वाक्यम् एतत् तु वैदेह्या व्याहृतम् भर्तृ भक्त्या | श्रुत्वा धर्मे स्थितो रामः प्रत्युवाच जानकीम् || ४-१०-१
vaakyam etat tu vaidehyaa vyaahR^itam bhartR^i bhaktyaa |shrutvaa dharme sthito raamaH pratyuvaaca jaanakiim || 4-10-1
On hearing all of the words said by Vaidehi, in adoration of her husband, he who abides by virtue alone that Rama replied Janaki. [4-10-1]
हितम् उक्तम् त्वया देवि स्निग्धया सदृशम् वचः | कुलम् व्यपदिशन्त्या च धर्मज्ञे जनक आत्मजे || ४-१०-२
hitam uktam tvayaa devi snigdhayaa sadR^isham vacaH |kulam vyapadishantyaa ca dharmaj~ne janaka aatmaje || 4-10-2
"You have said beneficial, friendlily words that are seemlier to your disposition, oh, lady, which are apt to speak of your familial brought up, for you are the daughter of virtue-knowing Janaka. [4-10-2]
किम् नु वक्ष्यामि अहम् देवि त्वया एव उक्तम् इदम् वचः | क्षत्रियैः धार्यते चापो न आर्त शब्दो भवेद् इति || ४-१०-३
kim nu vakShyaami aham devi tvayaa eva uk{}tam idam vacaH |kShatriyaiH dhaaryate caapo na aarta shabdo bhaved iti || 4-10-3
"What more shall I say, oh, lady, since it is said that 'a warrior handles a bow so that misery's tears cease to flow...' and this saying is iterated even by you... [4-10-3]
ते च आर्ता दण्डकारण्ये मुनयः संशित व्रताः | माम् सीते स्वयम् आगम्य शरण्याः शरणम् गताः || ४-१०-४
te ca aartaa daNDakaaraNye munayaH saMshita vrataaH |maam siite svayam aagamya sharaNyaaH sharaNam gataaH || 4-10-4
"Oh! Seetha, those shleterable sages of Dandaka forest have approached me sombrely on their own, and thus they came into my refuge... [4-10-4]
वसन्तः काल कालेषु वने मूल फल अशनाः | न लभन्ते सुखम् भीरु राक्षसैः क्रूर कर्मभिः || ४-१०-५
vasantaH kaala kaaleShu vane muula phala ashanaaH |na labhante sukham bhiiru raakShasaiH kruura karmabhiH || 4-10-5
"Subsisting on fruits and tubers, living at all the time in forests those sages are not getting quietude, as they are scared by the demons with invidious deeds... [4-10-5]
भक्ष्यन्ते राक्षसैः भीमैः नर मांसोपजीविभिः | ते भक्ष्यमाणा मुनयो दण्डकारण्य वासिनः || ४-१०-६ अस्मान् अभ्यवपद्य इति माम् ऊचुर् द्विज सत्तमाः |
bhakShyante raakShasaiH bhiimaiH nara maaMsopajiivibhiH |te bhakShyamaaNaa munayo daNDakaaraNya vaasinaH || 4-10-6asmaan abhyavapadya iti maam uucur dvija sattamaaH |
"The sages dwelling in Dandaka forest are being eaten away by fiendish demons that subsist on human flesh, and while being eaten away like that those eminent Brahmans have said to me, "please come to our rescue..." [4-10-6,7a]
मया तु वचनम् श्रुत्वा तेषाम् एवम् मुखात् च्युतम् || ४-१०-७ कृत्वा वचन शुश्रुषाम् वाक्यम् एतत् उदाहृतम् | प्रसीदन्तु भवन्तो मे ह्रीः एषा तु मम अतुला || ४-१०-८ यद् ईदृशैः अहम् विप्रैः उपस्थेयैः उपस्थितः |
kim karomi iti ca mayaa vyaahR^itam dvija saMnidhau || 4-10-9sarvaiH eva samaagamya vaak iyam samudaahR^itaa |
"This way when I have heard the words voiced by them, I comforted them verbally and avouched this way, "Be gracious to me... you all... by which reason I am being addressed this way by this kind of eminent Brahmans, whom I should have actually addressed my self, this indeed is a dishonour for me... [4-10-7b, 8, 9a]
किम् करोमि इति च मया व्याहृतम् द्विज संनिधौ || ४-१०-९ सर्वैः एव समागम्य वाक् इयम् समुदाहृता |
raakShasaiH daNDakaaraNye bahubhiH kaama ruupibhiH || 4-20-10arditaaH sma bhR^isham raama bhavaan naH tatra rakshatu |
"Then I said before the Brahmans, "what shall I do?" All of them thus thronged and spoke this word. [4-10-9b, 10a]
राक्षसैः दण्डकारण्ये बहुभिः काम रूपिभिः || ४-२०-१० अर्दिताः स्म भृशम् राम भवान् नः तत्र रक्षतु |
homa kaale tu saMpraapte parva kaaleShu ca anagha || 4-10-11dharShayanti sudurdharShaa raakShasaaH pishita ashanaaH |
"Many of the guise changing demons are outrightly torturing us in Dandaka forest, hence in that context you shall protect us... [4-10-10b, 11a]
होम काले तु संप्राप्ते पर्व कालेषु च अनघ || ४-१०-११ धर्षयन्ति सुदुर्धर्षा राक्षसाः पिशित अशनाः |
raakShasaiH dharShitaanaam ca taapasaanaam tapasvinaam || 4-10-12gatim mR^igayamaaNaanaam bhavaan naH paramaa gatiH |
"Those resistless carnivorous demons, oh, merited Rama, will descend exactly at the time of fire oblations, or on propitious times like full or new moons to persecute us... [4-10-11b, 12a]
राक्षसैः धर्षितानाम् च तापसानाम् तपस्विनाम् || ४-१०-१२ गतिम् मृगयमाणानाम् भवान् नः परमा गतिः |
kaamam tapaH prabhaaveNa shak{}taa hantum nishaacaraan || 4-10-13ciraarjitam na ca icchhhaamaH tapaH khaNDayitum vayam |
"We the ascetics being assaulted thus are aggrieved, and when we searched for a recourse you chanced as our ultimate course... [4-10-12b, 13a]
कामम् तपः प्रभावेण शक्ता हन्तुम् निशाचरान् || ४-१०-१३ चिरार्जितम् न च इच्छ्हामः तपः खण्डयितुम् वयम् |
bahu vighnam tapo nityam duHshcaram caiva raaghava || 4-10-14tena shaapam na mu.ncaamo bhakShyamaaNaaH ca raakShasaiH |
"We by the efficacy of our ascesis are surely capable to eradicate those demons, but we do not wish to shorten the effect of our long earned merit of ascesis... [4-10-13b, 14a]
बहु विघ्नम् तपो नित्यम् दुःश्चरम् चैव राघव || ४-१०-१४ तेन शापम् न मुंचामो भक्ष्यमाणाः च राक्षसैः |
tad ardyamaanaan rakShobhiH daNDakaaraNya vaasibhiH || 4-10-15rakSha naH tvam saha bhraatraa tvam naathaa hi vayam vane |
"Many hurdles are always there in our practice of ascesis, and even the ascesis have become impracticable, oh, Raghava, thus though being eaten away by the demons we are not issuing any curse... [4-10-14b, 15a]
तद् अर्द्यमानान् रक्षोभिः दण्डकारण्य वासिभिः || ४-१०-१५ रक्ष नः त्वम् सह भ्रात्रा त्वम् नाथा हि वयम् वने |
mayaa ca etat vacaH shrutvaa kaartsnyena paripaalanam || 4-10-16R^iShiiNaam daNDakaaraNye saMshrutam janakaaatmaje |
"Thereby, you along with your brother protect us that are being persecuted by the demons dwelling in Dandaka forest as you alone are the protector of ours in these forests...'so said sages to me... [4-10-15b, 16a]
मया च एतत् वचः श्रुत्वा कार्त्स्न्येन परिपालनम् || ४-१०-१६ ऋषीणाम् दण्डकारण्ये संश्रुतम् जनकाअत्मजे |
saMshrutya na ca shakShyaami jiivamaanaH pratishravam || 4-10-17muniinaam anyathaa kartum satyam iShTam hi me sadaa |
"On hearing all those words, oh, Seetha, I promised complete protection to the sages of Dandaka forests... [4-10-16b, 17a]
संश्रुत्य न च शक्ष्यामि जीवमानः प्रतिश्रवम् || ४-१०-१७ मुनीनाम् अन्यथा कर्तुम् सत्यम् इष्टम् हि मे सदा |
api aham jiivitam jahyaam tvaam vaa siite sa lakShmaNaam || 4-10-18na tu pratij~naam saMshrutya braahmaNebhyo visheShataH |
"Having promised to the sages it is incapable of me to implement it otherwise while I am alive... truth is dearer to me, isn't it... [4-10-17b, 18a]
अपि अहम् जीवितम् जह्याम् त्वाम् वा सीते स लक्ष्मणाम् || ४-१०-१८ न तु प्रतिज्ञाम् संश्रुत्य ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषतः |
tat avashyam mayaa kaaryam R^iShiiNaam paripaalanam || 4-10-19anuk{}tena api vaidehi pratij~naaya katham punaH |
"I may forfeit my life, forgo Lakshmana, or even forsake you but not a promise, that too especially made to Brahmans, and having promised I can never go back... [4-10-18b, 19a]
तत् अवश्यम् मया कार्यम् ऋषीणाम् परिपालनम् || ४-१०-१९ अनुक्तेन अपि वैदेहि प्रतिज्ञाय कथम् पुनः |
mama snehaat ca sauhaardaat idam uk{}tam tvayaa vacaH || 4-10-20parituShTo asmi aham siite na hi aniShTo anushaasyate |
"By that reason, oh, Seetha, even if I am unasked, safeguarding sages is definitely to be done by me, how then it is undone when given a promise... [4-10-19b, 20a]
मम स्नेहात् च सौहार्दात् इदम् उक्तम् त्वया वचः || ४-१०-२० परितुष्टो अस्मि अहम् सीते न हि अनिष्टो अनुशास्यते |
sadR^isham ca anuruupam ca kulasya tava shobhane |sadharma caariNii me tvam praaNebhyo api gariiyasii || 4-10-21
"With your friendship and good-heartedness you say these words, oh, Seetha, I am contended... uninterested ones do not forewarn, indeed... [4-10-20b, 21a]
सदृशम् च अनुरूपम् च कुलस्य तव शोभने | सधर्म चारिणी मे त्वम् प्राणेभ्यो अपि गरीयसी || ४-१०-२१
iti evam uk{}tvaa vacanam mahaatmaasiitaam priyaam maithila raaja putriim |raamo dhanuShmaan saha lakShmaNenajagaama ramyaaNi tapo vanaani || 4-10-22
"Appropriate and seemly is your word of caution to your bloodline, oh, graceful Seetha, you are the co-pursuer in dharma with me, hence you are loftier to me than my own lives..." So said Rama to Seetha. [4-10-21b, c]
इति एवम् उक्त्वा वचनम् महात्मा सीताम् प्रियाम् मैथिल राज पुत्रीम् | रामो धनुष्मान् सह लक्ष्मणेन जगाम रम्याणि तपो वनानि || ४-१०-२२
That exalted soul Rama on saying those words to Seetha, his dear wife and the daughter of Janaka, wielding his bow proceeded further with Lakshmana to the picturesque woodlands of hermits. [4-10-22]
