Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 41

तस्मिन्स्तु पुरुषव्याघ्रे विनिर्याति कृताञ्जलौ। आर्तशब्दोऽहि सञ्जज्ञे स्त्रीणामन्त:पुरे महान्।।2.41.1।।

tasminstu puruṣavyāghre viniryāti kṛtāñjalau| ārtaśabdo'hi sañjajñe strīṇāmanta:pure mahān

When Rama, the foremost men, was departing with folded palms there arose a huge cry of distress from the inner apartment of ladies.

अनाथस्य जनस्यास्य दुर्बलस्य तपस्विनः। यो गतिश्शरणं चासीत्स नाथः क्व नु गच्छति।।2.41.2।।

anāthasya janasyāsya durbalasya tapasvinaḥ| yo gatiśśaraṇaṃ cāsītsa nāthaḥ kva nu gacchati

Rama was a refuge and a protector to all the people who were defenceless, weak and miserable. Where is such a protector going now? (said the people).

न क्रुध्यत्यभिशप्तोऽपि क्रोधनीयानि वर्जयन्। क्रुद्धान्प्रसादयन्सर्वान् समदुःखः क्व गज्छति।।2.41.3।।

na krudhyatyabhiśapto'pi krodhanīyāni varjayan| kruddhānprasādayansarvān samaduḥkhaḥ kva gajchati

Where is he who, even if reviled, never gets angry, never does acts that provoke anger, pacifies those who are enraged and shares the sorrows of others going now?

कौशल्यायां महातेजा यथा मातरि वर्तते। तथा यो वर्ततेऽस्मासु महात्मा क्व नु गच्छति।।2.41.4।।

kauśalyāyāṃ mahātejā yathā mātari vartate| tathā yo vartate'smāsu mahātmā kva nu gacchati

Where is he, that effulgent, magnanimous one who treated us (with the same respect) as he treated his mother Kausalya, going now?

कैकेय्या क्लिश्यमानेन राज्ञा सञ्चोदितो वनम्। परित्राता जनस्यास्य जगतः क्व नु गच्छति।।2.41.5।।

kaikeyyā kliśyamānena rājñā sañcodito vanam| paritrātā janasyāsya jagataḥ kva nu gacchati

Tormented by Kaikeyi, the king ordered him to go to the forest. Where is he, who happened to be the protector of the people of this world, going now?

अहो निश्चेतनो राजा जीवलोकस्य सम्प्रियम्। धर्म्यं सत्यव्रतं रामं वनवासे प्रवत्स्यति।।2.41.6।।

aho niścetano rājā jīvalokasya sampriyam| dharmyaṃ satyavrataṃ rāmaṃ vanavāse pravatsyati

Alas, the king must be devoid of any sense as he is sending away Rama, who is dear to the world, is righteous and truthful, to dwell in the forest.

इति सर्वा महिष्यस्ता विवत्सा इव धेनवः। रुरुदुश्चैव दुःखार्ताः सस्वरं च विचुक्रुशुः।।2.41.7।।

iti sarvā mahiṣyastā vivatsā iva dhenavaḥ| ruruduścaiva duḥkhārtāḥ sasvaraṃ ca vicukruśuḥ

So wept aloud the anguished wives of the king like cows separated from their calves.

स तमन्तः पुरे घोरमार्तशब्दं महीपतिः। पुत्रशोकाभिसन्तप्तः श्रुत्वा चासीत्सुदुःखितः।।2.41.8।।

sa tamantaḥ pure ghoramārtaśabdaṃ mahīpatiḥ| putraśokābhisantaptaḥ śrutvā cāsītsuduḥkhitaḥ

Upon hearing the dreadful wailing from the inner apartments of the palace, the king already devasted at the separation from his son, grew even more distressed.

नाग्निहोत्राण्यहूयन्त नापचन् गृहमेधिनः अकुर्वन्न प्रजाः कार्यं सूर्यश्चान्तरधीयत।।2.41.9।।

nāgnihotrāṇyahūyanta nāpacan gṛhamedhinaḥ akurvanna prajāḥ kāryaṃ sūryaścāntaradhīyata

The sacred fire in agnihotra sacrifices was not invoked householders did not cook their food the people did not attend to their daily chores. And the Sun set.

व्यसृजन् कबलान्नागा गावो वत्सान्न पाययन्। पुत्रं प्रथमजं लब्ध्वा जननी नाभ्यनन्दत।।2.41.10।।

vyasṛjan kabalānnāgā gāvo vatsānna pāyayan| putraṃ prathamajaṃ labdhvā jananī nābhyanandata

Elephants dropped their morsel of food. Cows did not suckle their calves. Even the mothers were not pleased with their firstborn sons.

त्रिशङ्कुर्लोहिताङ्गश्च बृहस्पतिबुधावपि। दारुणा स्सोममभ्येत्य ग्रहास्सर्वे व्यवस्थिताः।।2.41.11।।

triśaṅkurlohitāṅgaśca bṛhaspatibudhāvapi| dāruṇā ssomamabhyetya grahāssarve vyavasthitāḥ

The constellation Trishanku, the planets Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and other fierce planets took their position near the Moon.

नक्षत्राणि गतार्चींषि ग्रहाश्च गततेजसः। विशाखास्तु सधूमाश्च नभसि प्रचकाशिरे।।2.41.12।।

nakṣatrāṇi gatārcīṃṣi grahāśca gatatejasaḥ| viśākhāstu sadhūmāśca nabhasi pracakāśire

The stars were shorn of their radiance. The brilliance of the planets diminished. Shrouded in smoke the Visakha constellation appeared in the sky.

कालिकानिलवेगेन महोदधिरिवोत्थितः। रामे वनं प्रव्रजिते नगरं प्रचचाल तत्।।2.41.13।।

kālikānilavegena mahodadhirivotthitaḥ| rāme vanaṃ pravrajite nagaraṃ pracacāla tat

After Rama left for the forest, dark clouds appeared (in the sky) like the (waves of) the great ocean uplifted by the speed of the wind which shook the city.

दिशः पर्याकुलास्सर्वा स्तिमिरेणेव संवृताः। न ग्रहो नापि नक्षत्रं प्रचकाशे नकिञ्चन।।2.41.14।।

diśaḥ paryākulāssarvā stimireṇeva saṃvṛtāḥ| na graho nāpi nakṣatraṃ pracakāśe nakiñcana

As if covered with darkness, all the cardinal points became agitated. No planet, no star nor was anything (any heavenly body) shining (in the sky).

अकस्मान्नागरस्सर्वो जनो दैन्यमुपागमत्। आहारे वा विहारे वा न कश्चिदकरोन्मनः।।2.41.15।।

akasmānnāgarassarvo jano dainyamupāgamat| āhāre vā vihāre vā na kaścidakaronmanaḥ

All of a sudden the people of the city became miserable. No one was interested in eating and enjoying (life).

शोकपर्यायसन्तप्त स्सततं दीर्घमुच्छवसन्। अयोध्यायां जनस्सर्व श्शुशोच जगतीपतिम्।।2.41.16।।

śokaparyāyasantapta ssatataṃ dīrghamucchavasan| ayodhyāyāṃ janassarva śśuśoca jagatīpatim

All the citizens of Ayodhya, afflicted with a series of grief and heaving deep sighs ceaselessly bewailed at the sight of the lord of the world (Dasaratha).

बाष्पपर्याकुलमुखो राजमार्गगतो जनः। न हृष्टो लक्ष्यते कश्चित्सर्व श्शोकपरायणः।।2.41.17।।

bāṣpaparyākulamukho rājamārgagato janaḥ| na hṛṣṭo lakṣyate kaścitsarva śśokaparāyaṇaḥ

The faces of the people on the highway were turbid with tears. None looked happy. All were plunged in sorrow.

न वाति पवन श्शीतो न शशी सौम्यदर्शनः। न सूर्यस्तपते लोकं सर्वं पर्याकुलं जगत्।।2.41.18।।

na vāti pavana śśīto na śaśī saumyadarśanaḥ| na sūryastapate lokaṃ sarvaṃ paryākulaṃ jagat

The breeze did not blow cool. No more did the Moon look pleasant. The Sun did not give warmth to the world. All the world was agitated.

अनर्थिनस्सुताः स्त्रीणां भर्तारो भ्रातरस्तथा। सर्वे सर्वं परित्यज्य राममेवान्वचिन्तयन्।।2.41.19।।

anarthinassutāḥ strīṇāṃ bhartāro bhrātarastathā| sarve sarvaṃ parityajya rāmamevānvacintayan

Mothers stopped thinking of their sons and husbands of their wives. Brothers were no longer interested in each other. Every one deserted every one and thought only of Rama.

ये तु रामस्य सुहृद स्सर्वे ते मूढचेतसः। शोकभारेण चाक्रान्ता श्शयनं न जहुस्तदा।।2.41.20।।

ye tu rāmasya suhṛda ssarve te mūḍhacetasaḥ| śokabhāreṇa cākrāntā śśayanaṃ na jahustadā

All the friends of Rama were stupefied. Afflicted with the burden of sorrow they did not leave their bed.

ततस्त्वयोध्या रहिता महात्मना पुरन्दरेणेव मही सपर्वता। चचाल घोरं भयशोकपीडिता सनागयोधाश्वगणा ननाद च।।2.41.21।।

tatastvayodhyā rahitā mahātmanā purandareṇeva mahī saparvatā| cacāla ghoraṃ bhayaśokapīḍitā sanāgayodhāśvagaṇā nanāda ca

Without magnanimous Rama, Ayodhya thereafter looked like the earth along with its mountains bereft of Indra. Afflicted with fear and sorrow it started shaking dreadfully with the sounds of horses, elephants and warriors. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे एकचत्वारिंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fortyfirst sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.