गुह सारथिहि फिरेउ पहुँचाई । बिरह बिषाद बरनि नहिं जाई ॥
चले अवध लेइ रथहि निषादा । होहिँ छनहिँ छन मगन बिषादा ॥
guha sārathihi phireu pahum̐cāī | biraha biṣāda barani nahiṃ jāī ||
cale avadha lei rathahi niṣādā | hohim̐ chanahim̐ chana magana biṣādā ||
Ayodhya Kanda
Chapter 144: Sumantra's remorse on the road home
5 verses · 144 of 326
What happens in this chapter
Sumantra's remorse on the road home
Guha sees the charioteer off and turns back, his grief beyond words; the Nishadas drive the chariot toward Avadh, sinking into sorrow moment by moment. Sumantra torments himself: shame on a life without Shri Rama. This wretched body will die in the end anyway; why did it not win honour by dying at the parting? His breath has earned only disgrace and sin, so why does it not leave? He missed the moment, and still his heart does not split in two. He wrings his hands and beats his head like a miser who has lost his hoard, or a vowed warrior who fled the field. The doha: he grieves like a learned, Veda-knowing brahmana of good birth who has drunk wine by mistake.
सोच सुमन्त्र बिकल दुख-दीना । धिग जीवन रघुवीर बिहीना ॥
रहिहि न अंतहुँ अधम सरीरू । जस न लहेउ बिछुरत रघुबीरू ॥
soca sumantra bikala dukha-dīnā | dhiga jīvana raghuvīra bihīnā ||
rahihi na aṃtahum̐ adhama sarīrū | jasa na laheu bichurata raghubīrū ||
भये अजस-अघ-भाजन प्राना । कवन हेतु नहिँ करत पयाना ॥
अहह मन्द-मन अवसर चूका । अजहुँ न हृदय होत दुइ टूका ॥
bhaye ajasa-agha-bhājana prānā | kavana hetu nahim̐ karata payānā ||
ahaha manda-mana avasara cūkā | ajahum̐ na hṛdaya hota dui ṭūkā ||
मीजि हाथ सिर धुनि पछिताई । मनहुँ कृपन धन-रासि गवाँई ॥
बिरद बाँधि बर बीर कहाई । चलेउ समर जनु सुभट पराई ॥
mīji hātha sira dhuni pachitāī | manahum̐ kṛpana dhana-rāsi gavām̐ī ||
birada bām̐dhi bara bīra kahāī | caleu samara janu subhaṭa parāī ||
विप्र बिबेकी बेदबिद, संमत-साधु सुजाति ।
जिमि धोखें मदपान कर, सचिव सोच तेहि भाँति ॥
vipra bibekī bedabida, saṃmata-sādhu sujāti |
jimi dhokheṃ madapāna kara, saciva soca tehi bhām̐ti ||
Text source: Wikisource · Public domain (Tulsidas, 16th c.; 1925 edition, Wikisource PD-1996 tag); transcription CC BY-SA 4.0