Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— अथ लक्ष्मण ऊचे तं विलपन्तं मुहुर्मुहुः। सीतापहारसम्भूतशोकसागरमग्नधीः॥१॥
Brahmā said: Then Lakṣmaṇa addressed him as he lamented again and again, his mind submerged in the ocean of grief born from Sītā's abduction.
Passage 2
हा दैवकृत्यं शोचामि दुर्निवारं बुधैरपि। त्रैलोक्यस्थाविता वीर येन त्वमपि वञ्चितः॥२॥
“Alas, hero! I grieve over this work of fate, which even the wise cannot avert and by which even you, established throughout the three worlds, have been deceived.
Passage 3
हा हा हृदयमद्यापि शतधा न विदीर्यते। ईदृशीं घोरविपदमासाद्यापि सुदुस्तराम्॥३॥
“Alas, alas! Even now my heart does not split into a hundred pieces, though we have met with so terrible and nearly impassable a calamity.
Passage 4
क्व नः कुलं च विमलं क्व चेदं लाञ्छनं महत्। यदेव कुरुते दैवं तदेव सहते जनः॥४॥
“How far apart are our spotless lineage and this great stain! Whatever fate brings about, a person must endure.
Passage 5
दैवस्यापि भवान् दैवं श्रीसूर्यकुलभूषण। न जानामि तव क्रीडां ययेदं किल निर्मितम्॥५॥
“O ornament of the glorious solar dynasty, you are fate even over fate itself. I do not understand this play of yours by which all this has been fashioned.
Passage 6
भवान् विलपति श्रीमन् सर्वशोकापहारकः। दृष्ट्वा निरवलम्बोऽहं मज्जामि क्लेशसागरे॥६॥
“Blessed Lord, you who remove every grief are now lamenting. Seeing this, I am left without support and sink into an ocean of affliction.
Passage 7
अग्रे कर्तव्यतामूढं भ्रमतीव मनो मम। वीक्ष्य त्वामपि खिद्यन्तं दुःखपारं न याम्यहम्॥७॥
“My mind reels, bewildered about what must be done next. Seeing even you in anguish, I cannot reach the far shore of sorrow.
Passage 8
क्व हेममृग आगच्छेत् क्व देवी स्पृहयेदमुम्। क्व भवाननुधावेत क्व चेदं वञ्चनं भवेत्॥८॥
“How could a golden deer appear? How could the goddess desire it? How could you pursue it, and how could this deception occur?
Passage 9
सर्वं दैवकृतं दृष्ट्वा त्वयि दैवानियन्तरि। मनो निरवलम्बं मे शतधैव विशीर्यते॥९॥
“Seeing all this wrought by fate even in you, the ruler of fate, my unsupported mind is indeed breaking into a hundred pieces.
Passage 10
गच्छेयं शरणं यस्य स भवान् शोकसंयुतः। किं नु गच्छामि शरणं वीर श्रीमन्नतःपरम्॥१०॥
“You, to whom I would go for refuge, are yourself joined with grief. Heroic and blessed Lord, where can I now go for refuge?
Passage 11
हा मातर्जानकि कथमात्थ त्वमपि दुर्वचस्। भक्ति प्रह्वे मयि तथा जाने दैवविपर्ययम्॥११॥
“Alas, Mother Jānakī! How could you too speak such harsh words to me, bowed before you in devotion? I recognize in that the reversal brought by fate.
Passage 12
नाज्ञासिषमहं देवि दैवस्येत्थं विपर्ययम्। शतधापि दुरुक्तोऽहं तद्गच्छेयं किं न्वितः॥१२॥
“Goddess, I did not know fate would turn in this way. Though reviled a hundred times, why should I have left that place?
Passage 13
हा वीर रघुशार्दूल पश्यामि त्वां सुदुःखितम्। जगच्चान्धन्तमो व्याप्तं किं नु दुःखमतः परम्॥१३॥
“Alas, hero and tiger of Raghu's line! I see you deeply afflicted, and the world covered in blinding darkness. What sorrow could exceed this?
Passage 14
हा नाथ धैर्यमालम्ब्य समुत्तिष्ठ कथंचन। अग्रे कर्तव्यतां चैव मूढस्य मम दर्शय॥१४॥
“O Lord, somehow take hold of courage and rise. Show me, bewildered as I am, what must be done next.
Passage 15
इत्थं हि खिद्यमानं त्वां वीक्षमाणो रघूद्वह। म्रियेऽहं तीव्रशोकेन तं मां पाहि महाभुज॥१५॥
“Best of the Raghus, seeing you suffer in this way, I am dying from piercing grief. Mighty-armed Lord, protect me from it.
Passage 16
भवतश्चापि कर्तव्यं भवानेव रघूद्वह। जानाति विश्ववन्द्याङ्घ्रे कोऽन्यो ज्ञातुमिह क्षमः॥१६॥
“Best of the Raghus, you alone know what you must do. O one whose feet are revered by the universe, who else here is capable of knowing? Lakṣmaṇa Reasons That Sītā Must Live
Passage 17
यदि जीवति लोकेऽस्मिंस्तव प्राणेश्वरी प्रभो। क्व तदा वर्तते सा वै भूय एतद्गवेष्यताम्॥१७॥
“Lord, if the mistress of your life lives in this world, let us search further to discover where she is now.
Passage 18
अथो यदि न जीवेत् सा किं नु जीवसि त्वं प्रभो। अहं च किं नु जीवामि ततो जीवति सा ध्रुवम्॥१८॥
“But if she were not alive, how could you live, Lord, and how could I live? Therefore she surely lives.
Passage 19
दैवस्य करणीयं तु दैवमेवायं वेत्ति च। भवांस्तस्य नियन्ता वा तृतीयो नेह दृश्यते॥१९॥
“Only fate itself knows what fate intends to do, or you are its ruler; no third knower is visible here.
Passage 20
यदि प्राणांस्त्यजाम्याशु शोकेन तव राघव। सापराधोऽपि किं न स्यां सेवालोपविधायकः॥२०॥
“Rāghava, if I quickly give up my life from grief for you, would I not still be at fault for causing a break in my service?
Passage 21
तव सेवाभिलाषो मे प्राणान् रक्षति सर्वथा। नो चेदीदृग्विधे शोके हृदयं न स्फुटेन्मम॥२१॥
“My longing to serve you alone preserves my life in every way. Otherwise, amid grief like this, how could my heart fail to burst? Lakṣmaṇa Confesses His Regret
Passage 22
अथ धिङ्मां तथा देव्या दुरुक्तैर्विद्धमानसम्। यस्तवाज्ञामतीवर्त्य तां वने त्यक्तवान् रहः॥२२॥
“And shame upon me: my mind pierced by the goddess's harsh words, I transgressed your command and left her alone in the forest.
Passage 23
तथापि किं न्वहं कुर्यामहमाज्ञाकरः सदा। अविशेषेण युवयोरुभयोरपि राघव॥२३॥
“Yet what was I to do, Rāghava? I always obey the commands of both of you without distinction.
Passage 24
नायासिषं तथा भूयो नियुक्तोऽपि रघूद्वह। दुरुक्तशल्यैर्विद्धस्तु जातोऽस्म्यहमधीरधीः॥२४॥
“Best of the Raghus, though repeatedly ordered, I would not have gone; but pierced by the darts of harsh speech, my understanding lost its steadiness.
Passage 25
सर्वं विस्मृत्य वीरेन्द्र त्वामहं गतवान् वने। नाज्ञासिषं दैवकृत्यं वञ्चनं मे भविष्यति॥२५॥
“Lord of heroes, forgetting everything, I went to you in the forest. I did not know that fate's work would become my deception.
Passage 26
इत्थं विलप्य सौमित्रिररोदीद्भृशमार्तुरः। गर्जयन् काननं सर्वं मृगेन्द्र इव दुःखितः॥२६॥
Having lamented in this way, Sumitrā's deeply anguished son wept, filling the entire forest with his cries like a grief-stricken lion. The Brothers and the Forest Weep
Passage 27
ततश्च तावुभौ वीरौ भृशं रुरुदतुर्वने। गर्जयन्तौ दिशः सर्वा मृगेन्द्राविव दुःखितौ॥२७॥
Then those two heroes wept bitterly in the forest, making every direction resound like two grief-stricken lions.
Passage 28
तयोरित्थं प्ररुदतोर्मुक्तास्थूलाश्रुमोक्षिणोः। पशवः पक्षिणश्चापि रुरुदुः कानने भृशम्॥२८॥
As the two wept in this way and shed great, unrestrained tears, the beasts and birds throughout the forest also cried bitterly.
Passage 29
रुरोद सा पञ्चवटी झिल्लीझाङ्कारकेतवात्। भूरुहाश्चारुदन् सर्वे भ्रमरारावसम्भृताः॥२९॥
Pañcavaṭī herself wept through the shrilling cries of crickets, and all the trees lamented, filled with the humming of bees. Grief Turns to Resolve
Passage 30
चिरं रुदित्वा रघुसार्वभौमः सलक्ष्मणः शोकसमुद्रमानसः। दृग्भ्यां रदेदन्तपटं रुषाक्तः प्रियापहाराद्धृतधीरुदस्थात्॥३०॥
After weeping for a long time with Lakṣmaṇa, his mind an ocean of grief, the sovereign of Raghu's line rose with his eyes and lips charged with anger; Sītā's abduction had restored his resolve.
Passage 31
उत्थाय तौ पञ्चवटीवनस्थांस्तरूल्लतागुल्मगणान् समन्तात्। गवेषयन्तौ प्रतिपत्रशाखं सुदुःखितौ बभ्रमतुर्जवेन॥३१॥
Rising, the two deeply sorrowful brothers swiftly roamed all around, searching the trees, vines, and thickets of Pañcavaṭī's forest, leaf by leaf and branch by branch.