# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 111 — Departure from Atri’s hermitage *Sītā wears Anasūyā’s gifts, Rāma, Sītā & Lakṣmaṇa receive warnings of rākṣasas and take the forest path* Portion: Leaving Citrakūṭa for Atri’s hermitage · Verses: 20 · Ref format: 2.111. ## Sequence - Anasūyā embraces Sītā and thanks her for the account as the sun sets (111.1–3) - she points out the evening scene: birds returning to rest, munis coming back from bathing, smoke rising from agnihotras, darkness gathering, and the moon appearing (111.4–9) - she asks Sītā to put on the gifts before returning to Rāma (111.10–11) - Sītā dresses, bows, and rejoins him → Rāma is pleased, and she explains Anasūyā's gifts; Lakṣmaṇa too rejoices at the exceptional honor shown to her (111.12–15) - the travelers spend the night at the hermitage → in the morning they bathe and take leave (111.15–17) - the tapasvins warn them that rākṣasas infest the forest ahead and show them the path used for gathering fruit → after receiving blessings, Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa enter the forest, bringing Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa to its close (111.18–20). ## Verses **2.111.1** anasūyā tu dharmajñā śrutvā tāṃ mahatīṃ kathām paryaṣvajata bāhubhyāṃ śirasy āghrāya maithilīm But Anasūyā, knower of dharma, having heard that great tale, embraced Maithilī with both arms and kissed her upon the head. **2.111.2** vyaktākṣarapadaṃ citraṃ bhāṣitaṃ madhuraṃ tvayā yathā svayaṃvaraṃ vṛttaṃ tat sarvaṃ hi śrutaṃ mayā “With clear syllables and words, wonderfully and sweetly, you have told it; and all of how the self-choice took place has indeed been heard by me. **2.111.3** rame 'haṃ kathayā te tu dṛṣḍhaṃ madhurabhāṣiṇi ravir astaṃ gataḥ śrīmān upohya rajanīṃ śivām I take great delight in your tale, O sweet-speaker; the glorious sun has gone to its setting, ushering in the auspicious night. **2.111.4** divasaṃ prati kīrṇānām āhārārthaṃ patatriṇām saṃdhyākāle nilīnānāṃ nidrārthaṃ śrūyate dhvaniḥ At twilight is heard the noise of the birds that had scattered abroad all day in search of food and are now settling down to sleep. **2.111.5** ete cāpy abhiṣekārdrā munayaḥ phalaśodhanāḥ sahitā upavartante salilāplutavalkalāḥ And here these sages, wet from their ablutions and having cleansed their fruit, return together, their bark-garments drenched with water. **2.111.6** ṛṣīṇām agnihotreṣu huteṣu vidhipurvakam kapotāṅgāruṇo dhūmo dṛśyate pavanoddhataḥ Now that the sages' fire-oblations have been offered according to rule, smoke grey as a pigeon's body is seen, driven upward by the wind. **2.111.7** alpaparṇā hi taravo ghanībhūtāḥ samantataḥ viprakṛṣṭe 'pi ye deśe na prakāśanti vai diśaḥ The trees, though sparse of leaf, have grown so dense on every side that even in an open stretch of country the quarters do not shine forth. **2.111.8** rajanī rasasattvāni pracaranti samantataḥ tapovanamṛgā hy ete veditīrtheṣu śerate The night-roaming creatures move about on every side; while these deer of the ascetic grove lie asleep at the altar-fords. **2.111.9** saṃpravṛttā niśā sīte nakṣatrasamalaṃkṛtā jyotsnā prāvaraṇaś candro dṛśyate 'bhyudito 'mbare The night has fully come on, Sītā, adorned with stars; and the moon, mantled in its own moonlight, is seen risen in the sky. **2.111.10** gamyatām anujānāmi rāmasyānucarī bhava kathayantyā hi madhuraṃ tvayāhaṃ paritoṣitā Go now — I give you leave; be your Rāma's companion. For by you, telling your tale so sweetly, I have been well contented. **2.111.11** alaṃkuru ca tāvat tvaṃ pratyakṣaṃ mama maithili prītiṃ janaya me vatsa divyālaṃkāraśobhinī And now adorn yourself before my very eyes, Maithilī; give me joy, my child, shining with these divine ornaments. **2.111.12** sā tadā samalaṃkṛtya sītā surasutopamā praṇamya śirasā tasyai rāmaṃ tv abhimukhī yayau Then Sītā, having adorned herself, like a daughter of the gods, bowed her head to her and went to face Rāma. **2.111.13** tathā tu bhūṣitāṃ sītāṃ dadarśa vadatāṃ varaḥ rāghavaḥ prītidānena tapasvinyā jaharṣa ca And Rāghava, best of speakers, beheld Sītā thus adorned, and rejoiced at the loving gift of the ascetic-woman. **2.111.14** nyavedayat tataḥ sarvaṃ sītā rāmāya maithilī prītidānaṃ tapasvinyā vasanābharaṇasrajām Then Sītā Maithilī reported it all to Rāma — the ascetic-woman's loving gift of garments, ornaments, and garlands. **2.111.15** prahṛṣṭas tv abhavad rāmo lakṣmaṇaś ca mahārathaḥ maithilyāḥ satkriyāṃ dṛṣṭvā mānuṣeṣu sudurlabhām Rāma was overjoyed, and so was Lakṣmaṇa the great chariot-warrior, at seeing Maithilī so honored with a hospitality scarcely to be won among mortals. **2.111.16** tatas tāṃ sarvarīṃ prītaḥ puṇyāṃ śaśinibhānanaḥ arcitas tāpasaiḥ siddhair uvāsa raghunandanaḥ Then that delight of the Raghus, his face like the moon, gladdened and honored by the perfected ascetics, passed that holy night. **2.111.17** tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyām abhiṣicya hutāgnikān āpṛcchetāṃ naravyāghrau tāpasān vanagocarān When that night had passed, the two tigers among men, having bathed, took their leave of the forest-ranging ascetics who had duly offered their fire-oblations. **2.111.18** tāv ūcus te vanacarās tāpasā dharmacāriṇaḥ vanasya tasya saṃcāraṃ rākṣasaiḥ samabhiplutam To those two, those forest-dwelling ascetics, followers of dharma, told of that forest's tract, overrun with rākṣasas. **2.111.19** eṣa panthā maharṣīṇāṃ phalāny āharatāṃ vane anena tu vanaṃ durgaṃ gantuṃ rāghava te kṣamam “This is the path of the great sages who gather fruits in the forest; by it, Rāghava, it will be fitting for you to traverse the trackless wood.” **2.111.20** itīva taiḥ prāñjalibhis tapasvibhir dvijaiḥ kṛtasvastyayanaḥ paraṃtapaḥ vanaṃ sabhāryaḥ praviveśa rāghavaḥ salakṣmaṇaḥ sūrya ivābhramaṇḍalam So blessed with rites of well-being by those twice-born ascetics standing with joined palms, Rāghava, scorcher of foes, together with his wife and with Lakṣmaṇa, entered the forest as the sun enters a bank of clouds.