Passage 1
लक्ष्मण उवाच— भूय उच्चैर्वदन्त्येवमुद्वेजयसि मामपि। वीरेन्द्रपत्नि नैतत्तेऽभ्युचितं वेद्मि भाषितम्॥१॥
Lakṣmaṇa said: “By speaking so loudly again and again, you distress even me. Wife of the foremost hero, I do not consider these words worthy of you.
Passage 2
धैर्यमालम्ब्य तिष्ठस्व स्मर वीर्यं महात्मनः। एकाकिना हता येन कोट्यो रात्रिचारिणाम्॥२॥
“Stand firm and take hold of courage. Remember the valor of the great soul who single-handedly slew crores of night-roaming rākṣasas.
Passage 3
खरश्च दूषणश्चैव त्रिशिराश्च महाबलः। येऽन्ये रावणदायादमुख्याः कोटिनिशाचराः॥३॥
“Khara, Dūṣaṇa, mighty Triśiras, and the other leading kinsmen of Rāvaṇa were among those countless rākṣasas.
Passage 4
तेऽस्याप्रमेयवीर्यस्य बाणवह्नेः पतंगताम्। प्रययुस्तव पश्यन्त्याः स आर्यः केन जीयताम्॥४॥
“Before your very eyes they became moths in the fire of his arrows and immeasurable valor. By whom could that noble lord be conquered?
Passage 5
पुनः पुनर्मयोक्तापि प्रतीतिं नावलम्बसे। मोहिता शब्दमात्रेण किमधीरमना अभूः॥५॥
“Though I have told you repeatedly, you will not accept my assurance. Deluded by a mere sound, why have you become so fainthearted?
Passage 6
कथं न्वितोऽहं गच्छामि भ्रातुर्वीर्यस्य तत्त्ववित्। एकाकिनीं विहाय त्वां घोरेऽस्मिन् निर्जने वने॥६॥
“Knowing the true measure of my brother's valor, how could I leave you alone and go from here into this terrible, deserted forest?
Passage 7
आर्यस्यास्य पराधीनः कथं गच्छामि जानकि। एतत्ते नोचितं वक्तुमतः परमपार्थकम्॥७॥
“Jānakī, I am subject to my noble brother's command; how can I go? It is not fitting for you to say anything further so contrary to our purpose.
Passage 8
आज्ञाभङ्गापराधेन भीतोऽहं जनकात्मजे। न प्रयास्यामि हित्वा त्वां विषमे निर्जने वने॥८॥
“Daughter of Janaka, I fear the offense of breaking his command. I shall not leave you behind and depart into this dangerous, deserted forest.
Passage 9
किं नु वक्ष्यति मां चार्यो नियुक्तं तव रक्षणे। आज्ञाभङ्गं विधाप्येत्थं यदि गच्छाम्यहं सति॥९॥
“Virtuous lady, what would my noble brother say to me, whom he appointed to protect you, if I went away and thereby violated his command?
Passage 10
नाहं स्वतन्त्रो भवितुमर्हामि जनकात्मजे। आजन्मनः पराधीनो रामस्यैवास्मि संततम्॥१०॥
“Daughter of Janaka, I am not entitled to act independently. From birth I have always been wholly subject to Rāma.
Passage 11
अतो नैवं ब्रवीर्भूयस्तव दासोऽस्मि यद्यपि। तथापि रामचन्द्रेण स्थापितः सन्निधौ तव॥११॥
“Therefore do not speak this way again. Although I am your servant, Rāmacandra himself stationed me beside you.
Passage 12
वनमेतद्वृतं घोरतमैः सत्त्वैरनेकशः। क्रव्यादैर्व्याघ्रसिंहाद्यै राक्षसैरतिनिष्ठुरैः॥१२॥
“This forest is filled everywhere with terrifying creatures—flesh-eaters, tigers, lions, and exceedingly cruel rākṣasas.
Passage 13
तत्र त्वेकाकिनीं हित्वा कृत्वा च बहुसाहसम्। आर्यस्याज्ञामतीवर्त्य कथं गच्छामि जानकि॥१३॥
“Jānakī, how could I undertake such a reckless act, leave you alone here, and go after transgressing my noble brother's command?
Passage 14
प्रमाण्यं किं नु शब्दस्य यद्वशादेवमातुरा। मुहुर्वदसि मां देवि धैर्यं धत्स्व मयोदिता॥१४॥
“What authority does a sound possess that, under its influence, you are so distressed and repeatedly command me? Goddess, heed my counsel and hold fast to courage. The Unreliability of a Sound
Passage 15
पशूनां पक्षिणां चापि सन्ति शब्दा अनेकशः। न जाने केन किं चोक्तं श्रुतं हा लक्ष्मणेति ते॥१५॥
“Animals and birds make many kinds of sounds. I do not know who uttered what you heard as ‘Ah, Lakṣmaṇa!’
Passage 16
अत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि शब्दभ्रमभवं यथा। अस्ति द्रविडदेशे तु मौकुलिर्नाम वाडवः॥१६॥
“I shall tell you an old account of what arose from mistaking a sound. In the Draviḍa country there lived a brāhmaṇa named Maukuli.
Passage 17
तस्य पत्नी दृढमतिः शुल्कानाम्नी पतिव्रता। तस्याः पत्यौ महान् स्नेहः सानुबन्धोऽभवत्तदा॥१७॥
“His steadfast and devoted wife was named Śulkā. She possessed profound and enduring love for her husband.
Passage 18
एकान्ते सात्रवीद्वाक्यं प्रतिज्ञापूर्वमादृता। नाहमन्यस्त्रिया तुल्या जीवामि त्वयि जीवति॥१८॥
“Once in private, the devoted woman solemnly pledged: ‘I am unlike other women; I live only while you live.
Passage 19
तवान्यथागतौ भर्तः प्राणान् मुञ्चेयमञ्जसा। एकदा मौकुलिर्यातः समिधाहरणं वनम्॥१९॥
“‘Husband, if misfortune overtakes you, I shall immediately relinquish my life.’ One day Maukuli went to the forest to gather sacrificial fuel.
Passage 20
अथ कश्चिद्धतः काकश्चाण्डालेन पुराद्बहिः। तं ग्रामे जगदुर्लोका मौकुलिर्हत इत्यदः॥२०॥
“Outside the town a caṇḍāla then killed a certain crow. People in the village wrongly announced, ‘Maukuli has been killed.’
Passage 21
तस्य पत्नी तु शुश्राव शुल्का नाम पतिव्रता। श्रुतमात्रे तु वचसि सा प्राणान् सहसात्यजत्॥२१॥
“His devoted wife Śulkā heard the report, and the moment she heard those words she suddenly gave up her life.
Passage 22
वनादुपागतस्तस्याः पतिर्दृष्ट्वा तथाविधाम्। स्वां भार्यामनुरक्तां तां सोऽपि शोकेन मूर्छितः॥२२॥
“Her husband returned from the forest and saw his loving wife in that state. He too collapsed unconscious with grief.
Passage 23
त्यक्तवानचिरादेव प्राणान् स ब्राह्मणोत्तमः। अतो ब्रवीम्यहं तुभ्यं शब्दस्य खलु का प्रमा॥२३॥
“Before long that excellent brāhmaṇa also relinquished his life. Therefore I ask you: what proof can a mere sound truly provide?
Passage 24
जायते च महानर्थः शब्दभ्रमनिबन्धनः। अतस्त्वमपि शब्देन न मां प्रेषय काननम्॥२४॥
“A great disaster can arise from confusion about a sound. Therefore do not send me into the forest merely because of what you heard. Rāma's Command Must Be Kept
Passage 25
एकाकिनीह विजने स्थास्यसि त्वं कथंतमाम्। अत एव नियुक्तोऽहमार्येण तव रक्षणे॥२५॥
“How could you possibly remain alone here in this desolate place? It was for precisely this reason that my noble brother appointed me to protect you.
Passage 26
बहूपदेशपूर्वं मामिह स्थापितवान् समम्। आर्यः परमधर्मज्ञः सुविश्वस्तो मयि ध्रुवम्॥२६॥
“After giving me extensive instruction, my noble brother stationed me here beside you. That supreme knower of dharma surely placed complete trust in me.
Passage 27
विश्वासघातं तस्याहं कथं कुर्वीय सम्प्रति। तेन मे सुमहत्पापं भवेदत्र न संशयः॥२७॥
“How could I now betray his trust? That would bring a very great sin upon me—there is no doubt of it.
Passage 28
को जानाति कथं वार्यः सुचिरेण विलम्बितः। अज्ञाततत्त्वः किं त्वाहं त्यजेयं निर्जने वने॥२८॥
“Who knows why my noble brother has been delayed so long? Knowing nothing of the truth, how could I abandon you in this deserted forest?
Passage 29
इति सपदि निशम्य देवरस्य प्रणयवतो वचनं नरेन्द्रपुत्री। किमपि भृशमधीरमानसेयं प्रतिवचनं पुनराह रुष्टचेता॥२९॥
Hearing at once these affectionate words from her brother-in-law, the king's daughter, her mind intensely unsteady and her heart angered, spoke a harsh reply once again. Thus ends Chapter 153, “Lakṣmaṇa's Reply,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the Dakṣiṇa-khaṇḍa of the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa.