"When the morning broke, that illustrious one having a spacious chest,
Rama, addressed Sumitra's son, Lakshmana, graced with auspicious
marks,--"This is the time of sunrise: the reverend Night hath departed.
O child, this gracefully sable-hued bird, the coel, has begun to warble,
and I hear the cries of peacocks uttering notes in the woods. O amiable
one, we will cross the Jahnavi, fast rushing to the ocean." Hearing
Rama's words, that enhancer of the delight of friends, Sumitra's son,
conveyed them unto Guha and the charioteer; and then stood before his
brother. Hearing of Rama's speach and accepting it, that lord of the
Nishadas speedily summoning his counsellors spake unto them saying,
--"Do ye without delay bring to this bathing-place a strong and elegent
boat furnished with a rudder and steered by a helmsman, such as is
capable of ferrying (people) comfortably." Hearing this mandate of Guha.
his potent counsellors procuring a goodly boat, informed him of it. Then
with joined hands, Guha spake unto Raghava, saying,--"The boat is ready,
worshipful one. What more shall I do in thy behalf? O thou that
resemblest the son of a celestial, here is the boat for thee, O foremost
of men, to cross over the river that goeth after the ocean. O thou of
excellent vows, do thou ascend it." Thereupon the highly energetic Rama
said unto Guha the following words,--"I have attained my end through
thee. Do thou at once get on board the baggage." Then donning on their
mail and equipped with their bows, quivers and swords, the Raghavas
along with Sita descended unto the Ganga. Then coming forward in humble
guise before Rama cognizant of virtue, the charioteer said with joined
hands,--"What shall I do (now)?" Thereupon Dacaratha's son touching
Sumantra by his goodly right hand, said,-- "O Sumantra, do thou again
repair unto the monarch, but let thy senses be unclouded." "Do thou"
said he unto the charioteer, "turn back. So far I have come (in
obedience to the order of the monarch;. Now, renouncing the car, will I
repair unto the mighty forest on foot" Finding himself thus commanded,
the charioteer, Sumantra grieved at heart spoke unto that best of men,
the descendant of Ikshwaku. "That Destiny owing to which you will have
to pass your days in the forest like a low person, along with your
brother and wife, has in this world been withstood by none. I deem the
Brahmacharyya mode of life, or study, or meekness or sincerity as
attended with no fruit, since you have come by calamity. O Raghava,
living in the forest with Vaidehi and your brother, you, O Lord, attain
a state (of supreme excellence), having, as it were, conquered the three
worlds. O Rama, it is we, wretched that we are, that are undone, as we,
deprived of your company, shall come under the sinful Kaikeyi expressing
great misery." Having said this, the charioteer, Sumantra, seeing Rama
intent upon going to a distant land, wept for a long while in heaviness
of heart. Then when he had dried up his tears, and sanctified himself by
touching the water of the Ganga, Rama again addressed the charioteer in
sweet words, saying,--"I do not find any one that is a friend of the
sons of Ikshwaku like unto thee. Do thou so act that king Dacaratha may
not grieve (for me). The lord of earth hath been deprived of his senses
by grief, hath grown old, and is oppressed by the weight of desires
(thwarted). Therefore it is that I tell thee this. Whatever that noble-
minded lord of earth commands for the pleasure of Kaikeyi, should by us
be done with alacrity. It is for this that those lords of men, kings,
govern,--viz., that others may not thwart their purposes. O Sumantra, do
thou act so, that the mighty monarch may not come across any thing
unpleasant, or be attacked with chagrin through grief. Do thou saluting
him for me say these words unto the aged monarch, who has his senses
under complete control, and who hath never seen misfortune before.
'Neither I nor Lakshmana grieve for being ejected out of Ayodhya, or
that we shall have to abide in the forest. After these fourteen years
have gone by, you will see Lakshmana, Sita. and myself come to you
speedily.' Having thus, O Sumantra, in my name again and again spoken to
the king, to my mother and to Kaikevi along with the other revered
ladies do thou communicate unto Kaucalya our welfare conveying unto her
at the same time Sita's and Lakshmana's salutations to her feet as well
those of myself who am her eldest son. Do thou also tell the king,-- 'Do
you spedily bring Bharata; and when Bharata has come, let him be
invested with royalty. And when you have embraced Bharata and installed
him in the kingdom, you no longer be overpowered with grief on our
account,' And tell Bharata,--'As thou bearest thyself unto the king, so
it behoves thee to bear thyself to all thy mothers, without making any
distinction at all. As Kaikeyi is unto thee, so without distinction is
Sumitra, and so also without distinction my mother Kaucalya. Governing
the kingdom as the heir- apparent with the view of compassing the
pleasure of our father, he will be able to secure happiness both in this
world and the next." Told by Rama to go back and instructed in this
wise, Sumantra having heard everything, addressed Kakutstha from
affection, saying,--"It behoves you to forgive what I say plainly from
affection, without letting myself be overwhelmed with emotion, and with
due reverence for you. How can I, O child, without you return to that
city! which seems as if afflicted with the grief incident to the loss of
a son? Having then seen my car with Rama on it, the hearts of the people
and the palace now will in all likelihood burst when they shall see it
without Rama. Surely the city will be distressed on beholding this empty
car, like a host seeing a car with its hero slain and the charioteer
alone left in the field. Thinking in their minds that you although
actually at a great distance from them, are before them, the subjects
(not finding you) will renounce food (and thus destroy themselves.) You
yourself witnessed how the subjects overwhelmed with grief on your
account, conducted themselves when you were being banished unto the
woods. They will on seeing me with the car, burst out into lamentations
exceeding a hundred times in bitterness those in which they indulged
when you set out for the forest. Shall I say unto the worshipful
one,--'I have conveyed your son to the home of his maternal uncle. Do
you not grieve'. I will never tell such a lie. Yet how can I speak this
truth which is so very unpleasant? And ever abiding by my command and
used to carry your friends, how can these excellent horses bear this car
without you? Therefore, O sinless one, I shall not be able to go to
Ayodhya without you; and it behoves you to permit me to follow you to
the forest. But if you forsake me who beseech you, I will as soon as
left by you, enter into fire along with the car. I shall, O Raghava, by
means of this car, withstand all those impediments that shall present
themselves against your ascetic austerities in the forest. I have
through your favour experienced the pleasure of driving the car. I
expect at your hands the pleasure of living in the woods. Be you
propitious. It is my wish to remain in the forest with you, and do you
say, affectionately--'Do you remain by my side'. And these horses, O
hero, will attain to a supreme state if they serve you during your abode
in the forest. Living in the forest, I will serve you with the crown of
my head; and I will entirely renounce Ayodhya or the celestial regions
themselves. Even as a doer of evil deeds cannot enter the metropolis of
the mighty Indra, I am incapable of entering Ayodhya without you. And
this is my desire that the term of exile over, I may carry you back to
the palace on this very car. Remaining with you in the forest the
fourteen years will pass away dwindled into a moment, but without you,
they shall assume the proportions of an hundred years. O you bearing
affection towards your servants, it does not behove you to forsake your
servant having regard for you, ever abiding by the way that is wended by
the son of his master, and observing the duties of his pesition."
Thereupon Rama kind towards servants, said these words unto Sumantra as
he besought him thus humbly in various ways, "O thou that bearest
attachment unto thy master, I know that thou regardest me highly. But do
thou listen as to why I send thee to the city from hence. Seeing thee
returned to the city, my youngest mother Kaikeyi will believe that Rama
has gone to the woods. Then well pleased on my having repaired to the
woods, she will not entertain any apprehension anent the righteous
monarch, thinking that he is untruthful. This is my first wish that my
youngest mother may obtain her son's kingdom, properous and well
protected by Bharata. Do thou, O Sumantra, bear thyself unto the palace
to compass the end of both the king and myself, and do thou communicate
in the desired way what I have said unto the respective parties." Having
said this unto the charioteer and consoled him again and again, the
energetic Rama spoke unto Guha the following words fraught with reason,
"O Guha, I should not now reside in a forest inhabited by men. I should
certainly now abide in an asylum in proper guise. In harmony with the
wishes of Sita and Lakshmana, I, imposing on myself in the interests of
my father selfdenial and wearing that ornament of ascetics, a head of
matted hair, will go (to the forest). Do thou therefore bring me starch
from the banian." Thereupon Guha speedily brought the starch for the
prince; and prepared matted locks for himself, Rama and Lakshmana. And
that mighty- armed chief of men wore matted locks. And those brothers
Rama and Lakshmana dressed as mendicants, and wearing heads of matted
hair, appeared like saints. Then entering upon the Vanaprastha mode of
life, Rama along with Lakshmana assuming the vow of that life, observed
unto that adherent of his, Guha,--"Do thou, my friend, vigilantly
protect the army, the exchequer, the fort and the provinces; for a
kingdom demands all the exertions (of the king thereof)." Then taking
the permission of Guha, the descendant of Ikshwaku, holding his soul in
calmness, set out with his wife and Lakshmana. Seeing a boat at the
river-side, that son of Ikshwaku desirous of crossing the swift-coursing
Ganga, spoke these words,--"Do thou ascend, gently, O foremost of men,
the boat that stayeth here, after the making the virtuous Sita ascend by
taking her by the hand." Hearing his brother's command, that
strong-willed one, furthering everything, having made Mithila's daughter
ascend, ascended himself. That energetic elder brother of Lakshmana next
ascended himself. Then the lord of the Nishadas, Guha, incited his
kinsfolk. Having got on board the boat, the exceedingly puissant Raghava
for securing his welfare, recited _mantras_ fit to be recited by
Kshatriyas and Brahmanas. Then that mighty car-warrior, Lakshmana,
sipping water from the river as laid down in the scriptures, bowed down
to it along with Sita in gladness of heart. Then telling Sumantra, Guha,
and the forces, Rama ascending the boat, ordered the boatmen (to
proceed). Then the boat decked out by the helmsman, moved by them, and
urged on by the pulls of the goodly oars, proceeded apace in the water.
Having arrived at the middle of the Bhagirathi, that blameless one,
Vaidehi, with joined hands, addressed the river, saying,-- "O Ganga,
protected by thee, may the son of the intelligent and mighty monarch,
Dacaratha, execute the mandate (of the latter.) Having spent complete
fourteen years in the forest, he will return in company with his brother
and myself. Then, O worshipful one, O thou of auspicious fortune, having
returned safely, I will, O Ganga, worship thee, thou that crownst every
desire. O thou that wendst in three ways, O revered one, thou envelopest
the regions of Brahma. Thou appearest in this world as the spouse of the
Ocean- king. I will, O respected one, bow down unto thee, O beauteous
one, I will hymn thee, when, with good fortune returned, the foremost of
men has obtained the kingdom, I will to please thee give away unto
Brahmanas hundreds and thousands of kine, cloths, sapid rice, and
vessels of wine by thousands, and _pillaos_. O worshipful one, I will
worship thee on Rama having returned to the city. And I will worship all
the gods that dwell on thy banks, as well as the holy spots and fanes,
as soon as, O sinless one, that mighty-armed one without sin will,
coming back from his abode in the forest, enter Ayodhya in company with
his brother and myself." Having thus addressed the Ganga, that blameless
one ever obedient unto her husband, swiftly went to the south bank (of
the river). Going to the (other) bank of the stream, that best of men,
and subduer of foes stood along with his brother and Vaidehi. Then that
long-armed one spoke unto the enhancer of Sumitra's delight,
saying,--"Be thou, whether in society or solitude, intent upon
protecting Sita. Of course it behoves us to protect her in lone places.
Do thou, O son of Sumitra, go ahead; and let Sita follow thee. I myself
will go in your wake, protecting both yourself and Sita. Surely, O
foremost of men, we should now protect each other. We have not yet
performed any of the arduous tasks. Today Vaidehi will know the grief of
a life in the woods. And today she will enter the forest destitute of
the concourse of men, devoid of fields and gardens, uneven, and
containing pits, etc." Hearing Rama's words, Lakshmana went ahead; that
descendant of Raghu, Rama, followed Sita.
On Rama having speedily crossed the Ganga, the distressed Sumantra who
had been gazing at him stedfastly, being no longer able to discern him,
turned away his eyes and, overcome with grief, shed tears. And having
crossed that mighty river, that high-souled one, that bestower of boons,
resembling in prowess a Lokapala, without delay entered the flourishing
and smiling Vatsas crowned with goodly crops. And then the two
(brothers) having slain the four kinds of beasts, viz., boars, _risyas_,
_prishatas_ and _maharurus_,[149] and taking their flesh, in the evening
took refuge under a mighty tree, feeling the demands of appetite.
[149] Varieties of deer.-- T.