Ramayana Condensed in the Poet's Own Words /110

92
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
To his mother Kausalya who was thus

lamenting piteously, Rama, the righteous-

minded, uttered these words full of

righteousness :
 

 
नास्ति शक्तिः पितुर्वाक्यं समतिक्रमितुं मम ।

प्रसादये त्वां शिरसा गन्तुमिच्छाम्यहं वनम् ॥
 

"I cannot transgress my father's man-

date.
I crave your approval with bowed

head; I am desirous of proceeding to the

forest.
 

 
पितुर्हि वचनं कुर्वन्न कश्चिन्नाम हीयते ॥
 

No one indeed suffers because of his

having carried out his father's mandate."
 

 
तामेवमुत्तवा जननीं लक्ष्मणं तुनरब्रवीत् ।

वाक्यं वाक्यविदां श्रेष्ठः श्रेष्ठस्सर्वधनुष्मताम् ॥
 

Having spoken to his mother thus,

Rama, the best of those well-versed in

speech and the foremost of all bow-men,

spoke then to Lakshmana:
 

 
धर्मो हि परमो लोके धर्मे सत्यं प्रतिष्ठितम् ।

धर्मसंश्रितमेतच्च पितुर्वचनमुत्तमम् ॥
 

"Dharma indeed is supreme in the

world. In dharma, is truth rooted. And

this, my father's command, based on

dharma is supreme.