Then the mighty and incomparable Rama of eyes resembling lotus-petals
said unto the charioteer,--"Do you announce me to my father." Thus
commissoned by Rama, the charioteer entering the apartment, found the
king heaving sighs, his senses overwhelmed with grief. And he saw the
monarch like the sun afflicted by Rahu, or like fire enveloped in ashes,
or like a tank deprived of its water. Thereupon concluding that the king
agitated by sorrow was bewailing Rama, the charioteer said with joined
hands. And first paying homage unto the king, invoking victory upon him,
the charioteer, perplexed with fear, softly and sweetly addressed the
monarch thus:--"O foremost of men, your son waits at the entrance, after
having distributed wealth to Brahmanas and his retinue Let that one
having truth for prowess, good betide you, see you. Having greeted all
his friends,he now wishes to see you. Know that he is about to set out
for the mighty forest. Do you, O Lord of earth, see him furnished with
every perfection, like the Sun himself surrounded by his rays."
Thereupon, that virtuous and truthful (king) resembling the ocean by
virtue of his gravity, and motionless like the welkin, answered
Sumantra, saying,--"O Sumantra, do thou bring hither my wives." Reaching
the inner apartment, the charioteer said unto the ladies,--"The
worshipful king calls you. Do you come speedily." Thus addressed by
Sumantra at the mandate of the monarch, the ladies in a body, informed
of their husband's command, went to the king's apartment. And three
hundred and fifty females furnished with coppery eyes and observing
vows, surrounding Kaucalya, proceeded slowly. On the females coming
there, the monarch seeing this, said unto the charioteer,--"O Sumantra,
do you bring hither my son." Thereat the charioteer taking Rama,
Lakshmana and Mithila's daughter, speedily came before the lord of
earth. The king seeing his son drawing nigh with joined hands, hastily
rose up from his seat in company with his wives. And casting his eyes on
Rama, the king rushed towards him, but before reaching his son, the
aggrieved monarch fell down to the earth in a swoon. Rama and that
migthy car-warrior Lakshmana swiftly neared the king striken with grief
and rendered senseless by sorrow. And there arose in the palace cries of
women by thousands of "Ah Rama," mingled with the tinkling of ornaments.
Then both Rama and Lakshmana along with Sita took the king up with their
arms, and with tears in their eyes laid him upon the couch. When the
lord of the earth oppressed with the vapour begot of grief and
overwhelmed with emotion, had regained his senses, Rama with joined
palms said--"I ask you, O mighty monarch, as you are the lord of all. Do
you see me safely despatched to the forest of Dandaka. Do you permit
Lakshmana, and let Sita also follow mc to the woods; for although
prohibited by me with various reasons, they do not wish to be left
behind. Do you, O bestower of honor, permit us all, renouncing
sorrow--Lakshmana and Sita and me,--like Prajapati permitting his sons."
Seeing Raghava about to set out for the forest, the lord of earth said
unto the calm Rama waiting for his orders,--"O Raghava, I have been
deprived of my senses in consequence of my having conferred boons on
Kaikeyi. Do you therefore confining me to-day become king in Ayodhya."
Thus addressed by the monarch, Rama--the best of the righteous--well
versed in speech, with joined hands addressed his father thus,--"O king
do you rule this earth for a thousand years,--I will reside in the
forest. I do not wish for the kingdom. Having spent five and nine years
in the woods, I shall again embrace your feet, lord of men, after
fulfilling your vow." Fettered in the net of promise, the king bewailing
his beloved son, secretly spurred on by Kaikeyi, said,--"Do you, my
darling, with the view of attaining welfare here and hereafter and
auspicious fortune, go calmly your fearless way,--so that you may return
hither (in time.) I dare not, O descendant of the Raghu race, forbid you
who are established in truth and who are bent upon discharging your
duty. But, O son, do not by any means depart to-night: beholding you
even for a single day, I shall feed with you. Do you, seeing me as well
as your mother, stay here to-night. Then ministered unto every way, you
will set out to-morrow. O son, O beloved Raghava difficult is the task
that you are going to perform,--for compassing my good in the next
world, you are ready to repair to the very woods! But, O Raghava, I
swear unto you, this is anything but agreeable to me, my son. I have
been made to swerve from my purpose by the crafty Kaikeyi resembling a
fire hidden under ashes. You are going to give effect to the deceit that
has been practised upon me by this woman intent upon sullying her line.
And as you are my eldest son, it is no wonder, O son, that you should
wish to maintain your father's truth." Hearing these words of his
distressed father, the humble Rama, along with his brother Lakshmana,
said,--"Who will confer on me the merit tomorrow that I shall reap by
going to-day? Therefore, I prefer even the journey to the woods to
enjoying comforts here. Do you bestow upon Bharata this earth renounced
by me-- this kingdom abounding in corn and kine and filled with people;
my mind determined upon dwelling in the forest, does not waver. Do you,
O bestower of boons, grant Kaikeyi everything that you had promised unto
her at the time of the war[136] (you had waged against the Danavas), and
thereby do you follow truth. Obeying the mandate that you have issued, I
will dwell in the forest for fourteen years in the company of the
rangers of the woods. Do you without feeling any compunction confer the
earth on Bharata. Mine is not the desire to obtain the kingdom for
enjoying happiness or attaining any benefit. I will, O descendant of the
Raghu race, do your bidding. Banish your grief, and suppress your tears.
That lord of streams, the irresistible ocean, never forsakes his own
magnanimity. I desire neither dominion, nor happiness, nor the
earth,[137] nor any object[138] of enjoyment, nor heaven, nor life. O
foremost of men, all I wish for is that you may not come by falsehood,
and abide by truth. I truly and in good sooth swear before you that I
cannot, O lord, remain here for a moment longer, O my father. Do you
bear this grief. I cannot for certain act contrary to my promise.
Directed by Kaikeyi saying,-- 'Do you, O Raghava, go to the forest,' I
had said,--'I will go,'--That promise I must accomplish. Do you not, O
revered one, feel aggrieved. We will abide in the forest abounding in
mild deer and resounding with the notes of various birds. The father is
a very God,--even the celestials say this. Therefore will I look upon
your word in the light of divinity. And, O best of monarchs, after the
fourteen years have been spent, you will see me again by your side,--
therefore do you banish this grief. Why do you, O foremost of men, who
will suppress other's grief, undergo this alteration? Do you confer upon
Bharata this city and this kingdom and the earth renounced by me. Doing
your behest, I will repair to the forest, sojourning there for a long
time. Staying at the auspicious frontiers, let Bharata barely rule this
earth furnished with watery expanses, cities and forests, when it has
been renounced by me. O king, let what you have said be as you wish it.
I do not, O king, set my heart upon any great object of desire, nor do I
seek my own behoof, as I am bent upon, O you beloved of the good,
working out your will. O sinless one, you will not therefore reap any
evil on my account. Associating you with untruth, I would not, O sinless
one, wish even for your company who are agitated with anxiety,[139] or
this entire kingdom, or every object of desire, or the earth, or
Mithila's daughter. Even this is my truthful vow,--let also your vow
prove true. Living upon fruits and roots in the forest, and surveying
mountains and tanks and streams and graceful trees, I shall be happy on
entering the forest, Do you cease to lament." Thus benetted with
calamities and exercised with grief and anguish, the king embraced his
son,--and then deprived of his consciousness fell down on the ground and
became motionless. Thereat all the queens save that wife of the monarch
(Kaikeyi) bewailed together; and crying Sumantra also went into a swoc
And the place was filled all around with exclamations "O" and "Alas."
[136] Another reading is,--_The boon that you had well-pleased
conferred_.--T.
[137] Another reading,--_Nor Mithila's daughter_.--T.
[138] Another reading is,--_Nor any of these worlds_.--T.
[139] Some texts--_Living_.--T.