Verse 1
ततः प्रहृष्टः सुमन्त्रस्त्वरितो राजशासनात् ।
रामं प्रस्थापयामास वनवासाय राघवम् ॥
Then Sumantra, delighted and acting swiftly according to the king’s command, prepared Raghava Rama for departure to the forest.
Verse 2
रामस्तु पितुरादेशं शिरसा प्रतिपद्य च ।
वनं गन्तुं व्यवस्याथ सीतामामन्त्रयत्तदा ॥
Rama accepted his father’s command with bowed head and then resolved to go to the forest. He then spoke to Sita.
Verse 3
सीते वनं गमिष्यामि पितुराज्ञां न लङ्घये ।
त्वमत्रैव निवर्तस्व मम दुःखं न वर्धय ॥
“O Sita, I shall go to the forest and shall not violate my father’s command. You should remain here and not increase my sorrow.”
Verse 4
सा तु रामस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा सीता पतिव्रता ।
उवाच मधुरं वाक्यं धर्मयुक्तं पतिव्रता ॥
Hearing Rama’s words, Sita, devoted to her husband, spoke sweet words consistent with righteousness.
Verse 5
नाहं गच्छामि ते राम विना वनमिह प्रभो ।
त्वया सह गमिष्यामि वनं सत्यपराक्रम ॥
“O Rama, my lord, I shall not remain here without you. I shall go to the forest with you, O truly valiant one.”
Verse 6
तथा लक्ष्मणमासाद्य रामो वाक्यमथाब्रवीत् ।
त्वमप्यनुचरस्वाद्य भ्रातृभावेन सुव्रत ॥
Then Rama approached Lakshmana and said: “You too should accompany me today, O righteous one, out of brotherly affection.”
7
लक्ष्मणस्तु तदा रामं प्रणम्य च कृताञ्जलिः ।
उवाच वचनं वीरः सर्वथा त्वामनुव्रजम् ॥
Then the heroic Lakshmana bowed to Rama with folded hands and said: “I shall follow you in every way.”
8
ततः सीता च रामश्च लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः ।
त्रयस्ते रथमारुह्य वनाय प्रस्थितास्तदा ॥
Then Sita, Rama and the mighty Lakshmana mounted the chariot and departed for the forest.
9
ततः पुरजनाः सर्वे रामस्य प्रियकाम्यया ।
अन्वगच्छन् महात्मानं सीतां च लक्ष्मणं तथा ॥
Then all the citizens, desiring the welfare of the great-souled Rama, followed him, Sita and Lakshmana.
10
न तत्र कश्चिद् दुःखार्तो न च कश्चिद् हतप्रभः ।
सर्वे ते हृष्टमनसः रामं दृष्ट्वा विनिर्ययुः ॥
There was no one there who was not sorrowful, and no one whose radiance had not faded. Seeing Rama, they all followed him with troubled minds.
11
ततो दशरथो राजा रामं दृष्ट्वा वनं गतम् ।
दुःखार्तो विललापाथ हा रामेति पुनः पुनः ॥
Then King Dasharatha, seeing Rama depart for the forest, was overcome with grief and lamented repeatedly, saying, “O Rama! O Rama!”
12
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च कैकेयी च यशस्विनी ।
रामस्य गमनं श्रुत्वा रुरुदुः शोककर्शिताः ॥
Kausalya, Sumitra and the illustrious Kaikeyi, hearing of Rama’s departure, wept, afflicted with sorrow.
13
ततः स्त्रियः समासाद्य राजानं शोककर्शितम् ।
पर्यवारयदुः सर्वा दुःखार्ता रुदतीस्तदा ॥
Then all the women, afflicted with grief and weeping, surrounded the sorrow-stricken king.
14
ततः पुरजनाः सर्वे दुःखशोकसमन्विताः ।
राममेवानुगच्छन्तो न जहुस्तं नरर्षभम् ॥
Then all the citizens, filled with sorrow and grief, followed Rama and did not abandon that bull among men.
15
ततः सुमन्त्रः प्रययौ रथेन रघुनन्दनम् ।
सीतां रामं च लक्ष्मणं वनं प्रति ॥
Then Sumantra proceeded by chariot, carrying Rama, Sita and Lakshmana toward the forest.
16
ततः पन्थानमाश्रित्य दूरमध्वानमागतम् ।
रथस्तेषां तु वेगेन प्रययौ रघुनन्दन ॥
Then their chariot travelled swiftly along the road for a great distance, carrying the descendants of Raghu.
17
ततः पुरं समासाद्य रामो दशरथात्मजः ।
अब्रवीत् सुमन्त्रं सारथे रथं वाहय शीघ्रतः ॥
After reaching the outskirts of the city, Rama, the son of Dasharatha, said to Sumantra, the charioteer: “Drive the chariot swiftly.”
18
निवर्तय रथं शीघ्रं नगरं प्रति सारथे ।
जनस्यास्य च दुःखं मे निवारयितुमर्हसि ॥
“Turn the chariot back quickly toward the city, O charioteer. You should prevent these people from continuing to suffer because of me.”
19
ततः सुमन्त्रः संहृष्टो रामस्य वचनाद् रथम् ।
निवर्तयामास त्वरितो नगरं प्रति ॥
Then Sumantra, according to Rama’s command, swiftly turned the chariot back toward the city.
20
ततः पुरजनाः सर्वे रथं दृष्ट्वा निवर्तितम् ।
रामं विना निराशास्ते पुनरेव गृहान् ययुः ॥
Then all the citizens, seeing the chariot return without Rama, became hopeless and returned to their homes.
21
ततः स रामो धर्मात्मा सीतया लक्ष्मणेन च ।
वनं प्रविश्य धर्मेण तपस्वीव समाहितः ॥
Then the righteous Rama entered the forest with Sita and Lakshmana, living there with the discipline of an ascetic.
22
ततः ते रघुशार्दूलाः सर्वे वनमुपागताः ।
मुनिवेषधराः सर्वे तपोवनमुपाश्रिताः ॥
Then the tigers among the Raghus, all wearing the garments of ascetics, entered the forest and took shelter in a hermitage.
23
ततो रामस्य धर्मात्मा भरतो नाम विश्रुतः ।
आगतो मातुलं द्रष्टुं कैकेयस्य महाबलः ॥
Then the righteous and renowned Bharata, the mighty son of Kaikeyi, came to see his maternal uncle.
24
तत्र तं मातुलं दृष्ट्वा भरतः प्रियकाम्यया ।
अभ्यनन्दत धर्मात्मा स्नेहाद् भ्रातरमात्मनः ॥
There Bharata, the righteous one, having seen his maternal uncle, joyfully greeted him with affection, while thinking of his brother.
25
ततः स मातुलं दृष्ट्वा हृष्टो भरतसत्तमः ।
उवाच वचनं वीरः कुशलं तत्र पृच्छति ॥
Then the excellent and heroic Bharata, delighted to see his maternal uncle, spoke to him and asked about his welfare.
26
ततः पितुर्नियोगेन कैकेय्या च यशस्विनी ।
भरतः सह शत्रुघ्नो मातुलस्य गृहेऽवसत् ॥
Then, by his father’s command and at the request of the illustrious Kaikeyi, Bharata stayed at his maternal uncle’s residence together with Shatrughna.
27
ततः काले गते तत्र रामस्य वनवासिनः ।
दशरथस्य च निधनं भरतोऽश्रौष तद् वचः ॥
After some time had passed, Bharata heard that Rama was living in the forest and that Dasharatha had died.
28
श्रुत्वा तु पितरं मृतं रामं च वनमाश्रितम् ।
भरतः शोकसंतप्तो विललापाकुलेन्द्रियः ॥
Hearing that his father had died and that Rama had gone to the forest, Bharata was overwhelmed with grief and lamented with his senses distressed.
29
हा राम हा महाबाहो हा सीते लक्ष्मण प्रभो ।
इति शोकसमाविष्टो भरतः पर्यदेवयत् ॥
“Alas, Rama! Alas, mighty-armed one! Alas, Sita! Alas, Lakshmana!” Thus overwhelmed with grief, Bharata lamented.
30
ततो भरतशत्रुघ्नौ रामस्य प्रियकाम्यया ।
अयोध्यां पुनरागम्य पितरं द्रष्टुमर्हतः ॥
Then Bharata and Shatrughna, desiring the welfare of Rama, returned to Ayodhya, intending to see their father.
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे सप्तसप्ततितमः सर्गः ।
Thus ends the seventy-seventh Sarga of the Bala Kanda of the Valmiki Ramayana, the original epic.