Dasharatha is enraged to see his precious daughter-in-law in rags and takes Kaikeyi to task. Rama seeks blessings of his father for departure and requests him to keep his mother Kausalya, who is aging, comfortable.
Chapter [Sarga] 38 in Detail
tasyaam ciiram vasaanaayaam naathavatyaam anaathavat |
pracukrosha janah sarvo dhig tvaam dasharatham tu iti || 2-38-1
On seeing Seetha wearing bark of trees like a helpless woman, even though protected by her husband all the people there loudly cried out: "Fie upon you, Dasaratha!"
tena tatra pranaadena duhkhitassa mahiipatih |
chichchheda jiivite shraddhaam dharme yashasi chaatmanah || 2-38-2
Pained by that loud cry there, King Dasaratha lost interest in his life, religious merit and esteem.
sa nihshvasya usnam aiksvaakah taam bhaaryaam idam abraviit |
kaikeyi kusha ciirena na siitaa gantum arhati || 2-38-3
Dasaratha with a warm sigh, spoke to his wife these words. "Oh, Kaikeyi! Seetha does not deserve to go with a robe made of Kusa grass."
sukumaarii cha baalaa cha satatam cha sukhochitaa |
neyam vanasya yogyeti satyamaaha gururmama || 2-38-4
"My preceptor truly says that Seetha, who is delicate young and ever habituated to comforts, is not fit for forest-life"
iyam hi kashyaapakaroti kimchi |
ttapasvinii raajavarasya kanyaa |
yaa chiiramaasaadya janasya madhye |
sthitaa visamjjnaa shramaniiva kaachit || 2-38-5
"Has this pitiable daughter of Janaka, the jewel of kings, done any harm to any one that, having obtained a bark of tree she is standing like a hermit dumbfounded in the midst of men?"
chiiraanyasaasyaa janakasya kanyaa |
neyam pratijjnaa mama dattapuurvaa |
yathaasukham gachchhatu raajaputrii |
vanam samgraa saha sarvartnaih || 2-38-6
"Seetha the daughter of Janaka need not wear these barks of trees. No such pledge was given be me earlier. Hence, let this princess go to the forest happily fully provided with all valuable possessions."
ajiivanaarhena mayaa nrishamsaa |
kritaa pratijjnaa niyamena taavat |
tvayaa hi baalyaat pratipannametat |
tnmaam dahed venumivaatmapushhpam || 2-38-7
"A Cruel pledge has been made on oath by me, who do not deserve to survive. This (providing robes of hermit to Seetha) has been initiated by you by sheer childishness. That will consume me, as by its own flower to a bamboo."
raamena yadi te paa pe kimchitkritamashobhanam |
apakaarah ka iha te vaidehyaa darshito.adhame || 2-38-8
"Oh evil woman! (Even) supposing a little offence is done by Rama to you, what harm was displayed to you here by Seetha? Oh, mean woman!"
mrigiivotphullanayanaa mridushiilaa tapasvinii |
apakaaram kamiha te karoti janakaatmajaa || 2-38-9
"What harm on earth can be done to you by Seetha, who has blooming eyes like those of a female deer, soft in disposition a practicer of penance?"
nanu paryaaptam etat te paape raama vivaasanam |
kim ebhih kripanaih bhuuyah paatakaih api te kritaih || 2-38-10
"Oh, the evil woman! Sending Rama to exile thus indeed is enough for you. What use is there for you in further doing these wretched, sinful acts too.
pratijjnaatam mayaa taavat tvayoktam devi shrinvataa |
raamam yadabhishhekaaya tvamihaaata mabraviih || 2-38-11
"Hearing the speech you gave to Rama who came here for coronation, only that much was acceded by me, Oh queen!"
tattvetatsamatikramya nirayam gantumichchhasi |
maithiliimapi yaa hi tva miikshase chiiravaasiniim || 2-38-12
"Transgressing all that, you somehow or other wish to go to hell, by perceiving Seetha also clad in bark of trees.
itiiva raajaa vilapanmahaatmaa |
shokasya naantam sa dadarsha kimchit |
bhrishaaturatvaachcha papaata bhuumau |
tenaiva putravyasanena magnah || 2-38-13
That high-souled king thus lamenting, did not see any ending to that sorrow. Drenched as he was in excessive devotion to his son and having been hurt very much, he fell down on the ground.
evam bruvantam pitaram raamah samprasthitah vanam |
avaak shirasam aasiinam idam vacanam abraviit || 2-38-14
Rama, who was setting out to the forest, spoke these words to his father, who was speaking thus bowing down his head, sitting there.
iyam dhaarmika kausalyaa mama maataa yashasvinii |
vriddhaa ca aksudra shiilaa ca na ca tvaam deva garhite || 2-38-15
"Oh, virtuous king! This glorious Kausalya, my mother is aged. She is not of base nature and will not accuse you.
mayaa vihiinaam varada prapannaam shoka saagaram |
adrista puurva vyasanaam bhuuyah sammantum arhasi || 2-38-16
"Oh, the bestower of boons! You are worthy of amply respect her, who is deprived of me, who is immersed in an ocean of sorrow and who has not see such an affliction earlier."
putrashokam yathaa narchettvayaa puujyena puujitaa |
maam hi samchintayantii saa tvayi jiivet tapasvinii || 2-38-17
"Having been honored by you the venerable man, she the pitiable woman will not get such a grief for her son, thinking of me alone and she will draw breath in you."
imaam mahaa indra upama jaata garbhiniim |
tathaa vidhaatum janamiim mama arhasi |
yathaa vanasthe mayi shoka karshitaa |
na jiivitam nyasya yama ksayam vrajet || 2-38-18
"Oh, the king akin to the mighty Indra the ruler of Gods! You must see that my mother, who has high affection towards her son, will not depart to the house of Yama the God of Death, by abandoning her life being emaciated by grief after my departure for the forest."
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye ayodhya kaande astaa tri.mshah sargah
Thus completes 38th chapter of Ayodhya Kanda in glorious Valmiki Ramayana, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate