5 verses · 142 of 326
The Lord guards Sita and Lakshmana as eyelids guard the eyes, and Lakshmana serves them as an unwise man tends his body. So the Lord lives happily in the forest. The narrator turns: now hear how Sumantra came back to Avadh. Returning after seeing the Lord off, Guha finds the minister with the chariot, distraught beyond words. Crying 'Rama, Rama, Sita, Lakshmana!', Sumantra falls to the ground. The horses look southward and neigh, restless as wingless birds. In the doha they neither graze nor drink and their eyes stream; seeing Shri Rama's horses, all the Nishadas are overcome.
जोगवहिं प्रभु सिय लखनहिं कैसें । पलक-बिलोचन-गोलक जैसें ॥
सेवहिँ लखन सीय-रघुबीरहि । जिमि अबिबेकी पुरुष सरीरहि ॥
jogavahiṃ prabhu siya lakhanahiṃ kaiseṃ | palaka-bilocana-golaka jaiseṃ ||
sevahim̐ lakhana sīya-raghubīrahi | jimi abibekī puruṣa sarīrahi ||
एहि बिधि प्रभु बन बसहिँ सुखारी । खग-मृग-सुर-तापस हितकारी ॥
कहेउँ राम-बन-गवन सुहावा । सुनहु सुमन्त्र अवध जिमि आवा ॥
ehi bidhi prabhu bana basahim̐ sukhārī | khaga-mṛga-sura-tāpasa hitakārī ||
kaheum̐ rāma-bana-gavana suhāvā | sunahu sumantra avadha jimi āvā ||
फिरेउ निषाद प्रभुहि पहुँचाई । सचिव सहित रथ देखेसि आई ॥
मन्त्री विकल बिलोकि निषादू । कहि न जाइ जस भयउ बिषादू ॥
phireu niṣāda prabhuhi pahum̐cāī | saciva sahita ratha dekhesi āī ||
mantrī vikala biloki niṣādū | kahi na jāi jasa bhayau biṣādū ||
राम राम सिय लखन पुकारी । परेउ धरनितल व्याकुल भारी ॥
देखि दखिन दिसि हय हिहिनाहीं । जनु बिनु पङ्ख बिहँग अकुलाहीं ॥
rāma rāma siya lakhana pukārī | pareu dharanitala vyākula bhārī ||
dekhi dakhina disi haya hihināhīṃ | janu binu paṅkha biham̐ga akulāhīṃ ||
नहिँ तृन चरहिं पिअहिं जल, मोचहिं लोचन बारि ।
व्याकुल भयउ निषाद सब, रघुबर-बाजि निहारि ॥
nahim̐ tṛna carahiṃ piahiṃ jala, mocahiṃ locana bāri |
vyākula bhayau niṣāda saba, raghubara-bāji nihāri ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0
