Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 38

तस्यां चीरं वसानायां नाथवत्यामनाथवत्। प्रचुक्रोश जनस्सर्वो धिक्त्वां दशरथं त्विति।।2.38.1।।

tasyāṃ cīraṃ vasānāyāṃ nāthavatyāmanāthavat| pracukrośa janassarvo dhiktvāṃ daśarathaṃ tviti

Beholding Sita who was wearing a bark garment, like one without a support, though having a husband, all the people cried bitterly exclaiming O Dasaratha, fie on you.

तेन तत्र प्रणादेन दुःखितस्स महीपतिः। चिच्छेद जीविते श्रद्धां धर्मे यशसि चात्मनः।।2.38.2।।

tena tatra praṇādena duḥkhitassa mahīpatiḥ| ciccheda jīvite śraddhāṃ dharme yaśasi cātmanaḥ

Hearing that tumult the distressed Dasaratha lost faith in his own life and in his righteousness.

स निःश्वस्योष्णमैक्ष्वाक स्तां भार्यामिदमब्रवीत्। कैकेयि कुशचीरेण न सीता गन्तुमर्हति।।2.38.3।।

sa niḥśvasyoṣṇamaikṣvāka stāṃ bhāryāmidamabravīt| kaikeyi kuśacīreṇa na sītā gantumarhati

The descendant of the Ikshvakus (Dasaratha), heaving hot sighs, said to his wife O Kaikeyi, Sita does not deserve to go (to the forest) in garment of kusa grass.

सुकुमारी च बाला च सततं च सुखोचिता। नेयं वनस्य योग्येति सत्यमाह गुरुर्मम।।2.38.4।।

sukumārī ca bālā ca satataṃ ca sukhocitā| neyaṃ vanasya yogyeti satyamāha gururmama

Sita a delicate, young princess accustomed to comforts is not fit to dwell in the forest. This is what my preceptor has truly spoken.

इयं हि कस्यापकरोति किञ्चि त्तपस्विनी राजवरस्य कन्या। या चीरमासाद्य जनस्य मध्ये स्थिता विसंज्ञाश्रमणीव काचित्।।2.38.5।।

iyaṃ hi kasyāpakaroti kiñci ttapasvinī rājavarasya kanyā| yā cīramāsādya janasya madhye sthitā visaṃjñāśramaṇīva kācit

Sita, daughter of Janaka, the greatest among kings, stands amidst people wearing bark garment like an ascetic with her senses switched off. To whom and what harm has she done?

चीराण्यपास्याज्जनकस्य कन्या नेयं प्रतिज्ञा मम दत्तपूर्वा। यथासुखं गच्छतु राजपुत्री वनं समग्रा सह सर्वरत्नैः।।2.38.6।।

cīrāṇyapāsyājjanakasya kanyā neyaṃ pratijñā mama dattapūrvā| yathāsukhaṃ gacchatu rājaputrī vanaṃ samagrā saha sarvaratnaiḥ

Let the daughter of Janaka take off her bark garments. This is not the promise I had made to you earlier. Let the princess happily go to the forest adorned with all jewels and with all other necessities.

अजीवनार्हेण मया नृशंसा कृता प्रतिज्ञा नियमेन तावत्। तवया हि बाल्यात् प्रतिपन्नमेतत् तन्मां दहेद्वेणुमिवात्मपुष्पम्।।2.38.7।।

ajīvanārheṇa mayā nṛśaṃsā kṛtā pratijñā niyamena tāvat| tavayā hi bālyāt pratipannametat tanmāṃ dahedveṇumivātmapuṣpam

By giving this cruel promise through importunity, I have rendered myself unfit to live. This promise was made as a child's play and it (now) destroys me like a bamboo destroyed by its own flowers.

रामेण यदि ते पापे किञ्चित्कृतमशोभनम्। अपकारः क इह ते वैदेह्या दर्शितोऽधमे।।2.38.8।।

rāmeṇa yadi te pāpe kiñcitkṛtamaśobhanam| apakāraḥ ka iha te vaidehyā darśito'dhame

O sinful woman O wretch Rama might have done something unbecoming to you, but what offence has Sita committed?

मृगीवोत्फुल्लनयना मृदुशीला तपस्वीनी। अपकारं कमिह ते करोति जनकात्मजा।।2.38.9।।

mṛgīvotphullanayanā mṛduśīlā tapasvīnī| apakāraṃ kamiha te karoti janakātmajā

What wrong has the daughter of Janaka largeeyed like a doe, so gentle and worthy of compassion done to you?

ननु पर्याप्त मेतत्ते पापे रामविवासनम्। किमेभिः कृपणैर्भूय: पातकैरपि ते कृतैः।।2.38.10।।

nanu paryāpta metatte pāpe rāmavivāsanam| kimebhiḥ kṛpaṇairbhūya: pātakairapi te kṛtaiḥ

Rama's exile, O wicked woman, is enough for you. What are you committing further heinous crimes for?

प्रतिज्ञातं मया तावत् त्वयोक्तं देवि शृण्वता। रामं यदभिषेकाय त्वमिहागतमब्रवीः।।2.38.11।।

pratijñātaṃ mayā tāvat tvayoktaṃ devi śṛṇvatā| rāmaṃ yadabhiṣekāya tvamihāgatamabravīḥ

I have heard you, O Devi speaking to Rama when he came here in connection with the coronation. I promised you to that extent only.

तत्त्वेतत्समतिक्रम्य निरयं गन्तुमिच्छसि। मैथिलीमपि या हि त्वमीक्षसे चीरवासिनीम्।।2.38.12।।

tattvetatsamatikramya nirayaṃ gantumicchasi| maithilīmapi yā hi tvamīkṣase cīravāsinīm

Having exceeded all that, you want to behold Sita in bark garment and thereby, wish for hell.

इतीव राजा विलपन्महात्मा शोकस्य नान्तं स ददर्श किञ्चित्। भृशातुरत्वाच्च पपात भूमौ तेनैव पुत्रव्यसनेन मग्नः।।2.38.13।।

itīva rājā vilapanmahātmā śokasya nāntaṃ sa dadarśa kiñcit| bhṛśāturatvācca papāta bhūmau tenaiva putravyasanena magnaḥ

The king could not see any end to his lamentation. Immersed in the grief of separation from his son and deeply tormented, he fell down on the ground.

एवं ब्रुवन्तं पितरं रामस्सम्प्रस्थितो वनम्। अवाक्छिरसमासीनमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्।।2.38.14।।

evaṃ bruvantaṃ pitaraṃ rāmassamprasthito vanam| avākchirasamāsīnamidaṃ vacanamabravīt

Rama who was about to leave for the forest addressed his father who sat with his head bent once again:

यं धार्मिक कौशल्या मम माता यशस्विनी। वृद्धा चाक्षुद्रशीला च न च त्वां देव गर्हते।।2.38.15।।

yaṃ dhārmika kauśalyā mama mātā yaśasvinī| vṛddhā cākṣudraśīlā ca na ca tvāṃ deva garhate

O righteous father O king my aged and illustrious mother, Kausalya possesses neither a mean character nor does she blame you.

मया विहीनां वरद प्रपन्नां शोकसागरम्। अदृष्टपूर्वव्यसनां भूयस्सम्मन्तुमर्हसि।।2.38.16।।

mayā vihīnāṃ varada prapannāṃ śokasāgaram| adṛṣṭapūrvavyasanāṃ bhūyassammantumarhasi

O bestower of boons, separated from me and unaccustomed to suffering, she will be plunged into an unforeseen ocean of sorrow. You should pay her greater attention.

पुत्रशोकं यथा नर्च्छेत्त्वया पूज्येन पूजिता। मां हि सञ्चिन्तयन्ती सा त्वयि जीवेत्तपस्विनी।।2.38.17।।

putraśokaṃ yathā narcchettvayā pūjyena pūjitā| māṃ hi sañcintayantī sā tvayi jīvettapasvinī

Let her not grieve on account of her son. O venerable father, if she, who deserves compassion is honoured by you, she will live.

इमां महेंन्द्रोपम जातगर्धिनीं तथा विधातुं जननीं ममार्हसि। यथा वनस्थे मयि शोककर्शिता न जीवितं न्यस्य यमक्षयं व्रजेत्।।2.38.18।।

imāṃ maheṃndropama jātagardhinīṃ tathā vidhātuṃ jananīṃ mamārhasi| yathā vanasthe mayi śokakarśitā na jīvitaṃ nyasya yamakṣayaṃ vrajet

You are powerful like Indra.You should act accordingly so that my mother who has a possesive feeling towards her son should not, due to emaciation go to the abode of Yama after my departure for the forest. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टत्रिंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the thirtyeighth sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.