← 2.42 The citizens return to Ayodhyā without Rāma · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.44 Guha welcomes Rāma at the Gaṅgā →

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 43: Rāma crosses Kosala’s rivers

Summary. He crosses the Vedaśruti, Gomatī & Syandikā, shows Sītā the ancestral lands and longs to see his parents again

Sequence

  1. Rāma continues through the remaining night, performs his dawn worship, and travels past outlying villages and forests (2.43.1–3)
  2. along the way he hears villagers condemn Daśaratha's decision and Kaikeyī's demands (2.43.4–7)
  3. heading toward the country associated with Agastya, the travelers cross the Vedaśruti, then the Gomatī and Syandikā rivers (2.43.8–10)
  4. Rāma points out to Sītā the prosperous country traditionally given by Manu to Ikṣvāku (2.43.11–12)
  5. speaking with Sumantra, he wonders when he will return to his parents and once again visit the Sarayū's woods. (2.43.13–15)

Verses 2.43.1–15

2.43.1

rāmo 'pi rātriśeṣeṇa tenaiva mahad antaram
jagāma puruṣavyāghraḥ pitur ājñām anusmaran

Rāma too, the tiger among men, in just that remainder of the night traversed a great distance, mindful of his father's command.

Words: rāmo 'pi — Rāma too; rātriśeṣeṇa — with the remainder of the night; tenaiva — by that very; mahad antaram — a great distance; jagāma — went, traversed; puruṣavyāghraḥ — the tiger among men; pitur — of his father; ājñām — command; anusmaran — remembering, mindful of

2.43.2

tathaiva gacchatas tasya vyapāyād rajanī śivā
upāsya sa śivāṃ saṃdhyāṃ viṣayāntaṃ vyagāhata

As he journeyed on in the same way, the auspicious night wore away; and having worshipped the holy twilight, he plunged into the far border of the kingdom.

Words: tathaiva — just so, in the same way; gacchatas tasya — as he was going; vyapāyād — passed away, wore away; rajanī — the night; śivā — auspicious; upāsya — having worshipped, attended upon; sa — he; śivāṃ — holy, auspicious; saṃdhyāṃ — the twilight; viṣayāntaṃ — the border of the kingdom; vyagāhata — plunged into, entered

2.43.3

grāmān vikṛṣṭasīmāṃs tān puṣpitāni vanāni ca
paśyann atiyayau śīghraṃ śarair iva hayottamaiḥ

Gazing on those villages with their far-flung boundaries and the flowering forests, he swept swiftly past, as if borne on arrows, by his excellent horses.

Words: grāmān — the villages; vikṛṣṭasīmāṃs — with far-drawn boundaries; tān — those; puṣpitāni — flowering, in bloom; vanāni — forests; ca — and; paśyann — gazing, seeing; atiyayau — passed swiftly by, went past; śīghraṃ — swiftly; śarair iva — as if by arrows; hayottamaiḥ — by his excellent horses

2.43.4

śṛṇvan vāco manuṣyāṇāṃ grāmasaṃvāsavāsinām
rājānaṃ dhig daśarathaṃ kāmasya vaśam āgatam

hearing the words of the people who dwelt together in the villages: 'A curse on King Daśaratha, fallen under the sway of desire —

Words: śṛṇvan — hearing; vāco — the words; manuṣyāṇāṃ — of the people; grāmasaṃvāsavāsinām — of those dwelling together in the villages; rājānaṃ — the king; dhig — fie upon, a curse on; daśarathaṃ — Daśaratha; kāmasya — of desire; vaśam — the sway, power; āgatam — come under, fallen into

2.43.5

hā nṛśaṃsādya kaikeyī pāpā pāpānubandhinī
tīkṣṇā saṃbhinnamaryādā tīkṣṇe karmaṇi vartate

Alas, cruel this day is Kaikeyī, wicked and pursuing wickedness, harsh, having shattered all bounds of propriety, she engages in a harsh deed —

Words: hā — alas; nṛśaṃsādya — cruel this day; kaikeyī — Kaikeyī; pāpā — wicked, sinful; pāpānubandhinī — pursuing sin, bent on wickedness; tīkṣṇā — harsh, fierce; saṃbhinnamaryādā — having broken the bounds of propriety; tīkṣṇe — in a harsh; karmaṇi — deed; vartate — engages, acts

2.43.6

yā putram īdṛśaṃ rājñaḥ pravāsayati dhārmikam
vana vāse mahāprājñaṃ sānukrośam atandritam

she who drives into exile such a son of the king — righteous, greatly wise, compassionate and unwearied — to dwell in the forest!'

Words: yā — she who; putram — the son; īdṛśaṃ — such a; rājñaḥ — of the king; pravāsayati — sends into exile, banishes; dhārmikam — righteous; vana vāse — to dwelling in the forest; mahāprājñaṃ — greatly wise; sānukrośam — compassionate; atandritam — unwearied, diligent

2.43.7

etā vāco manuṣyāṇāṃ grāmasaṃvāsavāsinām
śṛṇvann atiyayau vīraḥ kosalān kosaleśvaraḥ

Hearing these words of the people who dwelt together in the villages, the hero, lord of the Kosalas, passed on beyond the Kosala lands.

Words: etā — these; vāco — the words; manuṣyāṇāṃ — of the people; grāmasaṃvāsavāsinām — of those dwelling together in the villages; śṛṇvann — hearing; atiyayau — passed on beyond; vīraḥ — the hero; kosalān — the Kosala lands; kosaleśvaraḥ — the lord of the Kosalas

2.43.8

tato vedaśrutiṃ nāma śivavārivahāṃ nadīm
uttīryābhimukhaḥ prāyād agastyādhyuṣitāṃ diśam

Then, crossing the river named Vedaśruti, which bore auspicious waters, he went on facing the region inhabited by Agastya.

Words: tato — then; vedaśrutiṃ — Vedaśruti; nāma — by name; śivavārivahāṃ — bearing auspicious waters; nadīm — the river; uttīryābhimukhaḥ — having crossed, facing (it); prāyād — went forth; agastyādhyuṣitāṃ — inhabited by Agastya; diśam — the region, direction

2.43.9

gatvā tu suciraṃ kālaṃ tataḥ śītajalāṃ nadīm
gomatīṃ goyutānūpām atarat sāgaraṃgamām

After journeying a very long while, he then crossed the cool-watered river Gomatī, whose meadow-banks teemed with cattle, flowing on to the sea.

Words: gatvā — having gone, journeyed; tu — and; suciraṃ — very long; kālaṃ — time; tataḥ — then; śītajalāṃ — cool-watered; nadīm — river; gomatīṃ — the Gomatī; goyutānūpām — with meadow-banks full of cattle; atarat — crossed; sāgaraṃgamām — flowing to the sea

2.43.10

gomatīṃ cāpy atikramya rāghavaḥ śīghragair hayaiḥ
mayūrahaṃsābhirutāṃ tatāra syandikāṃ nadīm

And crossing the Gomatī too, Rāghava, with his swift-going horses, forded the river Syandikā, loud with the cries of peacocks and geese.

Words: gomatīṃ — the Gomatī; cāpy — and also; atikramya — having crossed, gone beyond; rāghavaḥ — Rāghava; śīghragair — with swift-going; hayaiḥ — horses; mayūrahaṃsābhirutāṃ — resounding with peacocks and geese; tatāra — crossed, forded; syandikāṃ — the Syandikā; nadīm — river

2.43.11

sa mahīṃ manunā rājñā dattām ikṣvākave purā
sphītāṃ rāṣṭrāvṛtāṃ rāmo vaidehīm anvadarśayat

Rāma pointed out to Vaidehī the land that King Manu had given of old to Ikṣvāku, prosperous and covered with realms.

Words: sa — he; mahīṃ — the land, earth; manunā — by Manu; rājñā — the king; dattām — given; ikṣvākave — to Ikṣvāku; purā — of old, long ago; sphītāṃ — flourishing, prosperous; rāṣṭrāvṛtāṃ — covered with realms; rāmo — Rāma; vaidehīm — to Vaidehī (Sītā); anvadarśayat — pointed out, showed

2.43.12

sūta ity eva cābhāṣya sārathiṃ tam abhīkṣṇaśaḥ
haṃsamattasvaraḥ śrīmān uvāca puruṣarṣabhaḥ

And addressing that charioteer again and again with 'O charioteer,' the illustrious bull among men, his voice like an exultant swan's, spoke:

Words: sūta — 'O charioteer'; ity eva — thus indeed; cābhāṣya — and having addressed; sārathiṃ — the charioteer; tam — him, that; abhīkṣṇaśaḥ — again and again, repeatedly; haṃsamattasvaraḥ — with voice like an exultant swan; śrīmān — the illustrious one; uvāca — said, spoke; puruṣarṣabhaḥ — the bull among men

2.43.13

kadāhaṃ punar āgamya sarayvāḥ puṣpite vane
mṛgayāṃ paryāṭaṣyāmi mātrā pitrā ca saṃgataḥ

'When shall I come back again and roam in the chase in the flowering forest of the Sarayū, reunited with my mother and father?'

Words: kadāhaṃ — when shall I; punar — again; āgamya — having come back, returned; sarayvāḥ — of the Sarayū; puṣpite — flowering, in bloom; vane — in the forest; mṛgayāṃ — the hunt, chase; paryāṭaṣyāmi — shall roam about, range; mātrā — with mother; pitrā — with father; ca — and; saṃgataḥ — reunited, joined together

2.43.14

nātyartham abhikāṅkṣāmi mṛgayāṃ sarayūvane
ratir hy eṣātulā loke rājarṣigaṇasaṃmatā

'Not overmuch do I long for the hunt in the Sarayū forest — yet this is a peerless delight in the world, esteemed by the whole host of royal seers.'

Words: nātyartham — not overmuch, not excessively; abhikāṅkṣāmi — I long for, desire; mṛgayāṃ — the hunt, chase; sarayūvane — in the Sarayū forest; ratir — delight, pleasure; hy — for, indeed; eṣātulā — this peerless (one); loke — in the world; rājarṣigaṇasaṃmatā — esteemed by the host of royal seers

2.43.15

sa tam adhvānam aikṣvākaḥ sūtaṃ madhurayā girā
taṃ tam artham abhipretya yayauvākyam udīrayan

Uttering to the charioteer, in sweet speech, words aimed now at this matter and now at that, the scion of Ikṣvāku traversed that road.

Words: sa — he; tam — that; adhvānam — the road, journey; aikṣvākaḥ — the scion of Ikṣvāku; sūtaṃ — to the charioteer; madhurayā — with sweet; girā — speech, voice; taṃ tam artham — now this, now that matter; abhipretya — having in mind, aiming at; yayauvākyam — traversed (it); words; udīrayan — uttering, speaking forth

← 2.42 The citizens return to Ayodhyā without Rāma · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.44 Guha welcomes Rāma at the Gaṅgā →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

Plain text: /text/2/43.md · JSON: /data/2/43.json