Sloka & Translation

[Sumantra consoles Kausalya.]

ततो भूतोपसृष्टेव वेपमाना पुनः पुनः।

धरण्यां गतसत्त्वेव कौसल्या सूतमब्रवीत्।।2.60.1।।


ततः thereafter, कौशल्या Kausalya, भूतोपसृष्टेव as if possessed by an evil spirit, वेपमाना trembling, गतसत्त्वेव like one who has his senses lost, पुनः पुनः again and again, धरण्याम् on the floor, सूतम् to the charioteer (Sumantra), अब्रवीत् said.

Thereafter Kausalya, trembling as if possessed by an evil spirit and rolling on the floor like one who her senses now and again, said to the charioteer (Sumantra):
नय मां यत्र काकुत्स्थस्सीता यत्र च लक्ष्मणः।

तान्विना क्षणमप्यत्र जीवितुं नोत्सहेह्यहम्।।2.60.2।।


काकुत्स्थः Rama, सीता च Sita, यत्र wherever, लक्ष्मणः Lakshmana, यत्र wherever, तत्र there, माम् to me, नय take, तान् विना without them, अत्र here, क्षणमपि even for a moment, जीवितुम् to live, अहम् I, न उत्सहे do not wish.

Take me where Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are. I do not wish to live even for a moment without them.
निवर्तय रथं शीघ्रं दण्डकान्नय मामपि।

अथ तान्नानुगच्छामि गमिष्यामि यमक्षयम्।।2.60.3।।


रथम् chariot, शीघ्रम् quickly, निवर्तय turn back, मामपि me also, दण्डकान् to Dandaka, नय take, अथ if, तान् them, नानु गच्छामि if I do not follow, यमक्षयम् to the world of Yama, गमिष्यामि shall go.

'Turn back your chariot immediately and take me to the Dandaka forest. If I do not follow them, I shall enter the world of Yama'.
बाष्पवेगोपहतया स वाचा सज्जमानया।

इदमाश्वासयन्देवीं सूतः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत्।।2.60.4।।


सः सूतः that charioteer, बाष्पवेगोपहतया prevented by fastflowing tears, सज्जमानया faltering, वाचा with words, देवीम् to Kausalya, आश्वसयन् consoling, प्राञ्जलिः with folded palms, इदम् these words, अब्रवीत् said.

With folded hands and faltering words choked by his fastflowing tears the charioteer tried to console Kausalya:
त्यज शोकं च मोहं च सम्भ्रमं दुःखजं तथा।

व्यवधूय च सन्तापं वने वत्स्यति राघवः।।2.60.5।।


शोकम् grief, मोहम् delusion, तथा also, दुःखजम् arising out of sorrow, सम्भ्रमं च despair, त्यज abandon, राघवः Rama, सन्तापम् difficulties, व्यवधूय after brushig aside, वने in the forest, वत्स्यति is going to live.

Abandon your tears, delusion and despair arising out of sorrow. Rama is going to live
in the forest, brushing aside all agony.
लक्ष्मणश्चापि रामस्य पादौ परिचरन्वने।

आराधयति धर्मज्ञः परलोकं जितेन्द्रियः।।2.60.6।।


धर्मज्ञ: knower of duty, लक्ष्मणश्चापि also Lakshmana, वने in the forest, जितेन्द्रियः one whose senses are controlled, रामस्य to Rama' s, पादौ feet, परिचरन् serving at, परलोकम् the other world, आराधयति is accomplishing.

Selfcontrolled Lakshmana, aware of his duty, serves Rama in the forest. By this he is securing his next world.
विजनेऽपि वने सीता वासं प्राप्य गृहेष्विव।

विस्रम्भं लभतेऽभीता रामे सन्न्यस्तमानसा।।2.60.7।।


सीता Sita, विजने in the desolate, वनेपि in the forest also, गृहेष्विव like at home, वासम् living, प्राप्य having obtained, रामे in Rama, सन्न्यस्तमानसा with her mind fixed, अभीता without fear, विस्रम्भम् confidence, लभते is getting.

Sita with her mind fixed on Rama is living confidently in that desolate forest without any fear as if it were her home.
नास्या दैन्यं कृतं किञ्चित्सुसूक्ष्ममपि लक्ष्यते।

उचितेव प्रवासानां वैदेही प्रतिभाति मा।।2.60.8।।


अस्याः of her, सुसूक्ष्ममपि even the slightest, दैन्यम् dejection, किञ्चित् not even a little, कृतम् done, न लक्ष्यते not to be seen, वैदेही Sita, प्रवासानाम् for staying away from home, उचितेव as if accustomed, मा to me, प्रतिभाति appears.

I could not see even the slightest depression in Sita as if she was accustomed to staying away from home.
नगरोपवनं गत्वा यथा स्मरमते पुरा।

तथैव रमते सीता निर्जनेषु वनेष्वपि।।2.60.9।।


सीता Sita, पुरा earlier, नगरोपवनम् to the pleasuregardens of the city, गत्वा having gone, यथा as, रमतेस्म was enjoying, निर्जनेषु in desolate, वनेष्वपि even in the forest, तथैव in the same way, रमते enjoying.

Earlier, just as Sita used to revel in the gardens of the city, so does she now in those desolate forests.
बालेव रमते सीताऽबालचन्द्रनिभानना।

रामा रामे ह्यधीनात्मा विजनेऽपि वने सती।।2.60.10।।


रामा charming lady, रामे in Rama, अधीनात्मा one with absorbed mind, अबालचन्द्रनिभानना countenance resembling the full Moon, सीता Sita, विजने desolate, वने in the forest also, सती अपि staying, बालेव like a child, रमते is enjoying.

Charming Sita whose face resembles the full Moon, with her mind fixed on Rama, is enjoying even the desolate forest like a child.
तद्गतं हृदयं ह्यस्यास्तदधीनं च जीवितम्।

अयोध्यापि भवेऽत्तस्या रामहीना तदा वनम्।।2.60.11।।


अस्याः her, हृदयम् heart, तद्गतम् united with Rama, जीवितं च life also, तदधीनम् under his control, अयोध्यापि even Ayodhya too, रामहीना without Rama, तदा then, तस्याः to her, वनम् forest, भवेत् would have become.

Her heart is ever united with Rama, and her life is under his control. Without Rama, even Ayodhya would become a forest for her.
परिपृच्छति वैदेही ग्रामांश्च नगराणि च।

गतिं दृष्ट्वा नदीनां च पादपान्विविधानपि।।2.60.12।।

रामं हि लक्ष्मणं वापि पृष्ट्वा जानाति जानकी।

अयोध्या क्रोशमात्रे तु विहारमिव संश्रिता।।2.60.13।।


अयोध्या क्रोशमात्रे at the distance of a krosa from Ayodhya, विहारम् pleasuregarden, संश्रिता इव as if sporting, वैदेही Sita, ग्रामांश्च villages, नगराणि च cities,नदीनाम् rivers', गतिं च courses, विविधान् different kinds of, पादपानपि trees also, दृष्ट्वा seeing, रामम् to Rama, परिपृच्छति enquiring, लक्ष्मणं वापि or Lakshmana, पृष्ट्वा asking, जानाति knowing.

Seeing villages, cities, trees of different kinds and courses of rivers, Sita is enquiring
from Rama or Lakshmana about them. She feels as though she is sporting in the pleasuregarden just a krosa from Ayodhya.
इदमेव स्मराम्यस्यास्सहसैवोपजल्पितम्।

कैकेयी संश्रितं वाक्यं नेदानीं प्रतिभाति मा।।2.60.14।।


अस्याः her, इदमेव this much, स्मरामि I remember, सहसैव suddenly, उपजल्पितम् utterance, कैकेयी संश्रितम् about Kaikeyi, वाक्यम् words, इदानीम् now, मा to me, न प्रतिभाति does not come to my mind.

Sita did say something about Kaikeyi, but now I do not remember what.
ध्वंसयित्वा तु तद्वाक्यं प्रमादात्पर्युपत्स्थितम्।

ह्लादनं वचनं सूतो देव्या मधुरमब्रवीत्।।2.60.15।।


सूतः charioteer, प्रमादात् inadvertently, पर्युपत्स्थितम् uttered by all means, तद्वाक्यम् those words relating to Kaikeyi, ध्वंसयित्वा holding back, देव्याः to Kausalya, ह्लादनम् causing delight, मधुरम् pleasing, वचनम् words, अब्रवीत् said.

Diverting the context of what he uttered inadvertently relating to Kaikeyi, the charioteer said pleasing words of consolation to Kausalya.
अध्वना वातवेगेन सम्भ्रमेणाऽऽतपेन च।

न विगच्छति वैदेह्याश्चन्द्रांशु सदृशी प्रभा।।2.60.16।।


वैदेह्याः Sita's, चन्द्रांशु सदृशी resembling the beams of the Moon, प्रभा lustre, अध्वना on the way, वातवेगेन or by the speed of the wind, सम्भ्रमेण or due to haste, आतपेन च or due to scorching heat also, न विगच्छति does not fade.

Just like the beams of the Moon, Sita's glow is not affected by the fatigue of the journey or by the speed of the wind or by the scorching heat.
सदृशं शतपत्रस्य पूर्णचन्द्रोपमप्रभम्।

वदनं तद्वदान्याया वैदेह्या न विकम्पते।।2.60.17।।


वदान्यायाः of that munificent, वैदेह्याः Sita, शतपत्रस्य a hundredpetalled lotus, सदृशम् similar to, पूर्णचन्द्रोपमप्रभम् like the splendour of the full Moon, तत् वदनम् that countenance, न विकम्पते does not change at all.

The countenance of Sita with her gentle eloquence resembles a hundredpetalled lotus. She has the luminance of the full Moon that has not wilted.
अलक्तरसरक्ताभावलक्तरसवर्जितौ।

अद्यापि चरणौ तस्याः पद्मकोशसमप्रभौ।।2.60.18।।


अलक्तरसक्ताभौ shining red like the liquid lac, अलक्तरसवर्जितौ no longer tinted with such liquid, तस्याः her, चरणौ feet, अद्यापि even now, पद्मकोशसमप्रभौ are shining like the lotus buds.

Her feet, now devoid of lacdye, still look red like lac and shine like the lotus bud.
नूपुरोद्घुष्टहेलेव खेलं गच्छति भामिनी।

इदानीमपि वैदेही तद्रागान्नयस्त भूषणा।।2.60.19।।


भामिनी damsel (Sita), नूपुरोद्घुष्ट हेलेव tinkling anklets proclaiming dalliance, खेलम् (as if) playing, गच्छति going, वैदेही Sita, इदानीमपि even now, तद्रागात् due to affection for Rama, नयस्तभूषणा cast off the ornaments.

Casting off her ornaments, the damsel (Sita) is gracefully walking as if dalliant with her tinkling anklets for her love for him (Rama).
गजं वा वीक्ष्य सिंहं वा व्याघ्रं वा वनमाश्रिता।

नाऽहारयति सन्त्रासं बाहू रामस्य संश्रिता।।2.60.20।।


वनम् forest, आश्रिता resorted, रामस्य Rama's, बाहू arms, संश्रिता having taken refuge, गजं वा elephant, सिंहं वा or lion, व्याघ्रं वा or tiger, वीक्ष्य having seen, सन्त्रासं fear, नाऽहारयति does not get.

Though in the forest, Sita, under the protection of Rama's arms, is afraid of neither elephants nor lions nor tigers.
न शोच्यास्ते न चात्मनश्शोच्यो नापि जनाधिपः।

इदं हि चरितं लोके प्रतिष्ठास्यति शाश्वतम्।।2.60.21।।


ते they, न शोच्याः need not be pitied, आत्मनः च yourself, न not, जनाधिप अपि king also, इदम् this, चरितम् history, लोके in the world, शाश्वतम् permanently, प्रतिष्ठास्यति will endure.

You need not lament for them or for yourself or for the king. This story of Rama will endure permanently in the world.
विधूय शोकं परिहृष्टमानसा महर्षियाते पथि सुव्यवत्स्थिताः।

वनेरता वन्यफलाशनाः पितुश्शुभां प्रतिज्ञां परिपालयन्ति ते।।2.60.22।।


ते they, शोकम् grief, विधूय shaking off, परिहृष्टमानसाः with cheerful hearts, महर्षियाते established by maharshis, पथि in the path, सुव्यवत्स्थिताः firmly fixed, वने in the forest, रताः are enjoying, वन्यफलाशनाः subsisting on forest fruits, पितुः father's, शुभाम् auspicious, प्रतिज्ञाम् promise, परिपालयन्ति are upholding.

They are upholding the sacred promise of their father with cheerful hearts, grief given the goby, steadfastly pursuing the path established by maharsis, subsisting on forest fruits and enjoying the forest life.
तथापि सूतेन सुयुक्तवादिना निवार्यमाणा सुतशोककर्शिता।

न चैव देवी विरराम कूजितात्प्रियेति पुत्रेति च राघवेति च।।2.60.23।।


सुयुक्तवादिना by one who was speaking befittingly, सूतेना by Sumantra, तथा like that, निवार्यमाणापि though prevented, देवी queen Kausalya, सुतशोककर्शिता enfeebled with weeping over her son, प्रियेति 'O My beloved', पुत्रेति 'O my son', राघवेति च 'O Rama', कूजितात् from crying, नचैव विरराम did not stop.

Though Sumantra was speaking with befitting words to prevent Kausalya from weeping over her son which had enfeebled her, she did not stop crying, 'O my beloved', 'O my son', 'O Rama'.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे षष्टितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the sixtieth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.