24 shlokas
तत्रोपविष्टं राजानमुपासन्ते विचक्षणाः । कथानां बहुरूपाणां हास्यकाराः समन्ततः ।। 7.43.1 ।।
tatropaviṣṭaṃ rājānamupāsante vicakṣaṇāḥ | kathānāṃ bahurūpāṇāṃ hāsyakārāḥ samantataḥ || 7.43.1 ||
Translation
As the king sat there, discerning men waited upon him, and on every side were jesters who told tales of many kinds.
विजयो मधुमत्तश्च काश्यपो मङ्गलः कुटः । सुराजः कालियो भद्रो दन्तवक्रः सुमागधः ।। 7.43.2 ।।
vijayo madhumattaśca kāśyapo maṅgalaḥ kuṭaḥ | surājaḥ kāliyo bhadro dantavakraḥ sumāgadhaḥ || 7.43.2 ||
Translation
Vijaya and Madhumatta, Kashyapa, Mangala, Kuta, Suraja, Kaliya, Bhadra, Dantavakra, and Sumagadha —
एते कथा बहुविधाः परिहाससमन्विताः । कथयन्ति स्म संहृष्टा राघवस्य महात्मनः ।। 7.43.3 ।।
ete kathā bahuvidhāḥ parihāsasamanvitāḥ | kathayanti sma saṃhṛṣṭā rāghavasya mahātmanaḥ || 7.43.3 ||
Translation
these, delighted, would recount tales of many sorts, full of mirth, for the great-souled Raghava.
ततः कथायां कस्याञ्चिद्राघवः समभाषत । काः कथा नगरे भद्र वर्तन्ते विषयेषु च ।। 7.43.4 ।।
tataḥ kathāyāṃ kasyāñcidrāghavaḥ samabhāṣata | kāḥ kathā nagare bhadra vartante viṣayeṣu ca || 7.43.4 ||
Translation
Then, in the course of one of these tales, Raghava spoke: "What stories, O Bhadra, are current in the city and in the provinces?
मामाश्रितानि कान्याहुः पौरजानपदा जनाः । किं च सीतां समाश्रित्य भरतं किं च लक्ष्मणम् ।। 7.43.5 ।।
māmāśritāni kānyāhuḥ paurajānapadā janāḥ | kiṃ ca sītāṃ samāśritya bharataṃ kiṃ ca lakṣmaṇam || 7.43.5 ||
Translation
What do the townsfolk and country people say concerning me? And what do they say concerning Sita, what concerning Bharata, and what concerning Lakshmana?
किं नु शत्रुघ्नमुद्दिश्य कैकयीं किं नु मातरम् । वक्तव्यतां च राजानो वरे राज्ये व्रजन्ति च ।। 7.43.6 ।।
kiṃ nu śatrughnamuddiśya kaikayīṃ kiṃ nu mātaram | vaktavyatāṃ ca rājāno vare rājye vrajanti ca || 7.43.6 ||
Translation
What do they say with regard to Shatrughna, and what concerning my mother Kaikeyi? For kings come to be talked about, both in choice matters and in their rule."
एवमुक्ते तु रामेण भद्रः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत् । स्थिताः कथा शुभाः राजन्वर्तन्ते पुरवासिनाम् ।। 7.43.7 ।।
evamukte tu rāmeṇa bhadraḥ prāñjalirabravīt | sthitāḥ kathā śubhāḥ rājanvartante puravāsinām || 7.43.7 ||
Translation
When Rama had spoken thus, Bhadra answered with folded hands: "O king, the tales of you current among the dwellers of the city are auspicious.
अमुं तु विजयं सौम्य दशग्रीववधार्जितम् । भूयिष्ठं स्वपुरे पौरैः कथ्यन्ते पुरुषर्षभ ।। 7.43.8 ।।
amuṃ tu vijayaṃ saumya daśagrīvavadhārjitam | bhūyiṣṭhaṃ svapure pauraiḥ kathyante puruṣarṣabha || 7.43.8 ||
Translation
It is this victory, gentle one — won by the slaying of the ten-necked Ravana — that is most often recounted by the townsfolk in your own city, O bull among men."
एवमुक्तस्तु भद्रेण राघवो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । कथयस्व यथातत्त्वं सर्वं निरवशेषतः ।। 7.43.9 ।।
evamuktastu bhadreṇa rāghavo vākyamabravīt | kathayasva yathātattvaṃ sarvaṃ niravaśeṣataḥ || 7.43.9 ||
Translation
Thus addressed by Bhadra, Raghava spoke these words: "Tell it just as it truly is, all of it, leaving nothing out.
शुभाशुभानि वाक्यानि यान्याहुः पुरवासिनः । श्रुत्वेदानीं शुभं कुर्यां नकुर्यामशुभानि च ।। 7.43.10 ।।
śubhāśubhāni vākyāni yānyāhuḥ puravāsinaḥ | śrutvedānīṃ śubhaṃ kuryāṃ nakuryāmaśubhāni ca || 7.43.10 ||
Translation
Having now heard the words, both good and ill, that the city-dwellers speak, I may do what is good and refrain from doing what is ill.
कथयस्व च विस्रब्धो निर्भयं विगतज्वरः । कथयन्ति यथा पौराः पापा जनपदेषु च ।। 7.43.11 ।।
kathayasva ca visrabdho nirbhayaṃ vigatajvaraḥ | kathayanti yathā paurāḥ pāpā janapadeṣu ca || 7.43.11 ||
Translation
Speak with confidence, fearlessly and without distress, telling how the townsfolk speak, and the wicked in the provinces."
राघवेणैवमुक्तस्तु भद्रः सुरुचिरं वचः । प्रत्युवाच महाबाहुं प्राञ्जलिः सुसमाहितः ।। 7.43.12 ।।
rāghaveṇaivamuktastu bhadraḥ suruciraṃ vacaḥ | pratyuvāca mahābāhuṃ prāñjaliḥ susamāhitaḥ || 7.43.12 ||
Translation
Thus addressed by Raghava, Bhadra, with folded hands and well-composed, replied to the mighty-armed one with most agreeable words:
शृणु राजन्यथा पौराः कथयन्ति शुभाशुभम् । चत्वरापणरथ्यासु वनेषूपवनेषु च ।। 7.43.13 ।।
śṛṇu rājanyathā paurāḥ kathayanti śubhāśubham | catvarāpaṇarathyāsu vaneṣūpavaneṣu ca || 7.43.13 ||
Translation
"Hear, O king, how the townsfolk speak of what is good and ill — in the squares, the markets, and the streets, in the forests and the pleasure-groves:
दुष्करं कृतवान्रामः समुद्रे सेतुबन्धनम् । अश्रुतं पूर्वकैः कैश्चिद्देवैरपि सदानवैः ।। 7.43.14 ।।
duṣkaraṃ kṛtavānrāmaḥ samudre setubandhanam | aśrutaṃ pūrvakaiḥ kaiściddevairapi sadānavaiḥ || 7.43.14 ||
Translation
'A hard thing has Rama done — the building of a causeway across the ocean — such as was never heard of before by any of the ancients, nor even by the gods together with the Danavas.
रावणश्च दुराधर्षो हतः सबलवाहनः । वानराश्च वशं नीता ऋक्षाश्च सह राक्षसैः ।। 7.43.15 ।।
rāvaṇaśca durādharṣo hataḥ sabalavāhanaḥ | vānarāśca vaśaṃ nītā ṛkṣāśca saha rākṣasaiḥ || 7.43.15 ||
Translation
And the unassailable Ravana was slain together with his army and his mounts, and the vanaras and the bears, along with the rakshasas, were brought under subjection.
हत्वा च रावणं सङ्ख्ये सीतामाहृत्य राघवः । अमर्षं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा स्ववेश्म पुनरानयत् ।। 7.43.16 ।।
hatvā ca rāvaṇaṃ saṅkhye sītāmāhṛtya rāghavaḥ | amarṣaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtvā svaveśma punarānayat || 7.43.16 ||
Translation
And having slain Ravana in battle and recovered Sita, Raghava, putting his indignation behind him, brought her back again to his own dwelling.'
कीदृशं हृदये तस्य सीतासम्भोगजं सुखम् । अङ्कमारोप्य तु पुरा रावणेन बलाद्धृताम् ।। 7.43.17 ।।
kīdṛśaṃ hṛdaye tasya sītāsambhogajaṃ sukham | aṅkamāropya tu purā rāvaṇena balāddhṛtām || 7.43.17 ||
Translation
What kind of happiness, born of his union with Sita, can there be in his heart, when long ago Ravana set her upon his lap and carried her off by force?
लङ्कामपि पुरा नीतामशोकवनिकां गताम् । रक्षसां वशमापन्नां कथं रामो न कुत्सते ।। 7.43.18 ।।
laṅkāmapi purā nītāmaśokavanikāṃ gatām | rakṣasāṃ vaśamāpannāṃ kathaṃ rāmo na kutsate || 7.43.18 ||
Translation
She was once taken to Lanka and dwelt in the Ashoka grove, fallen under the power of the Rakshasas; how is it that Rama does not reproach her?
अस्माकमपि दारेषु सहनीयं भविष्यति । यथा हि कुरुते राजा प्रजा तमनुवर्तते ।। 7.43.19 ।।
asmākamapi dāreṣu sahanīyaṃ bhaviṣyati | yathā hi kurute rājā prajā tamanuvartate || 7.43.19 ||
Translation
Henceforth such conduct will have to be tolerated even with regard to our own wives; for as the king acts, so the subjects follow after him.
एवं बहुविधा वाचो वदन्ति पुरवासिनः । नगरेषु च सर्वेषु राजञ्जनपदेषु च ।। 7.43.20 ।।
evaṃ bahuvidhā vāco vadanti puravāsinaḥ | nagareṣu ca sarveṣu rājañjanapadeṣu ca || 7.43.20 ||
Translation
Thus, O king, the townsfolk speak words of many kinds, and so do the people in all the cities and throughout the countryside.
तस्यैवं भाषितं श्रुत्वा राघवः परमार्तवत् । उवाच सुहृदः सर्वान्कथमेतद्ब्रवीथ माम् ।। 7.43.21 ।।
tasyaivaṃ bhāṣitaṃ śrutvā rāghavaḥ paramārtavat | uvāca suhṛdaḥ sarvānkathametadbravītha mām || 7.43.21 ||
Translation
Having heard him speak in this manner, Raghava, exceedingly grieved, said to all his friends: "How can you tell me this?"
सर्वे तु शिरसा भूमावभिवाद्य प्रणम्य च । प्रत्यूचू राघवं दीनमेवमेतन्न संशयः ।। 7.43.22 ।।
sarve tu śirasā bhūmāvabhivādya praṇamya ca | pratyūcū rāghavaṃ dīnamevametanna saṃśayaḥ || 7.43.22 ||
Translation
Then they all, bowing their heads to the ground in salutation and reverence, replied to the dejected Raghava: "It is so, there is no doubt of it."
श्रुत्वा तु वाक्यं काकुत्स्थः सर्वेषां समुदीरितम् । विसर्जयामास तदा वयस्याञ्छत्रुसूदनः ।। 7.43.23 ।।
śrutvā tu vākyaṃ kākutsthaḥ sarveṣāṃ samudīritam | visarjayāmāsa tadā vayasyāñchatrusūdanaḥ || 7.43.23 ||
Translation
Having heard the words uttered by all of them, Kakutstha, the slayer of foes, then dismissed his companions.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे त्रिचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ।। 43 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe tricatvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ || 43 ||
Translation
Thus ends the forty-third sarga in the venerable Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana, the first poem composed by the sage Valmiki.