अयोध्या-काण्ड > राजा दशरथ का सीता के वल्कल वस्त्र धारण पे कैकेयी को फटकार




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.

तस्याम् चीरम् वसानायाम् नाथवत्याम् अनाथवत् |
प्रचुक्रोश जनः सर्वो धिग् त्वाम् दशरथम् तु इति || २-३८-१
On seeing Seetha wearing bark of trees like a helpless woman, eventhough protected by her husband all the people there loudly cried out: "Fie upon you, Dasaratha!"
तेन तत्र प्रणादेन दुःखितस्स महीपतिः |
चिच्छेद जीविते श्रद्धाम् धर्मे यशसि चात्मनः || २-३८-२
Pained by that loud cry there, King Dasaratha lost interest in his life, religious merit and esteem.
स निह्श्वस्य उष्णम् ऐक्ष्वाकः ताम् भार्याम् इदम् अब्रवीत् |
कैकेयि कुश चीरेण न सीता गन्तुम् अर्हति || २-३८-३
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."
सुकुमारी च बाला च सततम् च सुखोचिता |
नेयम् वनस्य योग्येति सत्यमाह गुरुर्मम || २-३८-४
"My preceptro truly says that Seetha, who is delicate young and ever habituated to comforts, is not fit for forest-life"
इयम् हि कश्यापकरोति किंचि |
त्तपस्विनी राजवरस्य कन्या |
या चीरमासाद्य जनस्य मध्ये |
स्थिता विसम्ज्ञा श्रमणीव काचित् || २-३८-५
"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 hermitess dumbfounded in the midst of men?"
चीराण्यसास्या जनकस्य कन्या |
नेयम् प्रतिज्ञा मम दत्तपूर्वा |
यथासुखम् गच्छतु राजपुत्री |
वनम् सम्ग्रा सह सर्वर्त्नैः || २-३८-६
"Seetha the daughter of Janaka need not wear these barks of trees. No such pledge was given be me earlier. hence, let this prinecess go to the forest happily fully provided ewith all valuable possesssions."
अजीवनार्हेण मया नृशंसा |
कृता प्रतिज्ञा नियमेन तावत् |
त्वया हि बाल्यात् प्रतिपन्नमेतत् |
त्न्माम् दहेद् वेणुमिवात्मपुष्पम् || २-३८-७
"A Cruel pledge has been made on oath by me, who do not deserve to survive. This (providing robes of hermitess to Seetha) has been initiated by you by sheer childishness. That will consume me, as by its own flower to a bamboo."
रामेण यदि ते पा पे किंचित्कृतमशोभनम् |
अपकारः क इह ते वैदेह्या दर्शितोऽधमे || २-३८-८
"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!"
मृगीवोत्फुल्लनयना मृदुशीला तपस्विनी |
अपकारम् कमिह ते करोति जनकात्मजा || २-३८-९
"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 practiser of penance?"
ननु पर्याप्तम् एतत् ते पापे राम विवासनम् |
किम् एभिः कृपणैः भूयः पातकैः अपि ते कृतैः || २-३८-१०
"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.
प्रतिज्ञातम् मया तावत् त्वयोक्तम् देवि शृण्वता |
रामम् यदभिषेकाय त्वमिहाअत मब्रवीः || २-३८-११
"Hearing the speech you gave to Rama who came here for coronation, only that much was acceded by me, Oh queen!"
तत्त्वेतत्समतिक्रम्य निरयम् गन्तुमिच्छसि |
मैथिलीमपि या हि त्व मीक्षसे चीरवासिनीम् || २-३८-१२
"Transgressing all that, you somehow or other wish to go to hell, by perceiving Seetha also clad in bark of trees.
इतीव राजा विलपन्महात्मा |
शोकस्य नान्तम् स ददर्श किंचित् |
भृशातुरत्वाच्च पपात भूमौ |
तेनैव पुत्रव्यसनेन मग्नः || २-३८-१३
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 vey much, he fell down on the ground.
एवम् ब्रुवन्तम् पितरम् रामः सम्प्रस्थितः वनम् |
अवाक् शिरसम् आसीनम् इदम् वचनम् अब्रवीत् || २-३८-१४
Rama, who was setting out to the forest, spoke these words to his father, who was speaking thus bowing down his head, sitting there.
इयम् धार्मिक कौसल्या मम माता यशस्विनी |
वृद्धा च अक्षुद्र शीला च न च त्वाम् देव गर्हिते || २-३८-१५
"Oh, virtuous king! This glorious Kausalya, my mother is aged. She is not of base nature and will not accuse you.
मया विहीनाम् वरद प्रपन्नाम् शोक सागरम् |
अदृष्ट पूर्व व्यसनाम् भूयः सम्मन्तुम् अर्हसि || २-३८-१६
"Oh, the bestower of boons! You are worthy of amply respection her, who is deprived of me, who is immersed in an ocean of sorrow and who has not see such an affliction earlier."
पुत्रशोकम् यथा नर्चेत्त्वया पूज्येन पूजिता |
माम् हि संचिन्तयन्ती सा त्वयि जीवेत् तपस्विनी || २-३८-१७
"Having been honoured 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."
इमाम् महा इन्द्र उपम जात गर्भिनीम् |
तथा विधातुम् जनमीम् मम अर्हसि |
यथा वनस्थे मयि शोक कर्शिता |
न जीवितम् न्यस्य यम क्षयम् व्रजेत् || २-३८-१८
"Oh, the king akim 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."
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये अयोध्य काण्डे अष्टा त्रिंशः सर्गः