19 shlokas
अथ नावं सुविस्तीर्णां नैषादीं राघवानुजः । आरुरोह समायुक्तां पूर्वमारोप्य मैथिलीम् ।। 7.47.1 ।।
atha nāvaṃ suvistīrṇāṃ naiṣādīṃ rāghavānujaḥ | āruroha samāyuktāṃ pūrvamāropya maithilīm || 7.47.1 ||
Translation
Then the younger brother of Raghava, having first helped Maithili aboard, climbed into the broad, well-equipped boat of the Nishada fisherfolk.
सुमन्त्रं चैव सरथं स्थीयतामिति लक्ष्मणः । उवाच शोकसन्तप्तः प्रयाहीति च नाविकम् ।। 7.47.2 ।।
sumantraṃ caiva sarathaṃ sthīyatāmiti lakṣmaṇaḥ | uvāca śokasantaptaḥ prayāhīti ca nāvikam || 7.47.2 ||
Translation
Burning with grief, Lakshmana said to Sumantra, who waited with the chariot, "Stay here," and to the boatman he said, "Proceed."
ततस्तीरमुपागम्य भागीरथ्याः स लक्ष्मणः । उवाच मैथिलीं वाक्यं प्राञ्जलिर्बाष्पसम्प्लुतः ।। 7.47.3 ।।
tatastīramupāgamya bhāgīrathyāḥ sa lakṣmaṇaḥ | uvāca maithilīṃ vākyaṃ prāñjalirbāṣpasamplutaḥ || 7.47.3 ||
Translation
Then, having reached the bank of the Bhagirathi, Lakshmana, his hands folded in reverence and bathed in tears, spoke these words to Maithili:
हृद्गतं मे महच्छल्यं यस्मादार्येण धीमता । अस्मिन्निमित्ते वैदेहि लोकस्य वचनीकृतः ।। 7.47.4 ।।
hṛdgataṃ me mahacchalyaṃ yasmādāryeṇa dhīmatā | asminnimitte vaidehi lokasya vacanīkṛtaḥ || 7.47.4 ||
Translation
"A great thorn has lodged in my heart, O Vaidehi, because on this account the wise and noble one has been made to act upon the word of the people."
श्रेयो हि मरणं मे ऽद्य मृत्युर्वा यत्परं भवेत् । न चास्मिन्नीदृशे कार्ये नियोज्यो लोकनिन्दिते ।। 7.47.5 ।।
śreyo hi maraṇaṃ me 'dya mṛtyurvā yatparaṃ bhavet | na cāsminnīdṛśe kārye niyojyo lokanindite || 7.47.5 ||
Translation
"Better for me would be death this very day, or whatever fate may be still worse, than to be appointed to such a deed as this, one condemned by the world."
प्रसीद च न मे पापं कर्तुमर्हसि शोभने । इत्यञ्जलिकृतो भूमौ निपपात स लक्ष्मणः ।। 7.47.6 ।।
prasīda ca na me pāpaṃ kartumarhasi śobhane | ityañjalikṛto bhūmau nipapāta sa lakṣmaṇaḥ || 7.47.6 ||
Translation
"Be gracious, and do not hold me guilty, O lovely one." Saying this, Lakshmana, his hands folded, fell to the ground.
रुदन्तं प्राञ्जलिं दृष्ट्वा काङ्क्षन्तं मृत्युमात्मनः । मैथिली भृशसंविग्ना लक्ष्मणं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। 7.47.7 ।।
rudantaṃ prāñjaliṃ dṛṣṭvā kāṅkṣantaṃ mṛtyumātmanaḥ | maithilī bhṛśasaṃvignā lakṣmaṇaṃ vākyamabravīt || 7.47.7 ||
Translation
Seeing him weeping with folded hands and longing for his own death, Maithili, greatly agitated, spoke these words to Lakshmana:
किमिदं नावगच्छामि ब्रूहि तत्त्वेन लक्ष्मण । पश्यामि त्वां न च स्वस्थमपि क्षेमं महीपतेः ।। 7.47.8 ।।
kimidaṃ nāvagacchāmi brūhi tattvena lakṣmaṇa | paśyāmi tvāṃ na ca svasthamapi kṣemaṃ mahīpateḥ || 7.47.8 ||
Translation
"I do not understand what this means; tell me truly, Lakshmana. I see you not at ease, nor is the well-being of the king clear to me."
शापितो ऽसि नरेन्द्रेण यत्त्वं सन्तापमागतः । तद्ब्रूयाः सन्निधौ मह्यमहमाज्ञापयामि ते ।। 7.47.9 ।।
śāpito 'si narendreṇa yattvaṃ santāpamāgataḥ | tadbrūyāḥ sannidhau mahyamahamājñāpayāmi te || 7.47.9 ||
Translation
"Since you have been put under oath by the king, on account of which you have come to this distress, tell it to me here in my presence; I command you."
वैदेह्या चोद्यमानस्तु लक्ष्मणो दीनचेतनः । अवाङ्मुखो बाष्पकलं वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ।। 7.47.10 ।।
vaidehyā codyamānastu lakṣmaṇo dīnacetanaḥ | avāṅmukho bāṣpakalaṃ vākyametaduvāca ha || 7.47.10 ||
Translation
But Lakshmana, urged on by Vaidehi, his mind sunk in dejection, with downcast face and words choked with tears, spoke to her thus.
श्रुत्वा परिषदो मध्ये ह्यपवादं सुदारुणम् । पुरे जनपदे चैव त्वत्कृते जनकात्मजे । रामः सन्तप्तहृदयो मा निवेद्य गृहं गतः ।। 7.47.11 ।।
śrutvā pariṣado madhye hyapavādaṃ sudāruṇam | pure janapade caiva tvatkṛte janakātmaje | rāmaḥ santaptahṛdayo mā nivedya gṛhaṃ gataḥ || 7.47.11 ||
Translation
Having heard in the midst of the assembly the most dreadful slander spread on your account, in the city and in the countryside alike, O daughter of Janaka, Rama, his heart tormented, came home without telling me anything of it.
न तानि वचनीयानि मया देवि तवाग्रतः । यानि राज्ञा हृदि न्यस्तान्यमर्षात्पृष्ठतः कृतः ।। 7.47.12 ।।
na tāni vacanīyāni mayā devi tavāgrataḥ | yāni rājñā hṛdi nyastānyamarṣātpṛṣṭhataḥ kṛtaḥ || 7.47.12 ||
Translation
Those words, O Devi, are not to be repeated by me before you — the things which the king laid up in his heart and then, out of indignation, cast behind him.
सा त्वं त्यक्ता नृपतिना निर्दोषा मम सन्निधौ । पौरापवादभीतेन ग्राह्यं देवि न ते ऽन्यथा ।। 7.47.13 ।।
sā tvaṃ tyaktā nṛpatinā nirdoṣā mama sannidhau | paurāpavādabhītena grāhyaṃ devi na te 'nyathā || 7.47.13 ||
Translation
You, though faultless, have been abandoned by the king in my presence, for he is afraid of the citizens' slander; O Devi, you must not take it otherwise.
आश्रमान्तेषु च मया त्यक्तव्या त्वं भविष्यसि । राज्ञः शासनमाज्ञाय तवेदं किल दौर्हृदम् ।। 7.47.14 ।।
āśramānteṣu ca mayā tyaktavyā tvaṃ bhaviṣyasi | rājñaḥ śāsanamājñāya tavedaṃ kila daurhṛdam || 7.47.14 ||
Translation
You are to be left by me near the hermitages, now that I have learned the king's command; and this journey, indeed, can pass for the longing of your pregnancy.
तदेतज्जाह्नवीतीरे ब्रह्मर्षीणां तपोवनम् । पुण्यं च रमणीयं च मा विषादं कृथाः शुभे ।। 7.47.15 ।।
tadetajjāhnavītīre brahmarṣīṇāṃ tapovanam | puṇyaṃ ca ramaṇīyaṃ ca mā viṣādaṃ kṛthāḥ śubhe || 7.47.15 ||
Translation
This here on the bank of the Ganga is the penance-grove of the Brahmin sages, holy and delightful; do not give way to despair, O blessed lady.
राज्ञो दशरथस्येष्टः पितुर्मे मुनिपुङ्गवः । सखा परमको विप्रो वाल्मीकिः सुमहायशाः ।। 7.47.16 ।।
rājño daśarathasyeṣṭaḥ piturme munipuṅgavaḥ | sakhā paramako vipro vālmīkiḥ sumahāyaśāḥ || 7.47.16 ||
Translation
Valmiki, the foremost of sages, the Brahmin of very great renown, was dear to King Dasharatha, my father, and was his closest friend.
पादच्छायामुपागम्य सुखमस्य महात्मनः । उपवासपरैकाग्रा वस त्वं जनकात्मजे ।। 7.47.17 ।।
pādacchāyāmupāgamya sukhamasya mahātmanaḥ | upavāsaparaikāgrā vasa tvaṃ janakātmaje || 7.47.17 ||
Translation
Coming to the shelter of the feet of this great soul, dwell there in comfort, O daughter of Janaka, intent upon fasting and one-pointed in mind.
पतिव्रतात्वमास्थाय रामं कृत्वा सदा हृदि । श्रेयस्ते परमं देवि तथा कृत्वा भविष्यति ।। 7.47.18 ।।
pativratātvamāsthāya rāmaṃ kṛtvā sadā hṛdi | śreyaste paramaṃ devi tathā kṛtvā bhaviṣyati || 7.47.18 ||
Translation
Holding fast to your fidelity as a wife and ever keeping Rama in your heart, the highest good will come to you, O Devi, by acting thus.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तचत्वारिंशः सर्गः ।। 47 ।।
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye śrīmaduttarakāṇḍe saptacatvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ || 47 ||
Translation
Thus ends the forty-seventh canto in the venerable Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana, the first poem, composed by the sage Valmiki.