नाथवत्याम् having her husband, तस्याम् that Sita, अनाथवत् like one without a support, चीरम् tattered (bark) garment, वसानायाम् while wearing, सर्वः जनः all the people, त्वाम् about you, धिक् इति 'fie on you', दशरथम् to Dasaratha, प्रचुक्रोश shouted.
Meaning
Beholding Sita who was wearing a bark garment, like one without a support, though having a husband, all the people cried bitterly exclaiming O Dasaratha, fie on you.
tena tatra praṇādena duḥkhitassa mahīpatiḥ| ciccheda jīvite śraddhāṃ dharme yaśasi cātmanḥ||2.38.2||
Translation
महीपतिः that Lord of the earth (king), तत्र there, तेन प्रणादेन by that shout, दुःखितः distressed, आत्मनः his own, जीविते in life, धर्मे in righteousness, श्रद्धाम् faith, चिच्छेद broke.
Meaning
Hearing that tumult the distressed Dasaratha lost faith in his own life and in his righteousness.
sa niḥśvasyoṣṇamaikṣvāka stāṃ bhāryāmidamabravīt| kaikeyi kuśacīreṇa na sītā gantumarhati||2.38.3||
Translation
सः ऐक्ष्वाकः that descendant of the Ikshvakus (Dasaratha), उष्णम् निःश्वस्य heaving hot sighs, भार्याम् to his wife (Kaikeyi), इदम् these words, अब्रवीत् he spoke, कैकेयी O Kaikeyi, सीता Sita, कुशचीरेण with kusa garment, गन्तुम् to go, नार्हति is not worthy of.
Meaning
The descendant of the Ikshvakus (Dasaratha), heaving hot sighs, said to his wife O Kaikeyi, Sita does not deserve to go (to the forest) in garment of kusa grass.
sukumārī ca bālā ca satatṃ ca sukhocitā| neyṃ vanasya yogyeti satyamāha gururmama||2.38.4||
Translation
सुकुमारी च delicate, बाला च young, सततम् always, सुखोचिता accustomed to comfort, इयम् she, वनस्य to dwell in the forest, न योग्या is not fit, इति thus, मम गुरुः my preceptor, सत्यम् truly, अह said.
Meaning
Sita a delicate, young princess accustomed to comforts is not fit to dwell in the forest. This is what my preceptor has truly spoken.
या (सा) Sita, चीरम् bark garment, आसाद्य having received, काचित् obscure one, श्रमणीव like a female ascetic, विसंज्ञा lost senses, जनस्य मध्ये amidst people, स्थिता standing, इयम् this, राजवरस्य कन्या daughter of the greatest of kings (Janaka), तपस्विनी ascetic, कस्य to whom, किञ्चित् even little, अपकरोति has done harm?
Meaning
Sita, daughter of Janaka, the greatest among kings, stands amidst people wearing bark garment like an ascetic with her senses switched off. To whom and what harm has she done?
cīrāṇyapāsyājjanakasya kanyā neyṃ pratijñā mama dattapūrvā| yathāsukhṃ gacchatu rājaputrī vanṃ samagrā saha sarvaratnaiḥ||2.38.6||
Translation
जनकस्य Janaka's, कन्या daughter, चीराणि bark garments, अपास्य taking off, आत् afterwards, इयम् this, प्रतिज्ञा promise, मम to me, दत्तपूर्वा न not given earlier, राजपुत्री princess, सर्वरत्नैः सह together with jewels, समग्रा with all needs, वनम् to the forest, यथासुखम् happily, गच्छतु go.
Meaning
Let the daughter of Janaka take off her bark garments. This is not the promise I had made to you earlier. Let the princess happily go to the forest adorned with all jewels and with all other necessities.
अजीवनार्हेण unfit to live, मया by me, नियमेन with a vow, नृशंसा cruel, प्रतिज्ञा promise, कृता तावत् has been made, बाल्यात् out of childishness (foolishness), त्वया by you, एतत् this, प्रतिपन्नं हि was taken, तत् that one, वेणुम् bamboo, आत्मपुष्पम् इव like its own flowers, माम् me, दहेत् should burn.
Meaning
By giving this cruel promise through importunity, I have rendered myself unfit to live. This promise was made as a child's play and it (now) destroys me like a bamboo destroyed by its own flowers.
rāmeṇa yadi te pāpe kiñcitkṛtamaśobhanam| apakārḥ ka iha te vaidehyā darśito'dhame||2.38.8||
Translation
पापे O sinful woman, अधमे O wretch, रामेण by Rama, ते to you, किञ्चित् even a little, अशोभनम् unbecoming, कृतं यदि has been done, वैदेह्या Sita, इह here, ते to you, कः what, अपकारः offence, दर्शितः has been shown.
Meaning
O sinful woman O wretch Rama might have done something unbecoming to you, but what offence has Sita committed?
mṛgīvotphullanayanā mṛduśīlā tapasvīnī| apakārṃ kamiha te karoti janakātmajā||2.38.9||
Translation
मृगीव like a doe, उत्फुल्लनयना largeeyed, मृदुशीला of gentle ways, तपस्विनी worthy of compassion, जनकात्मजा daughter of Janaka, इह here, ते to you, कम् अपकारम् what offence done, करोति is doing?
Meaning
What wrong has the daughter of Janaka largeeyed like a doe, so gentle and worthy of compassion done to you?
nanu paryāpta metatte pāpe rāmavivāsanam| kimebhiḥ kṛpaṇairbhūya: pātakairapi te kṛtaiḥ||2.38.10||
Translation
पापे O wicked woman, एतत् this, रामविवासनम् the exile of Rama, ते to you, पर्याप्तं ननु is not enough, भूयः still, कृतैः by those committed, कृपणैः by the wretched, एभिः by these, पातकैरपि sins also, ते to you, किम् why?
Meaning
Rama's exile, O wicked woman, is enough for you. What are you committing further heinous crimes for?
देवि O Devi, अभिषेकाय for installation, इह here, आगतम् came, रामम् to Rama, त्वम् you, अब्रवीः had spoken, त्वया by you, उक्तम् what has been said, शृण्वता being heard, मया by me, तावत् to that extent, प्रतिज्ञातम् has been promised.
Meaning
I have heard you, O Devi speaking to Rama when he came here in connection with the coronation. I promised you to that extent only.
tattvetatsamatikramya nirayṃ gantumicchasi| maithilīmapi yā hi tvamīkṣase cīravāsinīm||2.38.12||
Translation
या त्वं such you, तत् एतत् all that, अतिक्रम्य having exceeded, मैथिलीं अपि even the princess of Mithila (Sita) also, चीरवासिनीं one wearing bark garment, ईक्षसे want to see, निरयं hell, गन्तुं to go, इच्छसि wish.
Meaning
Having exceeded all that, you want to behold Sita in bark garment and thereby, wish for hell.
महात्मा noble soul, सः राजा that king, इतीव thus, विलपन् while lamenting, शोकस्य grief's, किञ्चित् even a little, अन्तम् end, न ददर्श could not see, भृशातुरत्वाच्च deeply tormented, तेन that, पुत्रव्यसनेन एव by separation from son only, मग्नः immersed, भूमौ on the ground, पपात fell.
Meaning
The king could not see any end to his lamentation. Immersed in the grief of separation from his son and deeply tormented, he fell down on the ground.
वनम् to the forest, सम्प्रस्थितः set out to forest, रामः Rama, एवम् in this way, ब्रुवन्तम् speaking, अवाक्छिरसमम् with bowed head, आसीनम् sitting, पितरम् addressing his father, इदं वचनम् these words, अब्रवीत् said.
Meaning
Rama who was about to leave for the forest addressed his father who sat with his head bent once again:
yṃ dhārmika kauśalyā mama mātā yaśasvinī| vṛddhā cākṣudraśīlā ca na ca tvāṃ deva garhate||2.38.15||
Translation
धार्मिक O righteous one, देव O lord, यशस्विनी illustrious, मम माता my mother, इयम् कौशल्या Kausalya, वृद्धा aged, अक्षुद्रशीला च does not possess meanness of character, त्वाम् you, न च गर्हते does not reproach.
Meaning
O righteous father O king my aged and illustrious mother, Kausalya possesses neither a mean character nor does she blame you.
वरद O bestower of boons, मया with me, विहीनाम् separated, शोकसागरम् ocean of sorrow, प्रपन्नाम् enter into, अदृष्टपूर्वव्यसनाम् experiencing such unforeseen suffering, भूयः in a greater measure, सम्मन्तुम् to care for her, अर्हसि should.
Meaning
O bestower of boons, separated from me and unaccustomed to suffering, she will be plunged into an unforeseen ocean of sorrow. You should pay her greater attention.
तपस्विनी one who deserves compassion, सा she, माम् about me, सञ्चिन्तयन्ती while constantly thinking, पुत्रशोकम् grief on account of her son, यथा as, न इच्छेत् does not obtain, पूज्येन venerable, त्वया by you, पूजिता honoured, त्वयि in you, जीवेत् shall live.
Meaning
Let her not grieve on account of her son. O venerable father, if she, who deserves compassion is honoured by you, she will live.
महेन्द्रोपम equal to Indra, मयि me, वनस्थे staying in the forest, शोककर्शिता emaciated by sorrow, जीवितम् life, न्यस्य having yielded, यथा how, यमक्षयम् abode of Yama, न व्रजेत् will not go, तथा in that way, जातगर्धिनीम् a woman with a possesive feeling, इमाम् this, मम जननीम् my mother, विधातुम् अर्हसि should do.
Meaning
You are powerful like Indra.You should act accordingly so that my mother who has a possesive feeling towards her son should not, due to emaciation go to the abode of Yama after my departure for the forest. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टत्रिंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the thirtyeighth sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.