Summary
In this chapter Rama arrives at the king's presence. Seeing King disturbed, Rama becomes grieved and wants to know the cause of king's perturbance [disturbance]. Queen Kaikeyi describes to Rama about the boons that Dasaratha had given earlier and also her wishes of coronating [crowning] Bharatha instead of Rama and sending Rama to Dandaka forest. On listening to these harsh words of Kaikeyi, Rama did not become sorrowful, but Dasaratha was very much disturbed.
Chapter [Sarga] 18 in Detail
sa dadarsha aasane raamah nisannam pitaram shubhe |
kaikeyii sahitam diinam mukhena parishusyataa || 2-18-1
Rama saw his father sitting on a beautiful seat, but with his face looking completely parched up and miserable. Kaikeyi was at his side.
sa pituh caranau puurvam abhivaadya viniitavat |
tatah vavande caranau kaikeyyaah susamaahitah || 2-18-2
Rama being humble and well composed, first reverentially saluted his father's feet and then saluted Kaikeyi's feet.
raama iti uktvaa ca vacanam vaaspa paryaakula iiksanah |
shashaaka nrpatir diino na iiksitum na abhibhaasitum || 2-18-3
Dasaratha spoke only one word "Rama!" with his eyes filled with tears and dejected, being not able to see or to talk any further words.
tat apuurvam nara pater drstvaa ruupam bhaya aavaham |
raamah api bhayam aapannah padaa sprstvaa iva pannagam || 2-18-4
Having not seen earlier such a fearful form of his father, even Rama was frightened as though he seized a snake by his foot.
indriyaih aprahrstaiah tam shoka samtaapa karshitam |
nihshvasantam mahaa raajam vyathita aakula cetasam || 2-18-5
uurmi maalinam aksobhyam ksubhyantam iva saagaram |
upaplutam iva aadityam ukta anrtam rsim yathaa || 2-18-6
That king Dasaratha was sighing heavily with senses sans pleasure, emaciated with grief and anguish, with distressed and agitated mind, like ocean which cannot be perturbed, becoming perturbed with row of waves, like sun which is eclipsed and who lost luster like by a sage who spoke untruth.
acintya kalpam hi pitus tam shokam upadhaarayan |
babhuuva samrabdhatarah samudraiva parvani || 2-18-7
Contemplating over the unimaginable sorrow of the king, he was very much perturbed as an ocean does on a full moon day.
cintayaam aasa ca tadaa raamah pitr hite ratah |
kimsvid adya eva nrpatir na maam pratyabhinandati || 2-18-8
The ingenious Rama, who is fond of his father's welfare, anxiously thought: " why indeed the king is not greeting me in return just today?"
anyadaa maam pitaa drstvaa kupitah api prasiidati |
tasya maam adya sampreksya kim aayaasah pravartate || 2-18-9
"At other times, the father, even though angry used to be gracious after seeing me why today such a father has become weary after seeing me?"
sa diinaiva shoka aartah visanna vadana dyutih |
kaikeyiim abhivaadya eva raamah vacanam abraviit || 2-18-10
Rama indeed distressed and afflicted with grief, with luster faded from his face, offered his salutation to Kaikeyi and spoke these words.
kaccin mayaa na aparaadham ajnaanaat yena me pitaa |
kupitah tan mama aacaksva tvam caiva enam prasaadaya || 2-18-11
"I hope that I have not done anything wrong through ignorance. Tell me why father is angry with me. You alone propitiate him in my favor."
aprasannamanaah kim nu sadaa maam prati vatsalah |
vivarna vadano diino na hi maam abhibhaasate || 2-18-12
"Why my father, who was always affectionate to me, has become displeased? With his face becoming pale and dejected, he is not talking to me."
shaariirah maanaso vaa api kaccit enam na baadhate |
samtaapo vaa abhitaapo vaa durlabham hi sadaa sukham || 2-18-13
"I hope that either bodily affliction or mental distress is not troubling him. The object of happiness is indeed difficult to be attained always!"
kaccin na kimcit bharate kumaare priya darshane |
shatrughne vaa mahaa sattve maatrrnaam vaa mama ashubham || 2-18-14
"I hope that no bad thing occurred to Bharata, the delightful man to look at or to Shatrughna, the man of great strength or to my mother. "
atosayan mahaa raajam akurvan vaa pitur vacah |
muhuurtam api na iccheyam jiivitum kupite nrpe || 2-18-15
"If our father becomes angry, I do not desire to live even for a moment without satisfying him or without fulfilling his command."
yatah muulam narah pashyet praadurbhaavam iha aatmanah |
katham tasmin na varteta pratyakse sati daivate || 2-18-16
"Man sees father as the visible god who is the root cause of one's own coming into existence and how else can he behave towards him other than like that?"
kaccit te parusam kimcit abhimaanaat pitaa mama |
uktah bhavatyaa kopena yatra asya lulitam manah || 2-18-17
"I hope you have not spoken anything which hurt my father's conscience with your pride and anger."
etat aacaksva me devi tattvena pariprcchatah |
kim nimittam apuurvo ayam vikaarah manuja adhipe || 2-18-18
"I am asking you why my father got this perturbation, which was not there earlier. Tell me the true position."
evamuktaa tu kaikeyii raaghavena mahaatmanaa |
uvaachedam sunirlajjaa dhrishhtamaatmahitam vachah || 2-18-19
Thus questioned by the great souled Rama, Kaikeyi fearlessly spoke these words for her own benefit, without any shame on her part.
na raajaa kupito raama vyasanam naasya kimchana |
kimchinmanogatam tvasya tvadbhayaannaabhibhaashhate || 2-18-20
"Oh, Rama! The king is not angry. There is nothing of distress for him. But he has something in mind which he is not telling from fear."
priyam tvaamapriyam vaktum vaanii naasyopapartate |
tadavashyam tvayaa kaaryam yadanenaashrutam mama || 2-18-21
"To him, words are not coming off to tell disagreeable utterance to you, the dear one. He promised me a word. It is to be certainly done by you."
eshha mahyam varam dattvaa puraa maamabhipuujya cha |
sa pashchaattapyate raajaa yathaanyah praakritastathaa || 2-18-22
"Long ago, the king honored me and gave me a boon. Like a common man, he is repenting now for having given the boon."
atisrijya dadaaniiti varam mama vishaampatih |
sa nirartham gatajale setum bandhitumichchhati || 2-18-23
"This king promised me to give the boon and now he desires to build a dam wastefully on a place where water has gone away."
dharmuulamidam raama viditam cha sataamapi |
tatsatyam na tyajedraajaa kupitastvatkrite yathaa || 2-18-24
"Oh, Rama! It is known by even wise men, that truth is the root of righteousness. See that the offended king does not abandon such a truth for your sake."
yadi tadvakshyate raajaa shubham vaa yadi vaa.ashubham |
karishhyasi tatah sarvamaakhyaami punastvaham || 2-18-25
"The king is about to mention that truth which may look auspicious or inauspicious to you. Still, I shall tell you all that, if you shall do it afterwards."
yadi tvabhihitam raajjnaa tvayi tanna vipatsyate |
tato.ahamabhidhaasyaami na hyeshha tvayi vakshyati || 2-18-26
"If what is spoken by the king does not create un-favorableness in you, I shall then tell you. This king will not indeed tell you."
etaattu vachanam shrutvaa kaikeyyaa samudaahritam |
uvaacha vyathito raamastaam deviim nripasannidhau || 2-18-27
After hearing the words of Kaikeyi, Rama felt painful and spoke thus to her in the presence of the king.
aho dhinaarhase devi paktum maamiidrisham vachah |
aham hi vacanaat raajnah pateyam api paavake || 2-18-28
bhaksayeyam visam tiiksnam majjeyam api ca arnave |
niyuktah gurunaa pitraa nrpena ca hitena ca || 2-18-29
"Oh, queen! what a pity! Do not talk like that to me. If father tells me, I shall jump even in fire. If father, who is a king, who wishes my welfare and who is venerable, commands me, I shall eat fiery poison and shall sink into an ocean."
tat bruuhi vacanam devi raajno yad abhikaanksitam |
karisye pratijaane ca raamah dvir na abhibhaasate || 2-18-30
"Oh queen! Tell me the words of the king as desired by him. I even promise to do it. Rama does not speak two things."
tam aarjava samaayuktam anaaryaa satya vaadinam |
uvaaca raamam kaikeyii vacanam bhrsha daarunam || 2-18-31
That vulgar Kaikeyi uttered very cruel words to that Rama, who was committed to sincerity and speaking of truth.
puraa deva asure yuddhe pitraa te mama raaghava |
raksitena varau dattau sashalyena mahaa rane || 2-18-32
"Oh, Rama! During a battle and a great war between celestials and demons long ago, I protected your father who was pierced by darts. Then, he gave me two boons."
tatra me yaacitah raajaa bharatasya abhisecanam |
gamanam dandaka aranye tava ca adya eva raaghava || 2-18-33
"Oh, Rama! According to those boons, I asked the king for coronation of Bharata and for your going to Dandaka forest today itself."
yadi satya pratijnam tvam pitaram kartum icchasi |
aatmaanam ca nara restha mama vaakyam idam shrnu || 2-18-34
"Oh, Rama! If you want to make yourself and your father faithful to a promise, listen to these words of mine.
sa nideshe pitus tistha yathaa tena pratishrutam |
tvayaa aranyam pravestavyam nava varsaani panca ca || 2-18-35
"Abide by your father's command. As per his assurance, you have to stay in the forest for fourteen years."
bharatastvabhishhichyeta yadetadabhishhechanm |
tvadarthe vihitam raajjnaa tena sarvena raaghava || 2-18-36
"Bharata is to be enthroned with the use of complete collection of materials already arranged by the king for your sake."
sapta sapta ca varsaani dandaka aranyam aashritah |
abhisekam imam tyaktvaa jataa ciira dharah vasa || 2-18-37
"You have to leave this coronation function and dwell in the forest of Dandaka for fourteen years, wearing braided hair and covered with a hide."
bharatah kosala pure prashaastu vasudhaam imaam |
naanaa ratna samaakiirnam savaaji ratha kunjaraam || 2-18-38
"Let Bharata rule this earth, by residing in Ayodhya filled with various types of precious thing together with horses, chariots and elephants."
etena tvaam narendroyam kaarunyena samaaplutah |
shokasamklishhtavadano na shaknoti niriikshitum || 2-18-39
"For this reason, king Dasaratha who is overwhelmed with sympathy towards you is not able to see you with his face, afflicted with grief."
etatkuru narendhrasya vachanam raghunandana |
satyana mahataa raama taarayasva nareshvaram || 2-18-40
"Oh, Rama! Do as per the words of the king and liberate him by giving your father an opportunity to maintain the truth."
itiiva tasyaam parushham vadantyaam |
nachaiva raamah pravivesha shokam |
pravivyadhe chaapi mahaanubhaavo |
raajaa tu putravyasanaabhitaptah || 2-18-41
Though she was speaking such harsh words, Rama was not affected with sorrow. But the mighty Dasaratha became highly disturbed, having been afflicted by the calamity occurred to his son.
|| ityaarshhe shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande
ashhtaadashah sargah ||
Thus completes the eighteenth sarga of Ayodhya kanda of Srimad Ramayana.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate