Passage 1
पित्राहूतः स्वनगरं राज्यकार्यावगुप्तये। प्रभात एव स्वैः साकं यास्यसीत्यनुशुश्रुम॥१॥
“We have heard that, summoned by your father to your own city to safeguard the affairs of the kingdom, you will depart at dawn together with your people.
Passage 2
नैवं त्वं कर्तुमर्होऽसि हत्वा नो हरिणीरिव। निजदृष्टिशराविद्धाः प्रेमस्वरविमोहिताः॥२॥
“You must not do this and kill us like does struck by a hunter. We have been pierced by the arrows of your own glances and enchanted by the loving sound of your voice.
Passage 3
त्वं तु विस्मृतवान् प्रायः प्रमोदवनखेलनम्। विस्मर्तव्यं न चास्माभिस्तत्सुखं क्षणमप्यहो॥३॥
“You have apparently forgotten your play in Pramoda Forest, but, alas, we cannot forget that happiness for even a moment.
Passage 4
ता यामिन्यस्तद्रहस्यं केलयस्ताश्च वेलयः। ते ते रासविलासाद्याः स्मर्यमाणा हरन्ति नः॥४॥
“Those nights, those secret sports, those moments, and all those rāsa pleasures and other pastimes carry us away whenever we remember them.
Passage 5
प्रमोदवनपर्यन्तं भूरिकुञ्जनिकुञ्जभूः। प्रमोदे स्थापयत्यन्तः स्मरन्तीनां पुनः पुनः॥५॥
“The whole expanse of Pramoda Forest, its ground filled with bowers within bowers, repeatedly establishes joy within us whenever we remember it.
Passage 6
कदाचिद्भवता साकं राम सम्पूर्णचन्द्रमाः। खेलन्तीनां वनेऽस्माकं सन्ध्याभूत्कृष्णपक्षगा॥६॥
“Once, while we played with you in the forest, O Rāma, full moon, evening fell during the dark fortnight.
Passage 7
ततः प्रववृते ध्वान्तं गाढं नवघनोपमम्। यस्मिन्प्रत्येकमादाय भुक्तवान् नो रघूद्वह॥७॥
“Then dense darkness arose, like a fresh rain cloud. Within it, scion of Raghu, you took and enjoyed each one of us separately.
Passage 8
कदाचित्पुष्पावचये याताः प्रमुदकानने। सन्ध्यायामभवद्घोषो घनसङ्घट्टजोऽम्बरे॥८॥
“Once we went to gather flowers in Pramuda Forest. At dusk, a roar born from the collision of clouds arose in the sky.
Passage 9
तदा प्रववृते दिव्या कामकेलिर्मनोहरा। यां विलोक्य मुदं भव्यां प्रापुर्गीर्विशिखा अपि॥९॥
“Then an enchanting divine love-play began. Beholding it, even celestial beings attained sublime delight.
Passage 10
कदाचित्सरयूवारिगम्भीरावर्तदुर्धरम्। वयं च दधि विक्रेतुं यातुकामाः पुरं प्रति॥१०॥
“Once, when we wished to go toward the city to sell curd, the waters of the Sarayū, with their deep whirlpools, were impossible to cross.
Passage 11
तदा त्वं कामसौन्दर्यगम्भीरेऽस्मिन्नदीजले। सौवर्णीं नावमारोप्य क्रमात्तारितवानसि॥११॥
“Then, in that river water as deep as the beauty of desire itself, you placed us aboard a golden boat and ferried us across one by one.
Passage 12
कदाचिद्घट्टरक्षायै नियुक्ते गोपभूभृता। गच्छतीर्दधिविक्रेतुं मध्ये मार्गं निरुद्धवान्॥१२॥
“Once, when the cowherd king appointed you to guard the toll station, you blocked our path as we went to sell curd.
Passage 13
कदाचिद्रथमारोप्य सौवर्णमणिकिङ्किणीम्। वनाद्वनान्तरं नीत्वा शोभां दर्शितवानसि॥१३॥
“Once you placed us in a chariot with golden, jeweled bells, carried us from one forest into another, and showed us their beauty.
Passage 14
कदाचिन्माधवे मासि कुसुमाकरशोभिनि। दिवानिशमविज्ञाय नित्यं विहृतवानसि॥१४॥
“Once, in the month of Mādhava when spring was radiant, you sported continually without distinguishing day from night.
Passage 15
कदाचिन्निष्ठुरे ग्रीष्ममासे दिव्ये तु पाथसि। जलकेलीः सहास्माभिः कृतवानसि सुन्दर॥१५॥
“Once, during the pitiless summer month, you performed water-sports with us in divine waters, beautiful one.
Passage 16
कदाचिद्भूरिवर्षायां रत्नाद्रेरधिकन्दरम्। वार्भृतो जवनीकृत्य रतवान् श्रीगणैः सह॥१६॥
“Once, amid heavy rain, deep within a cave of the jeweled mountain, you made the rain cloud into a curtain and made love with the company of beautiful women.
Passage 17
कदाचिद्धेमने काले कुञ्जाभ्यन्तरवेश्मसु। हसन्तीसाम्यमानेतुं तूलैः सेवितवानसि॥१७॥
“Once, in the cold season, within the chambers of the bowers, you tended us with cotton coverings until we were laughing again.
Passage 18
कदाचिच्छैशिरे काले लतिका इव पुष्पिणीः। मरुत्वानिव धीरस्त्वं प्रिय कम्पितवांश्च नः॥१८॥
“Once, in the wintry season, we were like flowering vines, and you, steadfast beloved, shook us like a powerful wind.
Passage 19
इत्थं तत्तत्कालदेशे तत्तत्तारूण्यवेशिता। तत्तद्वल्लीवीथीपथः पीत्वा प्रेमामृतं रसम्॥१९॥
“Thus, invested with ever-renewed youth at every time and place, along each vine-lined lane and path we drank the nectar-rasa of love.
Passage 20
तत्तत्कामक्रीडा यस्य सञ्चितस्वर्निविडाकारः। श्रीरामेन्दोर्जितवानसि कन्दर्पाणां किमपि परार्धम्॥२०॥
“In each of those erotic sports, your own concentrated form grew intensely present. Moon-like Śrī Rāma, you surpassed an immeasurable host of Cupids.
Passage 21
एवं त्वं रमयास्मान् स्वानन्दरससागरे। प्रत्येकं बहुलीकृत्य रामेन्दो रतवानसि॥२१॥
“In this way you delighted us within the ocean of the rasa of your own bliss. Moon-like Rāma, multiplying yourself for each one, you sported with us.
Passage 22
अधुना तानि तानीह सुखानि विमुखे त्वयि। पर्णवत्कण्टकानीव भेत्स्यन्ति हृदयानि नः॥२२॥
“Now, when you turn away, each of those former joys will pierce our hearts as thorns pierce a leaf.
Passage 23
मैवं कार्षीः कदापि त्वं वनितावधपातकम्। विक्रमी पुंस्वभावत्वादयि त्वं निष्ठुरोऽप्यसि॥२३॥
“Never commit this sin of killing women. Valiant one, because of your manly nature you can also be hard-hearted.
Passage 24
प्रमोदवनचन्द्रस्य तव प्रिय चकोरिकाः। न खेदय मनाङ्मानिन् मनोज्ञाचरितो भव॥२४॥
“Beloved, we are the cakora birds of you, the moon of Pramoda Forest. Proud one, do not distress us even slightly; let your conduct be charming.
Passage 25
विस्मृत्य निखिलां चेष्टां महामाधुर्यवार्निधिम्। शुष्ककाष्ठस्वभावं च कथमुत्सोढवानसि॥२५॥
“How, forgetting all your former conduct and your nature as a vast ocean of sweetness, have you managed to assume the nature of dry wood?
Passage 26
कोऽयं क्रमो रसिकपुङ्गव सार्वभौम यद्भूरिशः सुखसुधोदधिनिर्वृतानाम्। आर्त्तिप्रवेकमनुभावयसि स्वभावात् स्वानन्दसारसमुदायमयोऽपि सन् नः॥२६॥
“What kind of course is this, sovereign and foremost connoisseur of rasa? Though your very being is the collected essence of your own bliss, by your nature you make us—who have repeatedly found fulfillment in an ocean of the nectar of joy—experience the highest anguish.
Passage 27
ईशोऽपि सर्वभुवनस्य निजे वशोऽसि प्रेमैकवश्यहृदयोऽसि सुसाधनोऽसि। निर्वाञ्छनोऽसि स कथं रघुनन्दन त्वं कर्मातिघोरमिह कर्तुमथोद्यतोऽसि॥२७॥
“Though lord of every world, you are under your own control; your heart is subject to love alone, you are easily won, and you are free of desire. How then, Raghunandana, are you now poised to perform this exceedingly terrible deed?
Passage 28
मैवं कार्षीः प्रभो तस्मात्प्रमोदवनदुःसहम्। विरहं कर्तुमर्होऽसि रसिकेन्दुमहामणे॥२८॥
“Therefore do not do this, Lord. Great jewel and moon among rasikas, you must not create an unbearable separation from Pramoda Forest.
Passage 29
अथ चेत्त्वमिमं नाथ सङ्कल्पं कृतवानसि। तदा नः प्राणनिर्वृत्त्याद्युपायं शिक्षयाधिहन्॥२९॥
“But if, Lord, you have made this resolve, then teach us a means by which our life-breaths may find relief.
Passage 30
असमक्षे त्वयि स्वामिन् किं कार्यं सेवकैर्जनैः। स्वर्भोगं वापि संन्यासमरण्यं वा विरक्तितः॥३०॥
“When you are no longer before us, Master, what are servants to do? Should we seek the pleasures of heaven, or adopt renunciation and go to the forest in detachment?
Passage 31
यैः कालदिङ्निमिषभित्तिपदान्तरेऽपि सोढः कदाचिदपि नैव भवद्वियोगः। ते जीवनं समधिगम्य कथं सहन्तां श्रीमन्महाविरहदावजपापकीर्तिम्॥३१॥
“We have never endured separation from you even across the interval of time, direction, a blink, a wall, or a single step. Glorious one, how can we retain life and bear the accursed torment born from the forest fire of this immense separation?
Passage 32
तस्मात्त्वयि दृशोर्द्वन्द्वाद्दूरं याते प्रियोत्तम। किं कार्यं भक्तवर्गेण तदस्मास्वनुशिक्षय॥३२॥
“Therefore, best of beloveds, when you have gone far beyond the reach of our two eyes, teach us what your community of devotees should do.” --- Thus ends the forty-second chapter, “Rāma’s Journey,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa in the Śrīmad Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Textual notes The chapter begins on source leaf 323, occupies leaves 323–325, and ends with passage 32 and its complete colophon on physical PDF page 326. All thirty-two passage numbers are sequential in the edition. The root text follows the scan through the dense seasonal and erotic recollections in passages 6–21; these have not been reduced to a generic summary. Passage 9 retains the difficult printed गीर्विशिखा; the English follows its celestial context without silently emending the root. Passage 11 follows the scan’s तारितवानसि, not the aid’s तरितवानसि. Passage 17 retains the edition’s हसन्तीसाम्यमानेतुं, while the English renders its clear cold-season context without claiming certainty about the compound’s exact nuance. Passage 19 retains the scan and aid’s वेशिता rather than adding a conjectural plural ending. Passage 29 retains शिक्षयाधिहन्; its final address is lexically difficult, but the request for an instruction or means of relief is clear from the sentence. The syntax carried across passages 10–11 is preserved. Compounds and sandhi are otherwise normalized only where word division introduces no textual choice.