Śrīmad Vālmīki Rāmāyana (English Translation)

To satisfy the Emperor's curiosity, Sumantra tells him further of Śrī Rāma’s departure for the forest, and also apprises him of the pitiable condition of the animate as well as of the inanimate creation in his realm as also of his capital consequent on Śrī Rāma’s exile. Hearing of the woeful tale, Daśaratha raves like a madman in many ways in the presence of the charioteer-minister.

Bewailing the lot of Śrī Rāma, Sītā and Laksmana, who did not in anyway deserve the hardships they were undergoing in the forest, the Emperor urges Sumantra to deliver their parting message and the charioteer proceeds to tell him what they said.

Having been told of Śrī Rāma’s departure for Citrakūta by the spies of Guha and taking leave of the latter, Sumantra drives back to Ayodhyā. Entering the royal gynaeceum, he submits to the Emperor what he reported earlier to the citizens who followed his chariot. Daśaratha and Kausalyā fall into a swoon to hear about Śrī Rāma’s departure for Citrakūta and all the inmates of the gynaeceum burst int...

Moving further next morning and rejoicing on the way to see the loveliness of the forest, the party reaches Citrakūta and enters the hermitage of Vālmiki. Making up his mind to sojourn there with the permission of the sage, Śrī Rāma gets Laksmana to erect a hut of leaves for themselves and, worshipping the deities presiding over the structure, they solemnly enter their abode at a propitious hour.

Sage Bharadwāja tells Śrī Rāma and Laksmana, even as they set out on their journey to Citrakūta, the route by which they should proceed. Accompanied by Sītā, Śrī Rāma and Laksmana cross the Yamunā on a raft prepared by themselves. In the evening they halt on the bank of the Yamunā alongwith Sītā, who is rejoiced to get fruits and blossoms of her liking.

Set out on his journey for the Dandaka forest with Sītā and Laksmana, Śrī Rāma reaches at dusk the hermitage of Sage Bharadwāja in the vicinity of the confluence of the holy Gangā and Yamunā rivers. Paying due honours to Śrī Rāma and his party, the sage recommends Citrakūta as the fittest place for him to sojourn in. Spending the night in discourses on various topics with him, the sage grants him...

Apprehending trouble for Kausalyå and others at the hands of Kaikeyī, Śrī Rāma, who was seated at the foot of a banyan tree and was a past master in the art of persuasion, persuades Laksmana to the best of his ability to return to Ayodhyā. Laksmana, however, pleads inability to survive in his absence and does not budge an inch from his resolution to stay with his eldest brother. Śrī Rāma, therefor...

While about to step into the boat brought by Guha’s men and asked by Guha if he could be of any further use to the prince, Śrī Rāma enjoins him to obey the Emperor. Importuned by Sumantra to take him as a personal attendant to the forest, the prince declines his loving offer and, expostulating with him, sends him back to Ayodhyā. Entangling their locks into a thick mass with the milk of a banyan t...

Expressing his readiness to guard the Crown prince and his consort, keeping awake the whole night, Guha importunes Laksmana to repose. Reminding Guha of Śrī Rāma’s greatness, Laksmana, however, tells him that even though the duty of guarding his princely brother and his consort could as well be entrusted to Guha, he felt that he did not deserve to lie down in the presence of his elder brother and...

Standing with his face turned towards Ayodhyā, Śrī Rāma bids farewell to his birth-place and, sending back the people hailing from the countryside, who had come to see him, and crossing the frontiers of Kosala, Śrī Rāma reaches the bank of the holy Gangā. Alighting from the chariot under an Ingudī tree standing on the bank, he goes forward to meet Guha, the chief of the Nisādas, who had come to me...

Having covered a long distance in the meantime, Śrī Rāma finishes his morning bath and devotions and, having crossed the Vedaśruti, Gomatī and Syandikā rivers, presses forward talking with Sumantra.

Told of Śrī Rāma’s departure for the forest by the citizens, who had gone out with Śrī Rāma and returned, unable as they were to find out the tracks of his chariot, their wives reproach Kaikeyī and break into lamentation.

The citizens that had followed Śrī Rāma in his journey to the forest woke to find Śrī Rāma and his party gone and begin to reproach themselves. Overcome with grief they hunt up the tracks of his chariot; but unable to find them, they helplessly return to Ayodhyā in utter despondency.

Having reached the bank of the Tamasā and thinking of the plight of the people of Ayodhyā, Śrī Rāma lays himself down on a bed of leaves bewailing the lot of his parents and feeling reassured by the thought of Bharata’s noble qualities; while Laksmana opens his dialogue with Sumantra on the divine excellences of Śrī Rāma. Waking up in the meantime, Śrī Rāma urges the charioteer-minister to drive t...

When the citizens that followed Śrī Rāma in his journey to the forest refuse to return even when pleaded by Śrī Rāma in many ways, unable as they were to bear separation from him, Śrī Rāma, with Sītā and Laksmana, gets down from his chariot and begins to walk. The citizens try to deflect him from his course and persuade him to return, but in vain. At the close of the day they all reach the bank of...

Establishing the greatness of Śrī Rāma, Sumitrā, who is a pastmaster in eloquence, assuages Kausalyā’s grief.

The Lament of Kausalyā.

Śrī Rāma having departed for the forest in an exceptionally swift-going chariot, Daśaratha vainly seeks to cover the intervening distance on foot. The very dust raised by the chariot having disappeared after a while, the Emperor feels doubly disconsolate and drops to the ground. When Kaikeyī comes forward to support him, he scolds her and asks her not to touch his person. Kausalyā then lifts him u...

The ladies of the royal gynaeceum bewail the exile of Śrī Rāma and others and the citizens of Ayodhyā too are reduced to a miserable plight.

Going clockwise round Daśaratha (as a token of respect), Sītā, Rāma and Laksmana greet him. Accompanied by Sītā, Śrī Rāma salutes Kausalyā. Laksmana too hails Kausalyā first and then his own mother, Sumitrā. Sumitrā for her part tenders salutary advice to her son. The princes and the princess having mounted the chariot, Sumantra flicks the horses. The citizens that had assembled, closely follow th...

Sent away by Daśaratha, Sumantra gets a chariot ready to take Śrī Rāma and his party to the forest and Sītā adorns herself with jewels brought by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Kausalyā tenders opportune advice to her daughter-in-law and the latter bows to it. Śrī Rāma comforts Kausalyā and offers apology to his other mothers, who burst into a wail.

Incensed to hear the loud wailing of those present at the scene, on Sītā being dressed as a hermitess, Daśaratha reproaches Kaikeyī. While departing, Śrī Rāma entreats his father to take care of his mother.

Śrī Rāma urges his servants to fetch the bark of trees for being used as his wearing apparel. At this Kaikeyī herself brings them the desired dress, which both Śrī Rāma and Laksmana cover themselves with, taking off their princely robes. Sītā, however, finds it difficult to wear the bark supplied to her and ultimately puts it on over her own dress with the help of Śrī Rāma despite the remonstrance...

Daśaratha instructs Sumantra to take a detachment of the army and the exchequer alongwith Śrī Rāma, to which Kaikeyī objects and insists on his being sent into exile without any resources on the analogy of Asamañja, son of the kingís forefather, Sagara. Another minister of the king, Siddhārtha by name, who was present there, opposes Kaikeyī and urges that the analogy of Asamañja, who was a pervers...

Hoping that by being provoked to anger Kaikeyī might come round and relax her insistence on sending Śrī Rāma into exile, Sumantra harshly reproaches her, reminding her of her mother’s misbehaviour towards her husband (Kaikeyī's father). Kaikeyī, however, remains adamant and does not budge even an inch from her purpose.