Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— समुत्थाय ततोऽन्येद्युरुषस्युदितभास्करे। विरहेण दिशः पश्यन् घोरान्धतमसावृताः॥१॥
Brahmā said: Rising the next morning when the sun had appeared, Rāma, because of separation, saw the directions as though covered in dreadful darkness.
Passage 2
दशकन्धरमाज्ञाय नितान्तं वध्यमात्मना। आततायी मुहुः पश्यन् धनुर्ज्यारूढमुद्गुरम्॥२॥
Knowing that the violent ten-necked one must certainly be killed by him, he repeatedly looked upon his raised and strung bow.
Passage 3
ततः प्रस्थातुकामोऽसौ सौमित्रिमिदमूचिवान्। कर्तुकामोऽनुषङ्गेण भक्तोद्धरणमन्तरा॥३॥
Then, desiring to depart yet wishing along the way to uplift a devotee, he spoke these words to Sumitrā's son.
Passage 4
अद्येदमद्भुततमं भिल्लानां वनमुत्तमम्। क्षेममध्यासिता स्वो वै सुखयन्तौ वनेचरान्॥४॥
“Today we shall peacefully enter this extraordinary and excellent forest of the Bhillas, bringing joy to its forest dwellers.
Passage 5
वनेऽस्मिन् मम भक्तैका विद्यते भिल्लसुन्दरी। यस्याः प्रेम्णा वशीभूतो मुनीन् विगणयाम्यहम्॥५॥
“In this forest lives a beautiful Bhilla woman who is my devotee. Her love has brought me under its control, so that I set even the sages aside.
Passage 6
एधते सहजं प्रेम तस्या मनसि मामकम्। मुनीनां वदनेभ्यो मे गुणा यदवधि श्रुताः॥६॥
“Her innate love for me has grown in her heart ever since she heard my qualities from the mouths of sages.
Passage 7
पूयन्तेऽखिलतीर्थानि तस्याश्चरणपांसुभिः। सन्ततं मम भक्ताया मयि विन्यस्तचेतसः॥७॥
“All sacred fords are purified by the dust of the feet of that constant devotee whose mind is fixed upon me.
Passage 8
त्रिलोक्यामपि कस्तुल्यो मम भक्तेन लक्ष्मण। न कामयेऽहं नितरां श्रियमप्यालयस्थिताम्॥८॥
“Lakṣmaṇa, who in the three worlds can equal my devotee? I do not greatly desire even Śrī dwelling in my own abode.
Passage 9
ब्रह्मा शेषः पशुपतिर्भक्त्यैव प्रियतां गताः। तेषां विभूतिमाहात्म्यं न मे प्रेमानुबन्धनम्॥९॥
“Brahmā, Śeṣa, and Paśupati became dear to me through devotion alone. Their power and greatness do not bind my love.
Passage 10
अतः साऽत्यन्तभक्ता मे सौमित्रे भिल्लजातिजा। पश्यतां मुनिवर्याणां माननीया विशेषतः॥१०॥
“Therefore, Sumitrā's son, that Bhilla-born woman is my consummate devotee and deserves special honor before the eyes of the foremost sages.
Passage 11
वनजैः फलसन्दोहैः सा नः सम्मानयिष्यति। तया भक्त्योपनीतं मे सुधातोऽप्यधिकं मतम्॥११॥
“She will honor us with heaps of forest fruits. Whatever she offers with devotion I esteem more highly than nectar.
Passage 12
न वर्णश्रेष्ठता न श्रीर्न कुलं न च बन्धुता। मम तोषाय सौमित्रे प्रीयेऽहं भक्तिमात्रतः॥१२॥
“Neither excellence of social order, prosperity, lineage, nor kinship pleases me, Sumitrā's son. I become dear through devotion alone.
Passage 13
अवमत्य मुनिश्रेष्ठान् पश्यतः स्वालयागमम्। यास्ये भिल्लपुरन्ध्रीं तामुषितुं निशमेकिकाम्॥१३॥
“Setting aside the eminent sages who look for my arrival at their dwellings, I shall go to that solitary Bhilla woman and spend the night with her.
Passage 14
त्वया मया च सौमित्रे तस्यै मानः प्रदीयताम्। पश्यत्सु मुनिवर्येषु मत्स्यक्ताश्रमसद्मसु॥१४॥
“Let you and me, Sumitrā's son, confer honor upon her while the foremost sages watch from the hermitage dwellings I have passed over.” Rāma Hears the Birds' Hymn
Passage 15
इत्युक्त्वा लक्ष्मणं राम उषः सुप्तोत्थितः प्रियः। अपश्यत्स्मितयुक्ताभ्यां दृग्भ्यां रघुकुलोद्वहः॥१५॥
Having said this to Lakṣmaṇa, the beloved Rāma, risen from sleep at dawn, looked about with smiling eyes—the scion of Raghu's line.
Passage 16
ततोऽवधाय स्वात्मानं गुरुरूपं सनातनम्। प्रातः सुमङ्गलं कुर्वञ्शुश्राव पततां रवम्॥१६॥
Then, attending to his own eternal self in the form of the guru and performing the auspicious morning observance, he heard the voices of birds.
Passage 17
पुरुषवर पुमर्थाः किं नु नः साधनीयाः प्रणयभरपवित्रान्येव काचिद् गतिस्ते। जनकजनिविलासानन्दसम्भारभाजां तव सविधसुखानां स्वात्मनो यत्र लाभः॥१७॥
“Best of persons, what human goal remains for us to attain? Our one path is purified by the fullness of love: near you, those who share the gathered bliss of the daughter of Janaka's pastimes attain their very selves.
Passage 18
इदमपरमुनीतां स्वात्ममानं मतं स्या- न्मम तु मतमनङ्गानीकलावण्यमोषेः। तव सहजवयस्याप्रेमवीचीनिषिक्ते- स्तव सहजविलासैरात्मनः स्वात्मलाभः॥१८॥
“Others may esteem some different state as realization of the self. My own conviction is that the self is attained through your natural pastimes, bathed in waves of intimate love that steal the beauty of Love's own host.
Passage 19
प्रमुदवनविलासोल्लासलक्ष्मीनिधानं त्वयि किल रमतान्नो मानसं रामचन्द्र। कृपयतु तव नित्यं सङ्गिनी सा परा श्री- रहमहह भवेयं नित्यलीलान्तरस्थः॥१९॥
“Rāmacandra, may our minds delight in you, treasury of the radiant splendor of pleasure-grove pastimes. May your eternal companion, supreme Śrī, show mercy, so that I may dwell within those eternal pastimes.
Passage 20
परमसुखनिधानं कालमायाद्यपेतं विलसतु तव नित्यं धाम तन्मन्मनःस्थम्। यदि भुवि सुकृती स्यात्कश्चिदुल्लाससम्प- द्भवति तदधिकृत्यै सोऽपि दूरादुपेत्य॥२०॥
“May your eternal abode, treasury of supreme happiness and free from time, māyā, and all else, shine within my mind. If some fortunate person on earth becomes qualified for its radiant wealth, even that one approaches it only from afar.
Passage 21
विधिसदनसुखान्तं सन्ति यावत्सुखानि। प्रणयसुखकलापास्तानि मात्रां भजन्ते। इति हि समवधाय त्वज्जना राघवेन्दो जहति न तव लक्ष्मीसंश्रितं पादपद्मम्॥२१॥
“All pleasures up through the bliss of Brahmā's realm are but a fraction of the arts of loving happiness. Knowing this, moon of the Raghus, your people never abandon your lotus feet, where Lakṣmī has taken refuge.
Passage 22
अधिकरसविलासैस्तावकैस्तै रमाया हृदि किमपि वितीर्णक्षोभलोभक्षणेष्यैः। वशय रघुपचित्तं मामकीनं कृपालो भवति किल यतस्तत्संनिवृत्तान्यतर्षम्॥२२॥
“Compassionate scion of Raghu, bring my heart under the power of those supremely relishable pastimes of yours with Ramā, which awaken an indescribable longing and leave every other thirst stilled.
Passage 23
मुहुरुपचितकामैरन्ययत्नप्रसक्ते न हि सुलभमपीदृश्यं तावकं धाम राम। इति सकलमपीदं सौख्यमाब्रह्म हित्वा तव पदकमलान्तः साधुभृङ्गायितोऽहम्॥२३॥
“Rāma, your abode is not readily attained by those repeatedly swelling with desire and attached to other endeavors. Therefore, abandoning every pleasure as high as Brahmā's, I have become like a holy bee within your lotus feet.
Passage 24
तव पदमपदं यद्वाङ्मनोबुद्धिवृत्ते- रतिशयरसभोगानन्दवृद्धिप्रकृष्टम्। कतम इह लभेत त्वत्प्रियायाः कृपाङ्कं सुपरिचितमृतेऽन्यो यद्यपि ब्रह्मवित् स्यात्॥२४॥
“Your abode lies beyond the movements of speech, mind, and intellect and excels in the fullness of blissful, consummate rasa. Who could attain the mark of your beloved's grace without intimate acquaintance, even if learned in Brahman?
Passage 25
एताः परमहंसानां शुकादीनां सुमेधसाम्। मुहुर्मुखोत्थिता गाथाः पक्षिभिर्धृतपूर्विकाः॥२५॥
These songs had repeatedly arisen from the mouths of wise paramahaṃsas such as Śuka and were now taken up by the birds.
Passage 26
श्रुत्वा रघूणां प्रवरः सीतया प्रियया युतः। मुमुदेऽतितरां ध्यायन् प्रमुदवनविहारिणीः॥२६॥
Hearing them, the foremost of the Raghus inwardly united with his beloved Sītā and rejoiced greatly, contemplating their pleasure-grove pastimes. The Journey to Śabarī
Passage 27
अथोच्चचाल भगवान् पर्णकुट्याः श्रियान्वितः। सानुजो धृतसन्नाहः खड्गी तूणी धनुर्धरः॥२७॥
Then the glorious Lord departed from the leaf hut with his younger brother, armored and bearing sword, quiver, and bow.
Passage 28
मध्ये वर्त्म समालोक्य रम्यां पुष्करिणीं प्रभुः। अवगाह्य जले तस्याः पूर्वां सन्ध्यामुपास्त सः॥२८॥
Seeing a lovely lotus pond along the road, the Lord entered its water and performed the morning twilight worship.
Passage 29
ततः प्रचलितो रामः प्रियाविरहितः पथि। लक्ष्मणेनानुगमितो वनश्रीलग्नचक्षुषा॥२९॥
Then Rāma, separated from his beloved, continued along the path, followed by Lakṣmaṇa, whose eyes rested upon the forest's beauty.
Passage 30
अथ तपति मयूखे भूरि मध्यन्दिनार्के नभसि च परितो निःकज्जलांशिसार्थे। अपगतभुजवीरः सानुजोऽयं वियोजी शबरवनमवीक्षद्धाम यस्मिन् शबर्याः॥३०॥
When the midday sun blazed with abundant rays and the sky was filled on every side with cloudless light, the separated hero, accompanied by his brother, beheld the Śabara forest in which Śabarī's dwelling stood.