मधुरभाषिणि।

vyaktākṣarapadaṃ citraṃ bhāṣitaṃ madhuraṃ tvayā| yathā svayaṃvaraṃ vṛttaṃ tatsarvaṃ hi śrutaṃ mayā rame'haṃ kathayā te tu dṛḍhaṃ madhurabhāṣiṇi|

You have related wonderfully and sweetly your Swayamvara with each word and each syllable uttered clearly. I have heard everything as it happened. O sweetspeaking Sita, I have greatly enjoyed your story.

रविरस्तङ्गतश्श्रीमानुपोह्य रजनीं शिवाम्।।2.119.3।। दिवसं प्रतिकीर्णानामाहारार्थं पतत्रिणाम्। सन्ध्याकाले निलीनानां निद्रार्थं श्रूयते ध्वनिः।।2.119.4।।

ravirastaṅgataśśrīmānupohya rajanīṃ śivām divasaṃ pratikīrṇānāmāhārārthaṃ patatriṇām| sandhyākāle nilīnānāṃ nidrārthaṃ śrūyate dhvaniḥ

The resplendent Sun has set. The auspcious night is drawing near. The birds who forage far and wide for food during the day return to their nests to rest for the night. You can hear them twittering.

रविरस्तङ्गतश्श्रीमानुपोह्य रजनीं शिवाम्।।2.119.3।। दिवसं प्रतिकीर्णानामाहारार्थं पतत्रिणाम्। सन्ध्याकाले निलीनानां निद्रार्थं श्रूयते ध्वनिः।।2.119.4।।

ravirastaṅgataśśrīmānupohya rajanīṃ śivām divasaṃ pratikīrṇānāmāhārārthaṃ patatriṇām| sandhyākāle nilīnānāṃ nidrārthaṃ śrūyate dhvaniḥ

The resplendent Sun has set. The auspcious night is drawing near. The birds who forage far and wide for food during the day return to their nests to rest for the night. You can hear them twittering.

एते चाप्यभिषेकार्द्रा मुनयः कलशोद्यताः। सहिता उपवर्तन्ते सलिलाप्लुतवल्कलाः।।2.119.5।।

ete cāpyabhiṣekārdrā munayaḥ kalaśodyatāḥ| sahitā upavartante salilāplutavalkalāḥ

The sages also are returning in groups with waterpitchers filled with water and their bark robes soaked with water after their ceremonial bath.

ऋषीणामग्निहोत्रेषु हुतेषु विधिपूर्वकम्। कपोताङ्गारुणो धूमो दृश्यते पवनोद्धतः।।2.119.6।।

ṛṣīṇāmagnihotreṣu huteṣu vidhipūrvakam| kapotāṅgāruṇo dhūmo dṛśyate pavanoddhataḥ

The ascetics have duly offered oblations to the fire in Agnihotra sacrifices and the smoke, tawny like the pigeon's body, emanates wafted by the wind.

अल्पपर्णा हि तरवो घनीभूतास्समन्ततः। विप्रकृष्टेन्द्रिये देशेऽस्मिन्न प्रकाशन्ति वै दिशः।।2.119.7।।

alpaparṇā hi taravo ghanībhūtāssamantataḥ| viprakṛṣṭendriye deśe'sminna prakāśanti vai diśaḥ

The trees with sparse leaves all over have grown dense, the quarters in the distant region are no longer discernible by the senses.

रजनीचरसत्त्वानि प्रचरन्ति समन्ततः। तपोवनमृगा ह्येते वेदितीर्थेषु शेरते।।2.119.8।।

rajanīcarasattvāni pracaranti samantataḥ| tapovanamṛgā hyete veditīrtheṣu śerate

The night rangers have started moving everywhere and the deer in the penance grove are beginning to sleep around the sacred altars.

सम्प्रवृत्तानिशा सीते नक्षत्रसमलङ्कृता। ज्योत्स्नाप्रावरणश्चन्द्रो दृश्यतेऽभ्युदितोऽम्बरे।।2.119.9।।

sampravṛttāniśā sīte nakṣatrasamalaṅkṛtā| jyotsnāprāvaraṇaścandro dṛśyate'bhyudito'mbare

O Sita, adorned with stars, the night has commenced. You can see the moon rising in the sky spreading his mantle of light.

गम्यतामनुजानामि रामस्यानुचरी भव। कथायन्त्या हि मधुरं त्वयाऽहं परितोषिता।।2.119.10।।

gamyatāmanujānāmi rāmasyānucarī bhava| kathāyantyā hi madhuraṃ tvayā'haṃ paritoṣitā

With my permission you may go now and be a companion of Rama. I am thoroughly contented with your story told so sweetly.

अलङ्कुरु च तावत्त्वं प्रत्यक्षं मम मैथिलि। प्रीतिं जनय मे वत्से दिव्यालङ्कारशोभिता।।2.119.11।।

alaṅkuru ca tāvattvaṃ pratyakṣaṃ mama maithili| prītiṃ janaya me vatse divyālaṅkāraśobhitā

O Sita, adorn yourself in my presence. Dear child, permit me the pleasure of adorning you with these divine ornaments.

सा तथा समलङ्कृत्य सीता सुरसुतोपमा। प्रणम्य शिरसा तस्यै रामं त्वभिमुखी ययौ।।2.119.12।।

sā tathā samalaṅkṛtya sītā surasutopamā| praṇamya śirasā tasyai rāmaṃ tvabhimukhī yayau

Sita, adorned, looked like the daughter of a god. She bowed at the feet of Anasuya in reverence and set out to meet Rama.

तथा तु भूषितां सीतां ददर्श वदतां वरः। राघवः प्रीतिदानेन तपस्विन्या जहर्ष च।।2.119.13।।

tathā tu bhūṣitāṃ sītāṃ dadarśa vadatāṃ varaḥ| rāghavaḥ prītidānena tapasvinyā jaharṣa ca

Rama, the most eloquent among men, saw Sita adorned, and rejoiced at the gifts of love given by the ascetic Anasuya.

न्यवेदयत्ततस्सर्वं सीता रामाय मैथिली। प्रीतिदानं तपस्विन्या वसनाभरणस्रजम्।।2.119.14।।

nyavedayattatassarvaṃ sītā rāmāya maithilī| prītidānaṃ tapasvinyā vasanābharaṇasrajam

Sita the princess of Mithila related everything to Rama and showed him the gifts of love given by ascetic Anasuya -- raiment, jewellery and garlands.

प्रहृष्टस्त्वभवद्रामो लक्ष्मणश्च महारथः। मैथिल्यास्सत्क्रियां दृष्ट्वा मानुषेषु सुदुर्लभाम्।।2.119.15।।

prahṛṣṭastvabhavadrāmo lakṣmaṇaśca mahārathaḥ| maithilyāssatkriyāṃ dṛṣṭvā mānuṣeṣu sudurlabhām

Rama the great charioteer and Lakshmana were exceedingly gratified to see the honour conferred on Sita, rare among mortals.

ततस्तां शर्वरीं प्रीतः पुण्यां शशिनिभाननः। अर्चितस्तापसै स्सिद्धैरुवास रघुनन्दनः।।2.119.16।।

tatastāṃ śarvarīṃ prītaḥ puṇyāṃ śaśinibhānanaḥ| arcitastāpasai ssiddhairuvāsa raghunandanaḥ

Thereafter, the descendant of Raghu, whose countenance resembled the Moon, having received the hospitality of the accomplished ascetics, passed that holy night in delight.

तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामभिषिच्य हुताग्निकान्। आपृच्छेतां नरव्याघ्रौ तापसान्वनगोचरान्।।2.119.17।।

tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāmabhiṣicya hutāgnikān| āpṛcchetāṃ naravyāghrau tāpasānvanagocarān

Night over, the two best men, Rama and Lakshmana, after their ablution took leave of the ascetics inhabiting the forest who offered morning oblations to the fire .

तावूचुस्ते वनचरास्तापसा धर्मचारिणः। वनस्य तस्य सञ्चारं राक्षसैस्समभिप्लुतम्।।2.119.18।।

tāvūcuste vanacarāstāpasā dharmacāriṇaḥ| vanasya tasya sañcāraṃ rākṣasaissamabhiplutam

The righteous ascetics dwelling in the forest informed both Rama and Lakshmana that part of the forest infested by demons.

रक्षांसि पुरुषादानि नानारूपाणि राघव। वसन्त्यस्मिन्महारण्ये व्यालाश्च रुधिराशनाः।।2.119.19।।

rakṣāṃsi puruṣādāni nānārūpāṇi rāghava| vasantyasminmahāraṇye vyālāśca rudhirāśanāḥ

O Rama, this great forest is haunted by carnivorous demons who can assume any form and by blooddrinking wild animals.

उच्छिष्टं वा प्रमत्तं वा तापसं धर्मचारिणम्। अदन्त्यस्मिन्महारण्ये तान्निवारय राघव।।2.119.20।।

ucchiṣṭaṃ vā pramattaṃ vā tāpasaṃ dharmacāriṇam| adantyasminmahāraṇye tānnivāraya rāghava

O Rama, in this great forest demons will devour the ascetics if they find them impure or intoxicated or indolent. Prevent them.

एष पन्था महर्षीणां फलान्याहरतां वने। अनेन तु वनं दुर्गं गन्तुं राघव ते क्षमम्।।2.119.21।।

eṣa panthā maharṣīṇāṃ phalānyāharatāṃ vane| anena tu vanaṃ durgaṃ gantuṃ rāghava te kṣamam

O Rama, this is the one path in the forest used by the ascetics to gather fruits. You can safely cross the otherwise impassable forest through this path.

इतीव तैः प्राञ्जलिभिस्तपस्विभिर्द्विजैः कृतस्वस्त्ययनः परन्तपः। वनं सभार्यः प्रविवेश राघवस्सलक्ष्मणस्सूर्य इवाभ्रमण्डलम्।।2.119.22।।

itīva taiḥ prāñjalibhistapasvibhirdvijaiḥ kṛtasvastyayanaḥ parantapaḥ| vanaṃ sabhāryaḥ praviveśa rāghavassalakṣmaṇassūrya ivābhramaṇḍalam

The ascetics offered their blessings to Rama the tormentor of enemies. Thereafter, accompanied by his wife and Lakshmana, he entered the great forest like the Sun entering the mass of clouds. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये चतुर्विंशत्सहस्रिकायां संहितयां श्रीमदयोध्याकाण्डे एकोनविंशत्युत्तरशततमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the hundrednineteenth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.