Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— इति श्रुत्वा प्रभोर्वाक्यं लक्ष्मणो भ्रातुरोजसः। हर्षदैन्यावेगचिन्तासमाविष्टो बभूव ह॥१॥
Brahmā said: Hearing these words of his mighty brother and Lord, Lakṣmaṇa became filled with joy, humility, agitation, and anxious thought.
Passage 2
अहो वयं गमिष्यामः प्रमुदवनमनुत्तमम्। यदानन्दस्य मात्राभिरुपजीवन्ति लोकगाः॥२॥
“Ah, we shall go to incomparable Pramudavana, on mere portions of whose bliss the inhabitants of all worlds subsist.”
Passage 3
इति हर्षो बभूवास्य श्रुत्वा प्रियसुहृद्वचः। अहोऽतः परं कासावयोध्या सरयूतटम्॥३॥
Thus joy arose in him when he heard the words of his beloved friend. Yet he thought, “Ah, after this, where will Ayodhyā and the bank of the Sarayū be?”
Passage 4
क्व रत्नाद्रिसुतं कास्यं प्रियभ्रातुः सुहृत्पदम्। क्वैतच्च नगरीसौख्यं ब्रह्मादिसुरदुर्लभम्॥४॥
“Where will be this dear station of my beloved brother, born of Ratnādri's splendor? Where will be this city's happiness, difficult even for Brahmā and the other gods to obtain?” Source note: The first half of the photographed passage is densely and irregularly set as क्व रत्नाद्रिसुतं कास्यं प्रियभ्रातुः सुहृत्पदम्. The root is preserved exactly; the English follows the contrast with Ayodhyā's divine felicity in the second half.
Passage 5
क्वैतद्भोः श्याममणीन्द्रमेचकं दृश्यं वपुः प्रेमजुषा दृशा भगैः। कानन्द एष प्रियसंगजातः संदर्शनाद्यो जनकात्मजायाः॥५॥
“Where will this visible body be—the dark radiance of a sovereign sapphire, beheld by eyes filled with love? Where will be this bliss born of beloved company, beginning with the sight of Janaka's daughter?”
Passage 6
इति दैन्यं महज्जातं लक्ष्मणस्यापि चेतसि। भ्रातुः प्रियस्य लीलानां ज्ञातुः पारङ्गतस्य च॥६॥
Thus great humility and sorrow arose in Lakṣmaṇa's heart, though he was the beloved brother and consummate knower of the līlās.
Passage 7
आवेगश्च महान् जातो भीरोर्विश्लेषदुःखतः। चिन्ता च महती जाता लीलादर्शनकारणात्॥७॥
Great agitation arose from the timid one's pain at separation, and deep anxiety arose at the prospect of no longer seeing the līlā.
Passage 8
लीलारसः प्रियो यस्माल्लक्ष्मणस्य प्रियात्मनः। नित्यं जनकजारामरम्यरूपरसस्पृहः। दुर्मना इव संजातो भ्रातुः स्वे दण्डकारिणः॥८॥
Because the rasa of līlā was dear to beloved Lakṣmaṇa, who perpetually longed for the rasa of the beautiful forms of Janaka's daughter and Rāma, he became despondent at the thought that his own brother would punish him.
Passage 9
एवं दुर्मनसं वीक्ष्य लक्ष्मणं प्राणसम्मतम्। रामचन्द्रः प्रसन्नात्मा प्रोवाच रुचिरं वचः॥९॥
Seeing Lakṣmaṇa, dear as life, so despondent, serene-hearted Rāmacandra spoke these gracious words.
Passage 10
श्रीराम उवाच— दण्डोऽभियाचितोऽद्धैव त्वयैन्द्रारिनिषूदन। तेनैतद्गदितं तात कथं वृत्तोऽसि दीनवत्॥१०॥
Śrī Rāma said: Destroyer of Indra's enemy, you yourself directly asked for punishment, dear one. That is why this was said. Why then have you become so dejected?
Passage 11
न मया दण्डनीयस्त्वं प्राणस्यापि व्यतिक्रमात्। को दण्ड्यः को दण्डयिता स्वयमेकैव द्वयोरपि॥११॥
You are not punishable by me even for an offense against my very life. Who could be punished and who the punisher when the self in both of us is one?
Passage 12
आवयोर्नैव भेदोऽस्ति त्वमक्षरमहं परः। शेषः सङ्कर्षणः साक्षाद्यदंशो मेदिनीधरः॥१२॥
There is no difference between us. You are the imperishable, and I am the Supreme. You are directly Śeṣa-Saṅkarṣaṇa, a portion of whom bears the earth.
Passage 13
शेषरूपः परिकरो भाष्यकर्ता मदागमे। आचार्यः परमश्च नित्यो वैष्णवप्रियकारकः॥१३॥
In the form of Śeṣa you are my attendant and the commentator on my revelation; you are the supreme and eternal teacher who brings joy to the Vaiṣṇavas.
Passage 14
सर्वावतारमूलश्च ईश्वरः प्रकृतेः परः। त्वया विना न चैवाहं लीलासु पुरुषोत्तमः॥१४॥
You are the root of every incarnation, the Lord beyond material nature. Without you I myself would not be Puruṣottama within the līlās.
Passage 15
त्वं साक्षात्पुरुषो विष्णुर्निश्चिन्तोऽहं त्वया विभो। सृजस्यवसि भूतानि हंसि कालो दुरासदः॥१५॥
You are directly the cosmic Person, Viṣṇu; because of you, mighty one, I am free from concern. As invincible Time you create, sustain, and destroy beings.
Passage 16
अहं कदाचिद्वटपत्रशायी स्वाद्वङ्गुष्ठपादास्वदने रसज्ञः। माङ्गल्यकाश्रीजननीपयोऽर्थे रुदन् रमे बालमुकुन्दनामा॥१६॥
At times I recline upon a banyan leaf, relishing the sweet taste of my own great toe; crying for the milk of the auspicious mother Śrī, I sport under the name Bāla-Mukunda. Source note: The source prints the dense maternal compound as माङ्गल्यकाश्रीजननीपयोऽर्थे. It is retained without conjectural replacement; the translation follows its explicit reference to the milk of the auspicious mother Śrī.
Passage 17
कदाचित् प्रमोदाटवीकुञ्जभूमौ समुल्लासिरत्नाद्रिभूगह्वरस्थः। रमे रामनामा सदारामकुञ्जे स्वयंभूः स्वयं शक्तिलक्ष्मीपरीतः॥१७॥
At times, within the bower-grounds of the Pramoda forest and the shining mountain caves of Ratnādri, I sport under the name Rāma in the ever-delightful bower—self-manifest and surrounded by my own powers and Lakṣmī.
Passage 18
कदाचिद्रमे चित्रकूटान्तराले शिलां स्फाटिकां तामधिश्रित्य तिष्ठन्। प्रियानेत्रलास्यानुकारीणि पश्यन् कृपापूर्णदृष्ट्या कुरङ्गीकुलानि॥१८॥
At times I sport in the inner reaches of Citrakūṭa, seated upon that crystal rock and gazing compassionately upon herds of does whose dancing eyes imitate those of my beloved.
Passage 19
एत्य कदाचिद्दक्षिणमधुरां कृष्णातटेऽधिगोवर्धनगिरिम्। ताम्रपर्णीसागरसंगमविप्रसखैर्मुनिभिश्चरन् रमामि॥१९॥
At times I come to southern Madhurā, to Govardhana on the bank of the Kṛṣṇā, and to the meeting of the Tāmraparṇī with the ocean; wandering there with brāhmaṇa friends and sages, I delight.
Passage 20
त्वं करोष्यवतारार्थं गोद्विजधर्मपालनम्। असुराणां निरसनं मम सौख्यविशारदः॥२०॥
For the purpose of my incarnations, you—expert in bringing me happiness—protect the dharma of cows and the twice-born and drive away the demons.
Passage 21
तस्मात्कालत्रयेऽपि त्वं न मे कोपस्य भाजनम्। किन्तु द्विर्भाषणं कुर्वे नाहं लक्ष्मण किंचन॥२१॥
Therefore, in none of the three times are you an object of my anger. Lakṣmaṇa, I merely speak in two ways; I do not truly act against you at all.
Passage 22
नियुक्तस्त्वं प्रतीहार्ये तद्व्यतिक्रमकारणात्। न दण्ड्यसे चेन्मयका मर्यादा मे विनङ्क्ष्यति॥२२॥
You were appointed as gatekeeper. If you were not punished for crossing that charge, the order established by me would be destroyed. Source note: The source visibly prints the nonstandard instrumental मयका. The photographed reading is preserved; its function in the sentence is unambiguous.
Passage 23
इति लोकजने वादो भविता वेदविप्लवी। तेन लीलातिरोधाने मम दण्डो भविष्यति॥२३॥
Otherwise a subversive claim would spread among the people against the Vedic order. Therefore, when my manifest līlā is withdrawn, my punishment will formally occur.
Passage 24
कस्मात्त्वं विमना जातो दुर्मनाश्चिन्तयाकुलः। आविग्नो मूढवद्भ्रान्तो विरहातुरभीरवत्॥२४॥
Why have you become dispirited, despondent, and overwhelmed by anxiety—agitated and bewildered like a frightened man tormented by separation?