आगे राम लखन बने पाछें । तापस-बेष बिराजत काछें ॥
उभय बीच सिय सोहति कैसे । ब्रह्म जीव बिच माया जैसे ॥
āge rāma lakhana bane pācheṃ | tāpasa-beṣa birājata kācheṃ ||
ubhaya bīca siya sohati kaise | brahma jīva bica māyā jaise ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 123: Sita walks between the two brothers
5 verses · 123 of 326
What happens in this chapter
Sita walks between the two brothers
Rama walks in front and Lakshmana behind, both handsome in ascetic dress. Between them Sita shines like maya between Brahman and the jiva. Tulsidas offers another picture as it lives in his mind: like Rati shining between Vasanta and Kamadeva; and another, after thought: like Rohini between Budha and the moon. Sita walks carefully, placing her feet between the Lord's footprints, while Lakshmana keeps to the right, avoiding the marks of Sita's and Rama's feet. Their love for one another is beyond words. Birds and beasts are lost in the sight, for the traveller Rama has stolen their hearts. Those who have seen the travellers' beloved, the two brothers with Sita, cross the hard road of worldly existence without effort and find joy.
बहुरि कहउँ छबि जसि मन बसई । जनु मधु-मदन मध्य रति लसई ॥
उपमा बहुरि कहउँ जियँ जोही । जनु बुध-बिधु बिच रोहिनि सोही ॥
bahuri kahaum̐ chabi jasi mana basaī | janu madhu-madana madhya rati lasaī ||
upamā bahuri kahaum̐ jiyam̐ johī | janu budha-bidhu bica rohini sohī ||
प्रभु-पद-रेख बीच बीच सीता । धरति चरन मग चलति सभीता ॥
सीय-राम-पद अङ्क बराये । लखन चलहिँ मग दाहिन लाये ॥
prabhu-pada-rekha bīca bīca sītā | dharati carana maga calati sabhītā ||
sīya-rāma-pada aṅka barāye | lakhana calahim̐ maga dāhina lāye ||
राम-लखन-सिय प्रीति सुहाई । बचन अगोचर किमि कहि जाई ॥
खग-मृग-मगन देखि छवि होहीँ । लिये चोरि चित राम बटोहीं ॥
rāma-lakhana-siya prīti suhāī | bacana agocara kimi kahi jāī ||
khaga-mṛga-magana dekhi chavi hohīm̐ | liye cori cita rāma baṭohīṃ ||
जिन्ह जिन्ह देखे पथिक-प्रिय, सिय समेत दोउ भाइ ।
भव-मग अगम अनन्द तेइ, बिनु श्रम रहे सिराइ ॥
jinha jinha dekhe pathika-priya, siya sameta dou bhāi |
bhava-maga agama ananda tei, binu śrama rahe sirāi ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0