# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 49 — The raft across the Yamunā

*The brothers build a raft for Sītā, she crosses and prays at the banyan to see Kausalyā & Sumitrā again*

Portion: The river journey to Citrakūṭa · Verses: 15 · Ref format: 2.49.<verse>

## Sequence

- Bharadvāja walks part of the way with them and gives directions (49.1–2)
- they are to cross the Yamunā on a raft, pass a great dark-green banyan, and continue through the forest toward Citrakūṭa → Bharadvāja then turns back (49.3–6)
- at the river, the brothers build a raft from logs; Lakṣmaṇa makes a comfortable place for Sītā, and Rāma helps her aboard (49.7–10)
- they cross and leave the raft behind → at the banyan, Sītā prays to see Kausalyā and Sumitrā again and walks around the tree (49.11–13)
- farther along the route, the brothers kill a number of deer fit for sacrifice, and the party camps on a level riverbank (49.14–15).

## Verses

**2.49.1**  
uṣitvā rajanīṃ tatra rājaputrāv ariṃdamau  
maharṣim abhivādyātha jagmatus taṃ giriṃ prati  
Having spent the night there, the two princes, tamers of foes, then saluted the great sage and set out toward that mountain.

**2.49.2**  
prasthitāṃś caiva tān prekṣya pitā putrān ivānvagāt  
tataḥ pracakrame vaktuṃ vacanaṃ sa mahāmuniḥ  
Watching them as they set out, he followed them as a father follows his sons; then that great sage began to speak these words.

**2.49.3**  
athāsādya tu kālindīṃ śīghrasrotasamāpagām  
tatra yūyaṃ plavaṃ kṛtvā taratāṃśumatīṃ nadīm  
'Now, once you have reached the Kālindī, a river of swift current, there make a raft and cross the Aṃśumatī river.'

**2.49.4**  
tato nyagrodham āsādya mahāntaṃ haritacchadam  
vivṛddhaṃ bahubhir vṛkṣaiḥ śyāmaṃ siddhopasevitam  
'Then you will reach a great banyan tree with green foliage, grown tall, dark, ringed by many trees and frequented by the perfected ones.'

**2.49.5**  
krośamātraṃ tato gatvā nīlaṃ drakṣyatha kānanam  
palāśabadarīmiśraṃ rāma vaṃśaiś ca yāmunaiḥ  
'Going just a krośa beyond it, you will see a dark-blue forest, O Rāma, mingled with palāśa and jujube trees and with Yamunā bamboos.'

**2.49.6**  
sa panthāś citrakūṭasya gataḥ subahuśo mayā  
ramyo mārdavayuktaś ca vanadāvair vivarjitaḥ  
iti panthānam āvedya maharṣiḥ sa nyavartata  
'That is the road to Citrakūṭa, traveled by me very many times, delightful and easy, free of forest-fires.' Having thus pointed out the path, the great sage turned back.

**2.49.7**  
upāvṛtte munau tasmin rāmo lakṣmaṇam abravīt  
kṛtapuṇyāḥ sma saumitre munir yan no 'nukampate  
When that sage had turned back, Rāma said to Lakṣmaṇa: 'We have surely earned merit, O Saumitri, in that the sage shows us such compassion.'

**2.49.8**  
iti tau puruṣavyāghrau mantrayitvā manasvinau  
sītām evāgrataḥ kṛtvā kālindīṃ jagmatur nadīm  
Having thus taken counsel, those two wise tigers among men, placing Sītā in front, went on to the river Kālindī.

**2.49.9**  
tau kāṣṭhasaṃghāṭam atho cakratuḥ sumahāplavam  
cakāra lakṣmaṇaś chittvā sītāyāḥ sukhamānasaṃ  
The two then fashioned a raft of logs, a very large float; and Lakṣmaṇa, cutting the wood, made it comfortable to Sītā's heart.

**2.49.10**  
tatra śriyam ivācintyāṃ rāmo dāśarathiḥ priyām  
īṣatsaṃlajjamānāṃ tām adhyāropayata plavam  
There Rāma, son of Daśaratha, helped his beloved—slightly bashful, like inconceivable Śrī herself—up onto the raft.

**2.49.11**  
tataḥ plavenāṃśumatīṃ śīghragām ūrmimālinīm  
tīrajair bahubhir vṛkṣaiḥ saṃterur yamunāṃ nadīm  
Then by the raft they crossed the Aṃśumatī, swift-flowing and wreathed with waves, fringed by the many trees growing along its banks—the river Yamunā.

**2.49.12**  
te tīrṇāḥ plavam utsṛjya prasthāya yamunāvanāt  
śyāmaṃ nyagrodham āseduḥ śītalaṃ haritacchadam  
Having crossed over, they abandoned the raft and, setting out from the Yamunā's woods, reached the dark banyan, cool and green-leaved.

**2.49.13**  
kausalyāṃ caiva paśyeyaṃ sumitrāṃ ca yaśasvinīm  
iti sītāñjaliṃ kṛtvā paryagachad vanaspatim  
'May I see Kausalyā again, and the illustrious Sumitrā'—so saying, Sītā made an añjali and circumambulated the great tree.

**2.49.14**  
krośamātraṃ tato gatvā bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau  
bahūn medhyān mṛgān hatvā ceratur yamunāvane  
Then, having gone a krośa farther, the two brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa killed many deer fit for sacrifice and roamed about in the Yamunā's forest.

**2.49.15**  
vihṛtya te barhiṇapūganādite śubhe vane vāraṇavānarāyute  
samaṃ nadīvapram upetya saṃmataṃ nivāsam ājagmur adīnadarśanaḥ  
Having roamed in that lovely wood, resounding with flocks of peacocks and alive with elephants and monkeys, they of undaunted mien came to a level river-bank and reached an agreeable dwelling-place.