Rāmāyaṇa-southern-2 (southern recension) · Chapter 2.17

Rāmāyaṇa, Ayodhyākāṇḍa, 17
rāmas tu bhṛśam āyasto niḥśvasann iva kuñjaraḥ /
jagāma sahito bhrātrā mātur antaḥpuraṃ vaśī

so 'paśyat puruṣaṃ tatra vṛddhaṃ paramapūjitam /
upaviṣṭaṃ gṛhadvāri tiṣṭhataś cāparān bahūn

praviśya prathamāṃ kakṣyāṃ dvitīyāyāṃ dadarśa saḥ /
brāhmaṇān vedasampannān vṛddhān rājñābhisatkṛtān

praṇamya rāmas tān vṛddhāṃs tṛtīyāyāṃ dadarśa saḥ /
striyo vṛddhāś ca bālāś ca dvārarakṣaṇatatparāḥ

vardhayitvā prahṛṣṭās tāḥ praviśya ca gṛhaṃ striyaḥ /
nyavedayanta tvaritā rāmamātuḥ priyaṃ tadā

kausalyāpi tadā devī rātriṃ sthitvā samāhitā /
prabhāte tv akarot pūjāṃ viṣṇoḥ putrahitaiṣiṇī

sā kṣaumavasanā hṛṣṭā nityaṃ vrataparāyaṇā /
agniṃ juhoti sma tadā mantravat kṛtamaṅgalā

praviśya ca tadā rāmo mātur antaḥpuraṃ śubham /
dadarśa mātaraṃ tatra hāvayantīṃ hutāśanam

sā cirasyātmajaṃ dṛṣṭvā mātṛnandanam āgatam /
abhicakrāma saṃhṛṣṭā kiśoraṃ vaḍabā yathā

tam uvāca durādharṣaṃ rāghavaṃ sutam ātmanaḥ /
kausalyā putravātsalyād idaṃ priyahitaṃ vacaḥ

vṛddhānāṃ dharmaśīlānāṃ rājarṣīṇāṃ mahātmanām /
prāpnuhy āyuś ca kīrtiṃ ca dharmaṃ copahitaṃ kule

satyapratijñaṃ pitaraṃ rājānaṃ paśya rāghava /
adyaiva hi tvāṃ dharmātmā yauvarājye 'bhiṣekṣyati

mātaraṃ rāghavaḥ kiṃcit prasāryāñjalim abravīt /
sa svabhāvavinītaś ca gauravāc ca tadānataḥ

devi nūnaṃ na jānīṣe mahad bhayam upasthitam /
idaṃ tava ca duḥkhāya vaidehyā lakṣmaṇasya ca

caturdaśa hi varṣāṇi vatsyāmi vijane vane /
madhumūlaphalair jīvan hitvā munivad āmiṣam

bharatāya mahārājo yauvarājyaṃ prayacchati /
māṃ punar daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ vivāsayati tāpasam

tām aduḥkhocitāṃ dṛṣṭvā patitāṃ kadalīm iva /
rāmas tūtthāpayāmāsa mātaraṃ gatacetasam

upāvṛtyotthitāṃ dīnāṃ vaḍabām iva vāhitām /
pāṃśuguṇṭhitasarvāṅgīṃ vimamarśa ca pāṇinā

sā rāghavam upāsīnam asukhārtā sukhocitā /
uvāca puruṣavyāghram upaśṛṇvati lakṣmaṇe

yadi putra na jāyethā mama śokāya rāghava /
na sma duḥkham ato bhūyaḥ paśyeyam aham aprajā

eka eva hi vandhyāyāḥ śoko bhavati mānavaḥ /
aprajāsmīti saṃtāpo na hy anyaḥ putra vidyate

na dṛṣṭapūrvaṃ kalyāṇaṃ sukhaṃ vā patipauruṣe /
api putre vipaśyeyam iti rāmāsthitaṃ mayā

sā bahūny amanojñāni vākyāni hṛdayacchidām /
ahaṃ śroṣye sapatnīnām avarāṇāṃ varā satī /
ato duḥkhataraṃ kiṃ nu pramadānāṃ bhaviṣyati // RamS_2,17.23* //
tvayi saṃnihite 'py evam aham āsaṃ nirākṛtā /
kiṃ punaḥ proṣite tāta dhruvaṃ maraṇam eva me

yo hi māṃ sevate kaścid atha vāpy anuvartate /
kaikeyyāḥ putram anvīkṣya sa jano nābhibhāṣate

daśa sapta ca varṣāṇi tava jātasya rāghava /
atītāni prakāṅkṣantyā mayā duḥkhaparikṣayam

upavāsaiś ca yogaiś ca bahubhiś ca pariśramaiḥ /
duḥkhaṃ saṃvardhito moghaṃ tvaṃ hi durgatayā mayā

sthiraṃ tu hṛdayaṃ manye mamedaṃ yan na dīryate /
prāvṛṣīva mahānadyāḥ spṛṣṭaṃ kūlaṃ navāmbhasā

mamaiva nūnaṃ maraṇaṃ na vidyate na cāvakāśo 'sti yamakṣaye mama /
yad antako 'dyaiva na māṃ jihīrṣati prasahya siṃho rudatīṃ mṛgīm iva

sthiraṃ hi nūnaṃ hṛdayaṃ mamāyasaṃ na bhidyate yad bhuvi nāvadīryate /
anena duḥkhena ca deham arpitaṃ dhruvaṃ hy akāle maraṇaṃ na vidyate

idaṃ tu duḥkhaṃ yad anarthakāni me vratāni dānāni ca saṃyamāś ca hi /
tapaś ca taptaṃ yad apatyakāraṇāt suniṣphalaṃ bījam ivoptam ūṣare

yadi hy akāle maraṇaṃ svayecchayā labheta kaścid guruduḥkhakarśitaḥ /
gatāham adyaiva paretasaṃsadaṃ vinā tvayā dhenur ivātmajena vai

bhṛśam asukham amarṣitā tadā bahu vilalāpa samīkṣya rāghavam /
vyasanam upaniśāmya sā mahat sutam iva baddham avekṣya kiṃnarī