# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 50 — The Citrakūṭa hut and its rites

*Lakṣmaṇa builds and roasts a black antelope, Rāma bathes and makes a protective offering before they enter*

Portion: The river journey to Citrakūṭa · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 2.50.<verse>

## Sequence

- At dawn Rāma wakes Lakṣmaṇa, and the three resume the route Bharadvāja described (50.1–4)
- as the cold season ends, Rāma points out flowering trees and branches heavy with fruit to Sītā (50.5–7)
- he notices large honeycombs, birds calling to one another, and the mountain's animal life (50.8–10)
- reaching Citrakūṭa, he chooses to stay and asks Lakṣmaṇa to build a hut (50.11–13)
- Lakṣmaṇa gathers timber and constructs a shelter roofed with leaves → at Rāma's request, he also hunts a black antelope for vāstu-related rites for entering their new dwelling (50.14–16)
- once the meat is cooked, Rāma bathes and performs the protective offering (50.17–19)
- they enter the sheltered hut and settle into the forest → amid Citrakūṭa and the river Mālyavatī, Rāma finds relief from the sorrow of exile (50.20–22).

## Verses

**2.50.1**  
atha rātryāṃ vyatītāyām avasuptam anantaram  
prabodhayām āsa śanair lakṣmaṇaṃ raghunandanaḥ  
When the night had passed, the delight of the Raghus gently awakened Lakṣmaṇa, who was sleeping right beside him.

**2.50.2**  
saumitre śṛṇu vanyānāṃ valgu vyāharatāṃ svanam  
saṃpratiṣṭhāmahe kālaḥ prasthānasya paraṃtapa  
'Saumitri, hear the sweet sound of the forest creatures as they call; let us set forth—it is time to depart, O scorcher of foes.'

**2.50.3**  
sa suptaḥ samaye bhrātrā lakṣmaṇaḥ pratibodhitaḥ  
jahau nidrāṃ ca tandrīṃ ca prasaktaṃ ca pathi śramam  
Lakṣmaṇa, asleep, was roused at that moment by his brother, and cast off sleep, drowsiness, and the fatigue that clung to him from the journey.

**2.50.4**  
tata utthāya te sarve spṛṣṭvā nadyāḥ śivaṃ jalam  
panthānam ṛṣiṇoddiṣṭaṃ citrakūṭasya taṃ yayuḥ  
Then they all rose, touched the auspicious water of the river, and took that path to Citrakūṭa which the sage had pointed out.

**2.50.5**  
tataḥ saṃprasthitaḥ kāle rāmaḥ saumitriṇā saha  
sītāṃ kamalapatrākṣīm idaṃ vacanam abravīt  
Then Rāma, having set out at the right time together with Saumitri, spoke these words to Sītā, whose eyes were like lotus petals:

**2.50.6**  
ādīptān iva vaidehi sarvataḥ puṣpitān nagān  
svaiḥ puṣpaiḥ kiṃśukān paśya mālinaḥ śiśirātyaye  
'O Vaidehī, behold the kiṃśuka trees, blossoming on every side as if ablaze, garlanded with their own flowers now that the cold season is ending.'

**2.50.7**  
paśya bhallātakān phullān narair anupasevitān  
phalapatrair avanatān nūnaṃ śakṣyāmi jīvitum  
'Behold the bhallātaka trees in full bloom, untended by men, bowed low with fruit and leaves; surely I shall be able to live here.'

**2.50.8**  
paśya droṇapramāṇāni lambamānāni lakṣmaṇa  
madhūni madhukārībhiḥ saṃbhṛtāni nage nage  
'Look, Lakṣmaṇa, at the honeycombs the size of a droṇa, hanging on tree after tree, gathered by the honey-making bees.'

**2.50.9**  
eṣa krośati natyūhas taṃ śikhī pratikūjati  
ramaṇīye vanoddeśe puṣpasaṃstarasaṃkaṭe  
'Here a gallinule cries out, and the peacock calls back to it, in this delightful stretch of forest thick with a carpet of flowers.'

**2.50.10**  
mātaṃgayūthānusṛtaṃ pakṣisaṃghānunāditam  
citrakūṭam imaṃ paśya pravṛddhaśikharaṃ girim  
'Behold this mountain Citrakūṭa, its peaks towering high, roamed by herds of elephants and resounding with flocks of birds.'

**2.50.11**  
tatas tau pādacāreṇa gacchantau saha sītayā  
ramyam āsedatuḥ śailaṃ citrakūṭaṃ manoramam  
Then the two, going on foot together with Sītā, reached the lovely, delightful mountain Citrakūṭa.

**2.50.12**  
taṃ tu parvatam āsādya nānāpakṣigaṇāyutam  
ayaṃ vāso bhavet tāvad atra saumya ramemahi  
Reaching that mountain teeming with flocks of various birds, (Rāma said): 'Let this be our dwelling for now; here, gentle one, let us take our delight.'

**2.50.13**  
lakṣmaṇānaya dārūṇi dṛḍhāni ca varāṇi ca  
kuruṣvāvasathaṃ saumya vāse me 'bhirataṃ manaḥ  
'Lakṣmaṇa, bring stout and choice pieces of wood and build a dwelling, gentle one; my mind is set on living here.'

**2.50.14**  
tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā saumitrir vividhān drumān  
ājahāra tataś cakre parṇa śālām ariṃ dama  
Hearing that word of his, Saumitri fetched various trees and then built a leaf-hut, O tamer of foes.

**2.50.15**  
śuśrūṣamāṇam ekāgram idaṃ vacanam abravīt  
aiṇeyaṃ māṃsam āhṛtya śālāṃ yakṣyāmahe vayam  
To (Lakṣmaṇa), attentive and single-minded, he spoke these words: 'Let us fetch antelope-flesh and consecrate the hut.'

**2.50.16**  
sa lakṣmaṇaḥ kṛṣṇamṛgaṃ hatvā medhyaṃ patāpavān  
atha cikṣepa saumitriḥ samiddhe jātavedasi  
That mighty Lakṣmaṇa, having killed a pure black antelope, then—Saumitri—cast it onto the blazing fire.

**2.50.17**  
taṃ tu pakvaṃ samājñāya niṣṭaptaṃ chinnaśoṇitam  
lakṣmaṇaḥ puruṣavyāghram atha rāghavam abravīt  
When he perceived it cooked through, thoroughly roasted, its blood drained away, Lakṣmaṇa then said to Rāghava, the tiger among men:

**2.50.18**  
ayaṃ kṛṣṇaḥ samāptāṅgaḥ śṛtaḥ kṛṣṇa mṛgo yathā  
devatā devasaṃkāśa yajasva kuśalo hy asi  
'This black antelope, with its limbs entire, is cooked just as a black buck should be; O god-like one, worship the deities, for you are skilled in this.'

**2.50.19**  
rāmaḥ snātvā tu niyato guṇavāñ japyakovidaḥ  
pāpasaṃśamanaṃ rāmaś cakāra balim uttamam  
Rāma—virtuous, self-restrained, and skilled in muttered prayer—having bathed, performed an excellent offering to allay all evil.

**2.50.20**  
tāṃ vṛkṣaparṇac chadanāṃ manojñāṃ yathāpradeśaṃ sukṛtāṃ nivātām  
vāsāya sarve viviśuḥ sametāḥ sabhāṃ yathā deva gaṇāḥ sudharmām  
That charming hut, thatched with tree-leaves, well-built to plan and sheltered from the wind—all of them together entered it to dwell, as the hosts of gods enter the hall Sudharmā.

**2.50.21**  
anekanānāmṛgapakṣisaṃkule vicitrapuṣpastabalair drumair yute  
vanottame vyālamṛgānunādite tathā vijahruḥ susukhaṃ jitendriyāḥ  
In that finest of forests—crowded with many and various beasts and birds, set with trees bearing variegated flower-clusters, and echoing with beasts of prey—they too, their senses subdued, sported in great comfort.

**2.50.22**  
suramyam āsādya tu citrakūṭaṃ nadīṃ ca tāṃ mālyavatīṃ sutīrthām  
nananda hṛṣṭo mṛgapakṣijuṣṭāṃ jahau ca duḥkhaṃ puravipravāsāt  
Having reached the delightful Citrakūṭa and that river Mālyavatī with its fair fords, haunted by beasts and birds, Rāma rejoiced with a glad heart and cast off the sorrow of his exile from the city.