# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 109 — Rāma leaves Citrakūṭa for Atri *Family memories and the army’s animal waste prompt departure, Atri recounts Anasūyā’s relief of a ten-year drought and sends Sītā to her* Portion: Leaving Citrakūṭa for Atri’s hermitage · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 2.109. ## Sequence - Rāma now decides to leave Citrakūṭa: the place continually reminds him of the painful family meeting, and the large camp has fouled the surroundings with animal dung (109.1–4) - he travels with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa to Atri's hermitage, where they are warmly received (109.5–8) - Atri tells Rāma that during a ten-year drought Anasūyā brought forth roots and fruit and made the Jāhnavī flow (109.9–10) - he credits her with ten thousand years of austerities and with compressing ten nights into one for a divine purpose (109.11–12) - he asks Sītā to visit her, and Rāma encourages her to do so (109.13–16) - Sītā approaches the elderly woman, introduces herself, and bows (109.17–20) - Anasūyā praises her willingness to leave wealth and family to accompany her husband (109.21–25) - she speaks about steadfastness in marriage and the value she assigns to a wife's devotion through changing circumstances (109.26–28). ## Verses **2.109.1** rāghavas tv apayāteṣu tapasviṣu vicintayan na tatrārocayad vāsaṃ kāraṇair bahubhis tadā But when the ascetics had departed, Rāghava, reflecting, did not then favor dwelling there, for many reasons. **2.109.2** iha me bharato dṛṣṭo mātaraś ca sanāgarāḥ sā ca me smṛtir anveti tān nityam anuśocataḥ “Here Bharata was seen by me, and my mothers along with the townsfolk; and that memory pursues me as I grieve for them constantly. **2.109.3** skandhāvāraniveśena tena tasya mahātmanaḥ hayahastikarīṣaiś ca upamardaḥ kṛto bhṛśam By the pitching of that great one's army-camp, and by the dung of the horses and elephants, a severe fouling has been done here. **2.109.4** tasmād anyatra gacchāma iti saṃcintya rāghavaḥ prātiṣṭhata sa vaidehyā lakṣmaṇena ca saṃgataḥ ‘Therefore let us go elsewhere’ — so resolving, Rāghava, together with Vaidehī and Lakṣmaṇa, set out. **2.109.5** so 'trer āśramam āsādya taṃ vavande mahāyaśāḥ taṃ cāpi bhagavān atriḥ putravat pratyapadyata He of great fame, reaching Atri's hermitage, saluted him; and the venerable Atri too received him like a son. **2.109.6** svayam ātithyam ādiśya sarvam asya susatkṛtam saumitriṃ ca mahābhāgāṃ sītāṃ ca samasāntvayat Personally directing that hospitality be well shown to him in every way, he also comforted Saumitri and the illustrious Sītā. **2.109.7** patnīṃ ca tam anuprāptāṃ vṛddhām āmantrya satkṛtām sāntvayām āsa dharmajñaḥ sarvabhūtahite rataḥ And summoning his aged, honored wife who had come up to him, the righteous one, devoted to the welfare of all beings, spoke gently to her. **2.109.8** anasūyāṃ mahābhāgāṃ tāpasīṃ dharmacāriṇīm pratigṛhṇīṣva vaidehīm abravīd ṛṣisattamaḥ The best of sages said to Anasūyā, the illustrious ascetic woman who walked in dharma: “Receive Vaidehī.” **2.109.9** rāmāya cācacakṣe tāṃ tāpasīṃ dharmacāriṇīm daśa varṣāṇy anāvṛṣṭyā dagdhe loke nirantaram And to Rāma he described that ascetic woman who walked in dharma: when for ten years the world was scorched without respite by drought, **2.109.10** yayā mūlaphale sṛṣṭe jāhnavī ca pravartitā ugreṇa tapasā yuktā niyamaiś cāpy alaṃkṛtā by whom roots and fruits were brought forth and the Jāhnavī made to flow, she who was endowed with fierce penance and adorned with observances, **2.109.11** daśavarṣasahasrāṇi yayā taptaṃ mahat tapaḥ anasūyāvratais tāta pratyūhāś ca nibarhitāḥ by whom great penance was practiced for ten thousand years, and by whose envy-free observances, my son, obstacles were dispelled, **2.109.12** devakāryanimittaṃ ca yayā saṃtvaramāṇayā daśarātraṃ kṛtvā rātriḥ seyaṃ māteva te 'nagha and by whom, hasting for the sake of a divine task, ten nights were compressed into a single night — that very lady, sinless one, is like a mother to you. **2.109.13** tām imāṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ namaskāryāṃ yaśasvinīm abhigacchatu vaidehī vṛddhām akrodhanāṃ sadā Let Vaidehī approach this glorious lady, worthy of homage from all beings, aged and ever free from anger. **2.109.14** evaṃ bruvāṇaṃ tam ṛṣiṃ tathety uktvā sa rāghavaḥ sītām uvāca dharmajñām idaṃ vacanam uttamam Saying “So be it” to the sage who spoke thus, Rāghava then addressed Sītā, who knew dharma, with these excellent words: **2.109.15** rājaputri śrutaṃ tv etan muner asya samīritam śreyo 'rtham ātmanaḥ śīghram abhigaccha tapasvinīm “O princess, you have heard what this sage has enjoined; for your own good, go quickly to the ascetic woman. **2.109.16** anasūyeti yā loke karmabhiḥ kyātim āgatā tāṃ śīghram abhigaccha tvam abhigamyāṃ tapasvinīm Go quickly, you, to that ascetic woman, worthy to be approached, who in the world has won renown by her deeds as ‘Anasūyā.’” **2.109.17** sītā tv etad vacaḥ śrutvā rāghavasya hitaiṣiṇī tām atripatnīṃ dharmajñām abhicakrāma maithilī But Sītā of Mithilā, well-wisher of Rāghava, hearing these words, went up to that wife of Atri, the knower of dharma. **2.109.18** śithilāṃ valitāṃ vṛddhāṃ jarāpāṇḍuramūrdhajām satataṃ vepamānāṅgīṃ pravāte kadalī yathā — slack-limbed, wrinkled, aged, her hair grown gray with age, her limbs ever trembling like a plantain tree in the wind — **2.109.19** tāṃ tu sītā mahābhāgām anasūyāṃ pativratām abhyavādayad avyagrā svaṃ nāma samudāharat But Sītā, composed, saluted that illustrious Anasūyā, devoted to her husband, and announced her own name. **2.109.20** abhivādya ca vaidehī tāpasīṃ tām aninditām baddhāñjalipuṭā hṛṣṭā paryapṛcchad anāmayam And having saluted that blameless ascetic woman, Vaidehī, her palms folded in reverence and full of joy, inquired after her well-being. **2.109.21** tataḥ sītāṃ mahābhāgāṃ dṛṣṭvā tāṃ dharmacāriṇīm sāntvayanty abravīd dhṛṣṭā diṣṭyā dharmam avekṣase Then, seeing that illustrious, dharma-observing Sītā, she, delighted, spoke soothingly: “By good fortune you have regard for dharma! **2.109.22** tyaktvā jñātijanaṃ sīte mānam ṛddhiṃ ca mānini avaruddhaṃ vane rāmaṃ diṣṭyā tvam anugacchasi Having forsaken your kinsfolk, Sītā, and honor and prosperity, O proud lady, by good fortune you follow Rāma into the forest, banished as he is. **2.109.23** nagarastho vanastho vā pāpo vā yadi vāśubhaḥ yāsāṃ strīṇāṃ priyo bhartā tāsāṃ lokā mahodayāḥ Those women to whom their husband is dear — whether he dwell in the city or the forest, whether wicked or ill-fated — theirs are the worlds of great felicity. **2.109.24** duḥśīlaḥ kāmavṛtto vā dhanair vā parivarjitaḥ strīṇām ārya svabhāvānāṃ paramaṃ daivataṃ patiḥ Ill-natured, or given to lust, or destitute of wealth — the husband is nonetheless the supreme deity for women of noble nature. **2.109.25** nāto viśiṣṭaṃ paśyāmi bāndhavaṃ vimṛśanty aham sarvatra yogyaṃ vaidehi tapaḥ kṛtam ivāvyayam Reflecting, I see no kinsman more distinguished than he; in every case, Vaidehī, such devotion is fitting, like imperishable penance performed. **2.109.26** na tv evam avagacchanti guṇa doṣam asat striyaḥ kāmavaktavyahṛdayā bhartṛnāthāś caranti yāḥ But base women do not thus perceive the merit and the fault — those who, with hearts to be swayed by desire, behave loosely though having a husband as their protector. **2.109.27** prāpnuvanty ayaśaś caiva dharmabhraṃśaṃ ca maithili akārya vaśam āpannāḥ striyo yāḥ khalu tad vidhāḥ Such women, O Maithilī, who fall under the sway of what ought not to be done, reap both infamy and a fall from dharma. **2.109.28** tvadvidhās tu guṇair yuktā dṛṣṭalokaparāvarāḥ striyaḥ svarge cariṣyanti yathā puṇyakṛtas tathā But women like you, endowed with virtues, who have perceived the higher and lower worlds, will roam in heaven just as those who have done meritorious deeds.