Sloka & Translation

[Rama crosses the frontiers of the kingdom of Kosala -- crosses rivers Vedasruti and Gomatispeaks to Sumantra.]

रामोऽपि रात्रिशेषेण तेनैव महदन्तरम्।

जगाम पुरुषव्याघ्रः पितुराज्ञामनुस्मरन्।।2.49.1।।


पुरुषव्याघ्रः foremost among men, रामोऽपि Rama also, पितुः father's, आज्ञाम् command, अनुस्मरन् recollecting, तेन by that, रात्रिशेषेणैव in the remaining part of the night, महत् vast, अन्तरम् distance, जगाम covered.

Recollecting his father's command, Rama, the foremost among men, covered a long distance during the remaining part of the night.
तथैव गच्छतस्तस्य व्यपायाद्रजनी शिवा।

उपास्य शिवां सन्ध्यां विषयान्तं व्यगाहत।।2.49.2।।


तस्य for him, तथा in that manner, गच्छतः एव thus travelling, शिवा auspicious, रजनी night, व्यपायात् ended, (सः he), शिवाम् auspicious, सन्ध्याम् sandhya (morning twilight), उपास्य having worshipped, विषयान्तम् frontiers of the country, व्यगाहत reached.

While Rama was thus travelling, the auspicious night ended. With the sandhya (morning twilight), worship over, he reached the frontiers of the country.
ग्रामान् विकृष्टसीमान्तान् पुष्पितानि वनानि च।

पश्यन्नतिययौ शीघ्रं शनैरिव हयोत्तमैः।।2.49.3।।

शृण्वन् वचो मनुष्याणां ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम्।


विकृष्टसीमान्तान् ploughed outskirts, ग्रामान् villages, पुष्पितानि flowered, वनानि च forests, पश्यन् seeing, ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम् living in the midst of villages, मनुष्याणाम् of the people, वचः discussions, शृण्वन् hearing, हयोत्तमैः on those excellent horses, शीघ्रम् quickly travelling, शनैरिव as if going slowly, अतिययौ went a long distance.

Watching the villages furrowed at the outskirts, forests in blossom, hearing the gossips of the people living in the midst of villages, Rama felt he was moving very slowly whereas he had actually covered a long distance with those excellent (swift) horses.
राजानं धिग्दशरथं कामस्य वशमागतम्।।2.49.4।।

हा नृशंसाद्य कैकेयी पापा पापानुबन्धिनी।

तीक्ष्णा सम्भिन्नमर्यादा तीक्ष्णकर्मणि वर्तते।।2.49.5।।

या पुत्रमीदृशं राज्ञः प्रवासयति धार्मिकम्।

वनवासे महाप्राज्ञं सानुक्रोशं जितेन्द्रियम्।।2.49.6।।


कामस्य to passion, वशमागतम् overtaken by, राजानम् king, दशरथम् Dasaratha, धिक् fie on him, हा what a pity, नृशंसा wicked, पापा sinful, कैकेयी Kaikeyi, अद्य now, पापानुबन्धिनी is committed to sins, या that Kaikeyi, धार्मिकम् righteous, महाप्राज्ञम् sagacious, सानुक्रोशम् full of compassion, जितेन्द्रियम् one who has control over his senses, ईदृशम् such a person, राज्ञः पुत्रम् king's son, वनवासे to dwell in the forest, प्रवासयति has banished, तीक्ष्णा cruel, सम्भिन्नमर्यादा breaking all limits of decency, तीक्ष्णकर्मणि in an extremely cruel act, वर्तते is committed.

(The villagers were speaking among themselves) Fie on the king who is overtaken by passion Alas, the heartless, sinful Kaikeyi, indulging in evil has banished into the forest this prince who is righteous and sagacious, compassionate and selfrestrained. How could this cruel Kaikeyi, by breaking all limits of decorum resort to such atrocious action?
कथं नाम महाभागा सीता जनकनन्दिनी।

सदा सुखेष्वभिरता दुःखान्यनुभविष्यति।।2.49.7।।


महाभागा highly fortunate, जनकनन्दिनी Janaka's daughter, सदा always, सुखेषु in luxury, अभिरता always attached, सीता Sita, कथं नाम how, दुःखानि discomforts, अनुभविष्यति will experience.

How will Sita, highly fortunate daughter of Janaka and used to comforts endure these sufferings?
अहो दशरथो राजा निस्नेहः स्वसुतं प्रियम्।

प्रजानामनघं रामं परित्यक्तुमिहेच्छति।।2.49.8।।


राजा king, दशरथः Dasaratha, स्वसुतम् own son, प्रजानाम् of the subjects, प्रियम् dear, अनघम् sinless, रामम् Rama, निस्नेहः without affection, इह here, परित्यक्तुम् to abandon, इच्छति wishes, अहो alas

Alas, the loveless king Dasaratha now intends to abandon his own sinless son Rama who is dear to the subjects.
एता वाचो मनुष्याणां ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम्।

शृण्वन्नतिययौ वीरः कोसलान् कोसलेश्वरः।।2.49.9।।


वीरः valiant, कोसलेश्वरः lord of Kosala Rama, ग्रामसंवासवासिनाम् living in villages and hamlets, मनुष्याणाम् people's, एताः these, वाचः words, शृण्वन् while listening, कोसलान् boundaries of Kosala kingdom, अति ययौ crossed.

Such were the words of people living in villages and hamlets that Rama the valiant lord of Kosala happened to hear as he was crossing the boundaries of Kosala.
ततो वेदश्रुतिं नाम शिववारिवहां नदीम्।

उत्तीर्याभिमुखः प्रायादगस्त्याध्युषितां दिशम्।।2.49.10।।


ततः thereafter, शिववारिवहाम् carrying the auspicious waters, वेदश्रुतिं नाम by name
Vedasruti, नदीम् river, उत्तीर्य having crossed, अगस्त्याध्युषिताम् where Agastya was residing, दिशम् quarter, अभिमुखः in the direction of, प्रायात् went.

He then crossed the river Vedasruti flowing with sacred waters and went in the southern direction where sage Agastya resided.
गत्वा तु सुचिरं कालं ततः शीतजलां नदीम्।

गोमतीं गोयुतानूपामतरत्सागरङ्गमाम्।।2.49.11।।


ततः then, सुचिरं कालम् for a long time, गत्वा having travelled, शीत जलाम् of cool waters, गोयुतानूपाम् cows abounding in marshy areas, सागरङ्गमाम् flowing into the sea, गोमतीम् Gomati, नदीम् river, अतरत् crossed.

Travelling for a long time along the river Gomati full of cool waters on whose marshy bank cows grazed, Rama crossed it at the point where it flows into the sea.
गोमतीं चाप्यतिक्रम्य राघवः शीघ्रगैर्हयैः।

मयूरहंसाभिरुतां ततार स्यन्दिकां नदीम्।।2.49.12।।


राघवः Rama, शीघ्रगैः with swiftmoving, हयैः with horses, गोमतीं चापि Gomati river also, अतिक्रम्य having crossed, मयूरहंसाभिरुताम् echoed with the cries of peacocks and swans, स्यन्दिकाम् नदीम् river Syandika, ततार crossed.

Gomati gone, Rama with the swiftmoving horses crossed the river Syandika echoing with the cries of peacocks and swans.
स महीं मनुना राज्ञा दत्तामिक्ष्वाकवे पुरा।

स्फीतां राष्ट्रावृतां रामो वैदेहीमन्वदर्शयत्।।2.49.13।।


सः रामः that Rama, पुरा formerly, राज्ञा by the king, मनुना by Manu, इक्ष्वाकवे to Ikshvaku, दत्ताम् bestowed, स्फीताम् vast tracts, राष्ट्रावृताम् encircled by kingdoms, महीम् land, वैदेहीम् to Sita, अन्वदर्शयत् showed.

Rama showed Sita vast tracts of land encircled by kingdoms which were formerly bestowed upon Ikshvaku by emperor Manu.
सूत इत्येव चाभाष्य सारथिं तमभीक्ष्णशः।

हंसमत्तस्वरश्श्रीमानुवाच पुरुषर्षभः।।2.19.14।।


हंसमत्तस्वरः resembling the intoxicated voice of swans, पुरुषर्षभः the best among men,
श्रीमान् graceful, सूत इत्येव O charioteer saying so, तं सारथिम् that charioteer, अभीक्ष्णश: repeatedly, आभाष्य having uttered, उवाच said.

Graceful Rama, best among men with a voice resembling that of an intoxicated swan, called the charioteer again and again and said:
कदाऽहं पुनरागम्य सरय्वा पुष्पिते वने।

मृगयां पर्यटिष्यामि मात्रा पित्रा च सङ्गतः।।2.49.15।।


अहम् I, पुनः again, आगम्य having returned, मात्रा with mother, पित्रा च also with father, सङ्गतः united with, सरय्वा: Sarayu river's, पुष्पिते blossoming, वने groves, मृगयाम् hunting, कदा when, पर्यटिष्यामि I shall roam about.

When shall I return and reunite with my father and mother and go hunting in the blooming forest on the bank of the river Sarayu?
नात्यर्थमभिकाङ्क्षामि मृगयां सरयूवने।

रतिर्ह्येषातुला लोके राजर्षिगणसम्मता।।2.49.16।।


एषा this hunting, लोके in this world, अतुला incomparable, राजर्षिगणसम्मता is accepted by royal sages, रतिर्हि is delightful (sport indeed), सरयूवने in the Sarayu forest of, मृगयाम् hunting, अत्यर्थम् greatly, नाभिकाङ्क्षामि do not desire.

In this world, hunting is a unique pleasure. It is regarded as a delightful sport for
royal sages. But I do not have a great longing for hunting in the forest on the bank of river Sarayu.
राजर्षीणां हि लोकेऽस्मिन् रत्यर्थं मृगया वने।

काले कृतां तां मनुजैर्घन्विनामभिकाङ्क्षिताम्।।2.49.17।।


अस्मिन् in this, लोके world, वने in the woods, मृगया hunting, राजर्षीणाम् of royal sages, रत्यर्थं हि is for their pleasure, मनुजैः by people, काले in appropriate times, कृताम् is undertaken,
धन्विनाम् for the bowmen, अभिकाङ्क्षिताम् a sought after one, ताम् that (hunting I do not seek.)

In this world, hunting in the woods is a pleasure for royal sages and is greatly sought after by bowmen. This was later resorted to by others.
स तमध्वानमैक्ष्वाकस्सूतं मधुरया गिरा।

तं तमर्थमभिप्रेत्य ययौ वाक्यमुदीरयन्।।2.49.18।।


सः ऐक्ष्वाकः that descendant of Ikshvaku, Rama, तम् that, सूतम् to charioteer, मधुरया in sweet, गिरा words, तम् तम् these and other, अर्थम् thoughts, अभिप्रेत्य regarding, वाक्यम् words, उदीरयन् pronouncing, अध्वानम् the path, ययौ went (covered).

The descendant of Ikshvaku related to the charioteer in a sweet voice the thoughts that came to him and went on the way (continued his journey).
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे एकोनपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the fortyninth sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.